Hello, and welcome to my Power Gauge Report review.
Marc Chaikin is a well-known investment analyst who developed a stock rating system called the ‘Power Gauge,’ which he claims can “predict the future behavior of stocks.” It basically gives you a “bullish” or “bearish” rating of different stocks based on 20 predefined metrics.
And the Power Gauge Report is a newsletter where Marc shares his latest investment ideas, which he gets from using the Power Gauge rating tool.
It sounds cool…
But the “stock picking” industry is rife with scams and shams…
So it’s a great thing you’re here doing your due diligence before joining.
And I’ve found that the best way to determine if something is a scam or not is to look for the red flags, as these can be signs that you are about to be scammed.
I want to walk you through these in detail. I also want to give you the heads-up about my top-rated newsletter service, as it is (hands down) the best and most ethical in the industry. But first, let’s discuss the things you really need to look out for in the world of stock advisories.
See My Top RecommendationPower Gauge Report Review: 6 Things to Know Before Joining
I’ve reviewed 100s of stock-picking services over the years, and in that time, I’ve learned that there are a handful of red flags to watch out for.
Knowing these can help you avoid scams and find legitimate services that (actually) help you outperform the market and secure your financial future.
(1) Companies That Make “Get Rich Quick” Claims
One of the most common signs of a newsletter scam is sensationalist claims about how you can make big money in a short period of time following the stock picker’s recommendations.
Anything is possible in the stock market, but overhyped marketing is a dead giveaway that you are dealing with a shady service because legitimate companies don’t do this. Instead, they share their (actual) research with you to help you understand their thesis.
In the end, if you think the presentation is using sensationalist marketing hype rather than sharing genuine investment research with you, think twice before joining it.
What does Marc Chaikin claim? Marc Chaikin is known for making bold, attention-grabbing predictions about the stock market and economy. He often warns of major reversals or highlights overlooked stocks poised for big moves. His presentations often feature dramatic forecasts tied to political or economic events, like upcoming elections or shifts in interest rates, and they’re designed to create urgency around his stock picks. While some of his calls have been spot on, the marketing around them can sometimes lean into sensationalism.
He also makes some really bold claims about the ability of his stock rating system, the Power Gauge. And as I will now explain, his track record doesn’t always support these claims.
(2) Companies That Don’t Have a Proven Track Record
The best stock advisories have a proven track record of success because what they recommend has worked and has helped their subscribers grow their wealth.
In contrast, low-quality newsletter services don’t show you how well the service has performed because they know their picks haven’t worked out.
Some companies even hide their track records in the newsletter archives, where no one looks, which makes it virtually impossible to verify their complete track record.
If the company isn’t upfront about how it has performed… it’s probably one to avoid.
Does the Power Gauge Report have a good track record? On the one hand, Marc Chaikin has recommended some really great stocks (both publicly and to paid subscribers). However, after joining the Power Gauge Report myself and digging through the newsletter archives, I found quite a few losing recommendations. So, while I did like the Power Gauge rating tool and service as a whole, I would recommend taking the marketing with a pinch of salt because no tool is perfect, and not all of Chaikin’s recommendations have been winners.
(3) Companies That Don’t Clearly Outline Their Pricing
Another thing to watch out for is companies with shady pricing policies.
For instance, some companies sell their service at a low price for the first 12 months, but then it automatically renews at a higher price after that, which isn’t properly disclosed.
If a company tries to charge you hidden fees and isn’t upfront about their pricing, that is a red flag and a warning sign to avoid getting involved with them.
How much does the Power Gauge Report cost? The Power Gauge Report costs $499 per year if you join the service through the company website. However, I have seen it advertised for as low as $49/year through different promotional campaigns he’s run.
In addition, there are quite a few upsells to be aware of.
For example:
- Power Gauge Investor ($5,000 per year).
- PowerProfits ($5,000 per year).
- PowerTactics ($5,000 per year).
- Smart Money Trader ($5,000 per year).
- Chaikin Power Portfolio ($5,000 per year).
- Market Insights ($999 per year)
All told, that’s almost $26k in upsells. And the company is known for its aggressive marketing campaigns, so you should expect to be pitched on those (repeatedly) if you join.
(4) Companies With Shady Refund Policies
Unethical stock advisory companies do not have clear, transparent refund policies in place for their services, which is another red flag to watch out for.
For example, some companies lead you to think they provide a money-back guarantee in the sales copy, but if you ever try to get your money back, you find out that all they really offer is a “credit refund.” What this means is that you can only get a ‘credit’ to use toward buying another one of their services. This is highly unethical because it means you can never truly get your money back.
Bottom line… genuine stock advisory companies provide genuine money-back guarantees on their services because they know what they’re offering provides real value. So if the company you are researching has a shady refund policy in place, it may be one to avoid.
Does the company have a good refund policy? The Power Gauge Report comes with a 30-day refund policy, but it’s not possible to get a cash refund on any of the higher-priced upsell services I mentioned above. All they offer on the higher-priced services is a credit refund to use on other services.
(5) Companies With a Bad Reputation
One thing I always do when researching a newsletter service is check the company’s TrustPilot rating, as this is one of the best places to go to find genuine customer reviews. If a company doesn’t have a TrustPilot profile or is rated below 4 stars, there are likely better alternatives to consider.
What is the company’s TrustPilot rating? The company behind the Power Gauge Report, Chaikin Analytics, currently has a 1.3-star rating on TrustPilot:
(6) Is the Power Gauge Report Legit?
The Power Gauge Report isn’t a scam. It’s a real service that provides genuine value, and Marc Chaikin has recommended some decent stocks over the years.
That said, it’s not my top recommendation.
There’s often a lot of hype in Marc Chaikin’s marketing, and unfortunately, the actual track record of his service doesn’t live up to those bold claims.
So while it may be worth a look, I wouldn’t recommend it — especially when there are far better options available.
For example: Alexander Green.
I’ve reviewed hundreds of investment newsletters over the years, and few have impressed me as much as Alex Green’s track record.
He has called more triple-digit (and even quadruple-digit) stock winners than anyone I’ve seen. In fact, Alex identified 4 of the 6 best-performing stocks of the past 20 years — Apple, Netflix, Intuitive Surgical, and Nvidia.
That’s not just impressive — it’s nearly unheard of.
Now, Alex is zeroing in on what he sees as the biggest investment opportunity for 2025: artificial intelligence.
He believes AI is about to reshape the global economy, and that it could create 20 million new millionaires over the next four years as America races to lead the AI revolution.
In a brand-new presentation, Alex reveals his top 3 AI stocks for 2025 — and why each could soar as much as 20-fold or more in the years ahead.
He shares all the details in a special event alongside veteran broadcaster Bill O’Reilly.
Click here to watch the full presentation now:
