Does anyone read the Wall Street Journal?

jackhensy · Post by **jackhensy** » Wed Jun 07, 2017 11:37 pm

I am thinking of getting a subscription to the WSJ. I want to learn about business, make good financial decisions, know what's happening in the markets, on wall street, in the business world, stocks, bonds, mergers, layoffs firings, and a host of other news.

I want to stay abreast on business matters. Since I invest in index funds so not sure if the WSJ can help me or improve my financial life -- but it cannot hurt. I know a lot of successful people who read the WSJ daily and it seems to help them.
Warren Buffet reads it daily.

Does anyone in the bogle forum read it? Is the subscription worth it? Anyone want to share what they have gained from reading WSJ for a year or longer? Has it helped improve your financial goals? Thanks.

itstoomuch · Post by **itstoomuch** » Wed Jun 07, 2017 11:45 pm

read it at the gym in the am. but only when someone brings it in.

jbranx · Post by **jbranx** » Wed Jun 07, 2017 11:55 pm

I've read/subscribed to the WSJ (and Barron's) since about 1970. It has been very helpful to me. It used to be far more helpful than it is today. Once the WSJ was full of business news that one could get nowhere else. Today, however, the Journal focuses on a lot of non-business/non-market stories. Almost all of the good, critical business and market news one needs is reported for free by Bloomberg, Reuters, and outfits like Yahoo Finance. Other than the columns of Jason Zweig, once those of Jason Clements, and an occasional good article by Jack Bogle or Burton Malkiel, the Journal doesn't have much that one can't read somewhere else. Plus, for me, I can get the Dow News free with my Fidelity Active Trader account ( I trade mostly ETFs). The same with a Morningstar Premium sub. I guess I stick with WSJ more out of habit than need. It takes a lot of time to read, and, like Barron's, can make one think it's worth taking a dive on some really hot stock instead of staying the passive approach.

triceratop · Post by **triceratop** » Thu Jun 08, 2017 12:28 am

I read the WSJ daily through my "subscription". It is worth what I pay for it. I cannot guarantee it is will be worth what you pay for it.

Reading the WSJ has helped me understand financial markets and economics, as well as the perspective of the intended audience of the Journal (economic elites) more generally towards the world.

Always passive · Post by **Always passive** » Thu Jun 08, 2017 12:31 am

I subscribe to the online versions of the NYT and WSJ and read them daily on my iPhone. I find them a worth addition to my daily life.

jackhensy · Post by **jackhensy** » Thu Jun 08, 2017 12:36 am

Thanks fellas for the comments. I am going to subscribe to the WSJ. I think it would be a good investment from what you have told me and what I have researched.

DomDangelina · Post by **DomDangelina** » Thu Jun 08, 2017 12:38 am

The quality of the WSJ has radically declined in the last decade. Save your money.

catdude · Post by **catdude** » Thu Jun 08, 2017 1:09 am

You can read a pdf copy of the WSJ every day --

http://online.wsj.com/public/resources/ ... 170607.pdf

Just edit the url to get to the page you want to read. For example, change "A001" to "B001" to see the first page of section B. And change "20170607" to "20170608" to get the June 8th edition.

skepticalobserver · Post by **skepticalobserver** » Thu Jun 08, 2017 4:11 am

catdude wrote:You can read a pdf copy of the WSJ every day --

Didn't know this existed! Cumbersome by thrifty.

Thank you

FedGuy · Post by **FedGuy** » Thu Jun 08, 2017 6:14 am

We receive the WSJ at work every day, along with several other papers. I scan through each paper every day. Over the last several years, the WSJ has gradually taken on a progressively more extreme political viewpoint. This is most easily seen on the op/ed pages, but is also clear in their main news sections. Depending on your political views, this could either be a good thing or a bad thing.

runner540 · Post by **runner540** » Thu Jun 08, 2017 6:51 am

Yes, I get a paper at home and read the online version at the office. It's worth checking if you can buy it with frequent flyer miles, or get an educator discount.

Their business news is top notch since the reporters and editors really know that sector. They've also done some good investigative work over the last few years (Congressional insider trading to name one issue).

Edit: I don't think it's helped me with my financial investments since I am a BH and own the market, but it does help me learn about different sectors of the economy, how they work, and learn about companies' decision making and challenges. I don't trade on this data, but find it useful as a citizen, consumer, and businessperson.

jonbois · Post by **jonbois** » Thu Jun 08, 2017 8:59 am

Catdude:
Do you know a way to read Barron's in a similiar way. It would be very helpful

Thanks\Jon

jackhensy · Post by **jackhensy** » Thu Jun 08, 2017 10:52 am

catdude brilliant. Thanks.
The link you sent opens up the front page of WSJ in Chrome. But, when I change the link from 20170607 to 20170608 to see today's news the screen site says "page not found." The same event happens when I change from A0001 to B0001."page not found"

As others have pointed out about the education discount my subscription would only be $50 per year. WSJ no longer accepts flyer miles.

BolderBoy · Post by **BolderBoy** » Thu Jun 08, 2017 11:08 am

catdude wrote:You can read a pdf copy of the WSJ every day --

http://online.wsj.com/public/resources/ ... 170607.pdf

Just edit the url to get to the page you want to read. For example, change "A001" to "B001" to see the first page of section B. And change "20170607" to "20170608" to get the June 8th edition.

This is pretty clever but inconsistent. I changed to 20170608. Some of the articles claim to continue on page A10. I use the format to switch to page A10 and it returns, "Page Not Found".

Anyone else see this?

Da5id · Post by **Da5id** » Thu Jun 08, 2017 11:46 am

I get it off and on, currently on. I like it, and enjoy having a physical paper version, but don't think the full rate is worth it. So when a deal comes around I re-subscribe for a while, when deal ends I drop it for a while. I don't use it for investing advice, just find the articles interesting.

garlicpotato · Post by **garlicpotato** » Thu Jun 08, 2017 11:59 am

I read the print edition of the WSJ six days per week. On Monday - Friday, I read it at my desk while I eat my lunch. On Saturdays I read it in the mornings, with my daughter. (She is two, so mostly she colors on the pages after I finish reading them.)

The WSJ is a great paper. Certainly its quality has declined somewhat over the past decade, but so have all other papers with which I am familiar. Comparable US papers are the NYT and the Washington Post, but their coverage of business and financial news is weaker than the WSJ's.

I read newspapers because I think the world is a wonderful place full of fascinating people, I like to read stories about them, and I enjoy staying informed about current events. Despite their limitations, newspapers provide more in-depth coverage of a broad range of issues than I can easily obtain from any other source.

As far as I can recall, the only actionable personal finance information I have ever received from the WSJ is news about tax law changes. But it seems that all the important news about tax laws eventually appears on this message board, so that is certainly no justification for a subscription to the WSJ. The beauty of buy and hold index fund investing is that a monkey can do it; no newspaper subscription required!

Easy Rhino · Post by **Easy Rhino** » Thu Jun 08, 2017 12:16 pm

I get it with frequent flyer miles.

It's a good paper. I wouldn't say it's gotten worse per se, but it's definitely gotten smaller. Fewer sections. General news coverage and big business/finance coverage is still fairly strong, but personal finance and other "personal" sections have shrunk to stubs.

Isabelle77 · Post by **Isabelle77** » Thu Jun 08, 2017 12:17 pm

We get both the paper and online version. I signed up with a $1 for 3mths promo but we've kept it. My husband and I read the online version but I have the paper on the breakfast table in the morning and our middle schoolers will browse it. I turned off the television news sometime during the last election and I've found the WSJ keeps everyone pretty informed without all the yelling.

beyou · Post by **beyou** » Thu Jun 08, 2017 12:18 pm

Just started reading again recently.

I will say, they have the best summary of the economy in a daily email called
"The Daily Shot". Not so much useful to the average person just investing for their own retirement,
more relevant to professional investors. But if you find this interesting, this daily email is useful.
Their words "Everything you need to know about the trends moving today's markets, using 30+ charts and concise analysis."

Otherwise, I find it a pretty bland news source with coverage of only the most major new stories,
most of which you can get elsewhere. Not sure if my subscription cost is worthwhile. But for now
I continue to pay a discounted cost for it.

Sherlock · Post by **Sherlock** » Thu Jun 08, 2017 12:37 pm

I'll put in a plug for the Financial Times. Great indepth articles from a much broader perspective. A few years ago, I had a 6 month complimentary subscription during a period of being out of work so I had plenty of time to read it. Both, WSJ and FT are too expensive for me.

catdude · Post by **catdude** » Thu Jun 08, 2017 1:08 pm

jonbois wrote:Catdude:
Do you know a way to read Barron's in a similiar way. It would be very helpful

Thanks\Jon

Jon -

AFAIK Barron's isn't available online in pdf format. I posed that question here on BH's awhile back, and got no responses. So I assume it's not available....

catdude · Post by **catdude** » Thu Jun 08, 2017 1:15 pm

jackhensy wrote:catdude brilliant. Thanks.
The link you sent opens up the front page of WSJ in Chrome. But, when I change the link from 20170607 to 20170608 to see today's news the screen site says "page not found." The same event happens when I change from A0001 to B0001."page not found"

As others have pointed out about the education discount my subscription would only be $50 per year. WSJ no longer accepts flyer miles.

I don't know at what time of the day the pdf's get posted online. I just checked (at 11 AM PDT / 2 PM EDT) and found that the 6/8/17 edition of the WSJ is available online. Check again and see if you can access it.

jackhensy · Post by **jackhensy** » Thu Jun 08, 2017 2:04 pm

No sir, it still says "page not found."

SmileyFace · Post by **SmileyFace** » Thu Jun 08, 2017 3:55 pm

jackhensy wrote:No sir, it still says "page not found."

Works for me:
http://online.wsj.com/public/resources/ ... 170608.pdf

Easy Rhino · Post by **Easy Rhino** » Thu Jun 08, 2017 3:58 pm

Sherlock wrote:I'll put in a plug for the Financial Times. Great indepth articles from a much broader perspective. A few years ago, I had a 6 month complimentary subscription during a period of being out of work so I had plenty of time to read it. Both, WSJ and FT are too expensive for me.

I used to read FT (again, frequent flyer miles), and while I liked it, I found it's coverage to be more spare. Although I learned more about European news.

Toons · Post by **Toons** » Thu Jun 08, 2017 4:08 pm

I think I stopped about 12 years ago

jackhensy · Post by **jackhensy** » Thu Jun 08, 2017 4:16 pm

When I click on this link it opens up the main page >>>>> http://online.wsj.com/public/resources/ ... 170608.pdf

But it also changes the url to >>>>>>>>>>>> file:///C:/Users/myname/Desktop/WSJ_-A001-20170608.pdf

That is the problem. Know how to fix it?

Tallis · Post by **Tallis** » Thu Jun 08, 2017 4:20 pm

Sherlock wrote:I'll put in a plug for the Financial Times. Great indepth articles from a much broader perspective. A few years ago, I had a 6 month complimentary subscription during a period of being out of work so I had plenty of time to read it. Both, WSJ and FT are too expensive for me.

I'm also a fan of FT, though it pains me that I can no longer get the paper edition where I live, and the subscription cost is pretty steep. Still, it gives a very different slant on the world, where US news is classified under "World."

I no longer read the Wall Street Journal. After the Bancrofts sold it, it suffered a distinct decline in news quality, especially longer-form stories. I

knight rider · Post by **knight rider** » Thu Jun 08, 2017 4:41 pm

skepticalobserver wrote:
catdude wrote:You can read a pdf copy of the WSJ every day --
Didn't know this existed! Cumbersome by thrifty.

Thank you

Another member posted a spreadsheet in a recent thread that makes it a lot easier. I use it every morning on my iPad to read the WSJ. viewtopic.php?f=11&t=210764&start=100#p3393061

Da5id · Post by **Da5id** » Thu Jun 08, 2017 4:57 pm

I'd personally encourage folks who want to read the WSJ (or any non-free content) to pay for it rather than find increasingly elaborate ways to surreptitiously get their content for free. If you don't think it is worth paying for, do without, or read it at the library. Seems like identical logic could be used to justify all sorts of illicit behavior in the "I wouldn't pay for it anyway so I'm justified in..." vein. Back when WSJ allowed you to get in via google links that was an apparently officially sanctioned by the WSJ path through the paywall. I don't think really there are such paths now, though you might consider the PDF an unofficial path. I expect if there are too many downloads of the PDF per day they will close that too. YMMV. When my WSJ sub expires I'll probably not renew, waiting a new deal. I won't look for ways to subvert the paywall.

Fat-Tailed Contagion · Thu Jun 08, 2017 5:39 pm

Not anymore.

It is clear that the Media has been compromised by political special interest groups and have become propaganda blogs for the "elitist" owners.

I would suggest avoiding them all and do your own investigative research.

Caveat Emptor.

squirm · Post by **squirm** » Thu Jun 08, 2017 6:43 pm

Well written articles and journalism. Been a subscriber for twenty years.
But just because Buffet reads it, it's not going to turn you into some rich investor. In fact I rarely come away with some sort of investment idea.

PFInterest · Post by **PFInterest** » Thu Jun 08, 2017 6:44 pm

yes but its not for any of those things you listed.
other than Zweig and Neil, theres not much else.

squirm · Post by **squirm** » Thu Jun 08, 2017 6:45 pm

Just buy the print, $200 a year, whoppie. I read it during my lunch almost everyday.

Porter01 · Post by **Porter01** » Thu Jun 08, 2017 7:10 pm

I enjoy WSJ. I don't get any particular information about investing except for Zweig. But I think it overall makes a reader more insightful about saving investing an improving earning potential.

yangtui · Post by **yangtui** » Thu Jun 08, 2017 7:12 pm

Twitter is where its at for any and all information now. I have not looked at a single paper, unless linked through Twitter, in several years.

jackhensy · Post by **jackhensy** » Thu Jun 08, 2017 8:19 pm

I am not looking to get rich reading the WSJ. Instead, I am just looking to stay abreast on business news from an invaluable news source.

FrugalInvestor · Post by **FrugalInvestor** » Thu Jun 08, 2017 9:05 pm

jackhensy wrote:No sir, it still says "page not found."

I think it's a fluke. Pages 9 and 11 are available but not 10.

abuss368 · Post by **abuss368** » Thu Jun 08, 2017 11:49 pm

Been reading the paper version for years and love it.

Jonathan · Post by **Jonathan** » Fri Jun 09, 2017 12:49 am

For decent large US newspapers, WSJ is all that's left. While no media outlet is free from bias, they've retained their credibility by keeping a dry voice through the recent media storms.

It used to pair nicely with the New York Times, but the latter's demise is one of the great media losses of our era. IMO due largely to two factors: Jill Abramson being replaced by Dean Baquet as executive editor, and Carlos Slim, the 4th wealthiest person in the world, buying a significant chunk of the stock. Not only are most articles now pushed through a social lens, but their comments section has lost so much intellectual diversity that it's become one of the net's most notorious hugboxes.

catdude wrote:You can read a pdf copy of the WSJ every day --

http://online.wsj.com/public/resources/ ... 170607.pdf

Nice find! I admit I was surprised to see that, right there on the front page of yesterday's Wall Street Journal, bitcoin is mentioned multiple times.

azurekep · Post by **azurekep** » Fri Jun 09, 2017 1:44 am

Jonathan wrote:
It used to pair nicely with the New York Times, but the latter's demise is one of the great media losses of our era. IMO due largely to two factors: Jill Abramson being replaced by Dean Baquet as executive editor, and Carlos Slim, the 4th wealthiest person in the world, buying a significant chunk of the stock. Not only are most articles now pushed through a social lens, but their comments section has lost so much intellectual diversity that it's become one of the net's most notorious hugboxes.

The best antidote is to read widely.

Right now, I would never give up on the NYT or Wapo while we're in a leak-driven news cycle, and they're the main conduits. (I was starting to prefer Wapo over NYT in terms of reliability of the leaks until today.

)

But for business and economics, there's the WSJ, Bloomberg, FT, The Economist, Barrons. Not to mention that technology is a big part of the business landscape and there are many specialized technology magazines and news sites on the Web.

Since so many news products are free, I personally would never pay for home delivery in this day and age. Though I have in the past. The New York Times home delivery proved totally unreliable in our case, forcing us to cancel. For anyone opting for home delivery of a paper, a trial subscription, if available, would not be a bad idea.

Ragnoth · Post by **Ragnoth** » Fri Jun 09, 2017 1:53 am

I read the WSJ almost every day. It continues to maintain a relatively high level of journalistic integrity, and is one of the few publications worth paying for. (Remember folks, you always get what you pay for, even when it comes to news).

I also make a point of reading the op-eds. I'm a firm believer in exposing yourself to all kinds of opinions, particularly ones you disagree with, and the WSJ has some of the better written/articulated pieces advocating for center-right policies (as opposed to the drivel that tends to filter through social media). For the same reason, I tend to peruse the NYT opinions as well.

That said, although I think there is value is reading and thinking critically about the world at large, I doubt that the WSJ will make you any better of an investor... and I would view any of the corporate news with a skeptical eye in terms of how stock price will be affected.

jackhensy · Post by **jackhensy** » Fri Jun 09, 2017 11:12 am

Ragnoth wrote:That said, although I think there is value is reading and thinking critically about the world at large.....

Reading and thinking critically is very important. I may differ or agree with editorial opinions, but it is important that I know what is happening in the business world because it may enable a person to make better decisions. There is justification for knowledge --- whether it's the business market, technology, politics, etc. I am not saying the WSJ will make me a better investor, just more informed from a business standpoint.
I like calculating the odds on whether something is safe or risky or an event will occur or not occur.

Jonathan wrote:The best antidote is to read widely.

You couldn't have said it better. Read, read, read. Think critically. Analyze. Rationalize.

Jonathan · Post by **Jonathan** » Fri Jun 09, 2017 11:49 am

azurekep wrote:The best antidote is to read widely.

This is good advice. To be fair, NYT is still great for topics like recipes and travel articles, just like The New Yorker is still great for book reviews. For raw leaks, I like Twitter or reddit. I used to be troubled by the pseudonymity on reddit, but it's often no worse than the "undisclosed source" reporting that's so common now in mainstream news. If I feel myself developing a bias, I try to find a subreddit with the opposite view. Discussion manipulation is rampant on reddit, but you can counter it by sorting discussions by "controversial".

Many of the leaks seems to be traveling like this, with each successive source more credible and filtered than the previous one:

4chan-->reddit-->twitter-->niche political websites-->MSM

flamesabers · Post by **flamesabers** » Fri Jun 09, 2017 1:36 pm

I've never paid for a newspaper subscription and I'm not about to start. I'm fine with reading business/investment articles that are available online for free.

greg24 · Post by **greg24** » Fri Jun 09, 2017 2:50 pm

Jonathan wrote:Not only are most articles now pushed through a social lens, but their comments section has lost so much intellectual diversity that it's become one of the net's most notorious hugboxes.

I feel the same way about the WSJ.

I read the WSJ via facebook. You can only read the actual article link posted to FB, but thru the course of a day I read several.

jackhensy · Post by **jackhensy** » Fri Jun 09, 2017 3:19 pm

Is Google News a credible news source?

FrugalInvestor · Post by **FrugalInvestor** » Fri Jun 09, 2017 5:24 pm

jackhensy wrote:Is Google News a credible news source?

To the best of my knowledge Google News is just an amalgamation of various news sources. You can customize it by specifying that you want to see more or less of any particular type (subject) or source of news. I use it and as far as I'm concerned it's certainly credible, especially after being personalized.

Gatorbh · Post by **Gatorbh** » Fri Jun 09, 2017 6:24 pm

I've made this comment in another thread but it is worth repeating.

I can get the WSJ free on my iPad via the Overdrive app from my public library. Really quite painless even for me that's not all that internet savvy. If you're on the fence about subscribing this would be a good way to get a free trial run. Probably in the Boglehead spirit to utilize the library services your tax dollars are supporting vs paying for a personal subscription.

jackhensy · Post by **jackhensy** » Fri Jun 09, 2017 9:10 pm

Gatorbh wrote:I've made this comment in another thread but it is worth repeating.

I can get the WSJ free on my iPad via the Overdrive app from my public library. Really quite painless even for me that's not all that internet savvy. If you're on the fence about subscribing this would be a good way to get a free trial run. Probably in the Boglehead spirit to utilize the library services your tax dollars are supporting vs paying for a personal subscription.

I use the library a lot. But I want to be treated like a King and have the WSJ delivered to my door for breakfast.