Is Money Map Press Legit or Scam? (Full Review)

After reading multiple reviews about publications from the investing “experts” over at Money Map Press, you might be wondering what it’s all about and whether or not it’s actually legit.

Here’s the short version: Money Map Press is a financial publishing company that was founded in 2007 and is a part of Agora Financial. They offer publications from twelve “experts” that give you insights and stock recommendations. It’s not a scam, but some of their newsletters are overpriced and I don’t agree with some of their sales tactics.

In this review, we’ll take a closer look at what Money Map Press is about, who’s behind it, and what services they offer, to help you decide if it’s worth getting involved with.

What Is Money Map Press?

Money Map Press is a financial publishing company that’s based in Baltimore, Maryland. It was founded in 2007, along with its flagship website Money Morning, which gives its million-plus subscribers daily access to tips, insights, and stock picks from any of their ten experts for free.

However, Money Map Press offers more than just a separate news website.

It also offers a plethora of subscriptions that are provided by “a team of experts” that delivers both detailed analyses and investing ideas with the goal of making investing more profitable.

They offer subscription services in four main categories:

• Newsletters
• Trading Services
• Elite Services
• Memberships

Currently, Money Map Press is anchored by six major newsletters:

• Money Map Report: their “flagship service” by Keith Fitz-Gerald that gives in-depth articles on world commodities and currencies, energy, and health
• Energy Advantage: a publication by editor Kent Moors that focuses on energy-related investments
• The Nova-X Report: a report by Michael Robinson about technology-related investing trends
• Private Briefing: daily newsletter led by the executive editor Bill Patalon that takes valuable tidbits of information from the other main newsletters and turns it into actionable investing recommendations
• The 10-Minute Millionaire Insider: a publication by D.R. Barton that gives you the secrets to his trading and investing success
• Fast Fortune Club: a newsletter by Tom Gentile about his trade strategies

Who’s Behind It?

Immediately speaking, Money Map Press is published by a guy named Mike Ward.

Ward has over 25 years’ experience in the magazine and book publishing industry. He’s gained valuable information and experience by working for companies like:

• MacMillan Publishing
• Rodale Press
• Eagle Publishing

He was also the Editorial Director for an independent financial publisher called The Oxford Club (which is also based in Baltimore, Maryland).

But beyond him, Money Map Press is part of a company called Agora, Inc., which was founded in 1978 by Bill Bonner.

Since then, it was rebranded in 2016 and is now just called “The Agora.”

Essentially, it’s an association of over 40 people that have collectively produced and marketed publications in the financial, health, and lifestyle-related industries.

The Agora’s publications reach over four million people around the globe each year. To put that into perspective, that’s more than the New York Times or the Wall Street Journal.

The company also employs over 2,000 people, and all The Agora’s companies combined bring in over $500 million in revenue.

Money Map Press Contributors

Money Map Press is comprised of a team of twelve authors (not including publisher Mike Ward) who are experts in one type of investing or another. And each contributes their own share of information through their publications.

Here are the main experts that work with Money Map Press:

• Tom Gentile
• Keith Fitz-Gerald
• D.R. Barton
• Michael Robinson
• Kent Moors
• Bill Patalon
• Shah Gilani
• Chris Johnson
• Ernie Tremblay
• Garrett Baldwin
• Tim Melvin
• Andrew Keene

Now let’s take a closer look at each author…

Tom Gentile

Tom Gentile is described as being “America’s #1 Pattern Trader,” which is a title he earned even though he’s had no formal business training.

He’s had a successful track record over his 30 years of experience, but perhaps one of his biggest accomplishments is that he co-founded financial tech company Optionetics, which was sold in 2009 for millions of dollars.

What’s almost even more impressive is that the company that acquired Optionetics, optionsXpress, was eventually sold to mega-company Charles Schwab.

On top of all that, he’s also a best-selling author, having written eight books and even training courses.

Read my full review of Tom Gentile to learn more.

Tom Gentile’s Advisory Services

Alpha-9 Trader: a newsletter service costing $6,250 per year that gives you access to daily Double-Your-Money trade recommendations (among other things) that are based on the results of his proprietary “Alpha-9” stock analyzing system.

V3 Trader: a financial subscription service that costs $5,000 per year which gives you access to his stock tips and recommendations that he gains from scanning the market using his “Triple-V” trade protocol.

Fast Fortune Club: a $599 per year subscription service that will give you Gentile’s monthly newsletter, which includes trade recommendations (called “Payday Appointments”) as well as a few bonuses.

Microcurrency Trader: a subscription costing $5,000 per year that gives you tips, insights, and recommendations relating to trading micro currencies, including alerts on when to buy or sell specific currencies.

Weekly Cash Clock: a $4,995 advisory research service that gives you access to Gentile’s options trade recommendations, which he makes based on both patterns spotted by his proprietary system and special “weekly distribution contracts.”

Money Calendar Pro: a weekly advisory trading service costing $4,995 that gives you access to recommendations based on his patent-pending analytic software that claims a possible 1250% return on investment each year.

Daily Flash Cash: a trading research service that costs $5,000 per year and gives you recommendations based on Gentile’s new “Money Dial” tool and a “time contingency” order.

In addition to creating both free and paid services, Tom is also featured in a number of presentations. These are basically videos he and the team at Money Map Press create to promote the previously mentioned services.

Here’s a list of Tom’s most popular presentations:

• $150,000 Profit Party
• The V3 Effect
• Cannabis Lots
• The Global Currency Revolution

Keith Fitz-Gerald

Keith Fitz-Gerald is an investor who has over 35 years’ experience in consulting, analyzing, trading, and private investing.

He also has experience as a veteran of a leading investment firm called Wilshire Associates.

He’s well-known for being able to simplify even the most complex financial topics, as well as being one of the very few people who correctly predicted both the dot-com crisis and the global financial crisis.

He’s also renowned for making over 1,100 appearances on what he calls “top-tier” news outlets, such as Fox Business, CNBC, and Bloomberg.

In fact, he’s even been called “possibly America’s favorite Market Watcher.” He’s also been praised by Forbes.com as a market visionary in 2010.

His insights, analyses, and perspectives reach over one million people each month and he’s a regular contributor to Money Morning.

Keith Fitz-Gerald’s Advisory Services

• Money Map Report: a monthly research advisory service that’s geared towards those nearing (or already at) retirement age that gives you two investment recommendations and costs $299 a year.
• High Velocity Profits: a trading advisory service that costs $3,995 per year and gives you email alerts with stock recommendations based on the “X-Pattern” and something called an AROON indicator.
• Straight Line Profits: a subscription service that gives you recommendations based on a new technology called the Arbitrage Detection Grid System.
• Total Wealth: a free newsletter that gives you tips, insights, and updates on what’s going on in the financial world.

D.R. Barton

D.R. Barton isn’t as well-known of a name as some of the others on this list, but he’s still an authority in the technical trading space.

He has over 25 years’ experience as a financial author, lecturer, and coach.

He started out as a chemical engineer with a company called DuPont, which is where he learned trading secrets that led to his first trading service.

He’s co-authored a best-selling book titled Safe Strategies for Financial Freedom.

He also regularly appears on Fox Business, Bloomberg Radio, CNBC, and BNN as an analyst.

D.R. Barton’s Advisory Services

• Beta Flow: a new up-and-coming subscription service that gives readers recommendations based on his newly obtained ability to see the biggest moves in the market that are “deliberately hidden” from the public.
• Stealth Profits Trader: a $5,000 per year subscription service that gives you weekly trade recommendations based on his proprietary “Stealth Stocks Trading Indicator.”
• The 10-Minute Millionaire Insider: a trading service that costs $299 a year and gives you insight into his trading methods that have been simplified so that they can be applied to people with any level of trading experience.
• Straight-Up Profits: free service that gives readers the true information that he claims the “Big Four” (Wall Street, Madison Avenue, heavyweights, and the news media) don’t tell you in order to help you make more money on your investments

Along with those services, Barton has also been a part of a presentation called Federal Rent Checks, which was just a way to promote his 10-Minute Millionaire Insider subscription.

Michael Robinson

Michael A. Robinson is a seasoned veteran of California’s Silicon Valley – the center of the United States’ tech industry – and is known as one of the best tech-related financial analysts.

He has over 35 years of experience, which includes being a senior advisor, consultant, and even board member for Silicon Valley venture capital firms.

He’s also worked for major journalism companies such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Defense Media Network, among multiple others.

He regularly appears on national news outlets such as CNBC and Fox Business.

Robinson is also a Pulitzer-prize nominated writer and reporter, and he’s the author of such books as Overdrawn: The Bailout of American Savings and more.

Michael Robinson’s Advisory Services

• Nova-X Report: a $299 subscription service that gets you access to a monthly report that contains two new investment opportunities that Robinson has seen based on his research.
• Radical Technology Profits: a newsletter service that gives you an average of four reports per month with stock recommendations based on his new proprietary system he calls the Real Demand Tracking System.
• Strategic Tech Investor: a free newsletter that gives you insight into potentially lucrative trends in the tech-investing space.

On top of Robinson’s Advisory services, he’s been a part of multiple presentations that are essentially just a way for him to promote his various services.

Here’s a list of Michael Robinson’s most popular presentations:

• Cryogenic Blood Revolution
• The Dark Burst Device
• Rule-of-40 Tech Wealth Summit

Kent Moors

Kent Moors is an investing expert who is well-known for having been an advisor to high-up officials in the governments of the United States, Iraq, Russia, and more.

He’s been a consultant to companies in over 25 different countries and has made over 1,400 appearances on various radio and television broadcasts.

He’s also the author of six books, including The Vega Factor.

Kent Moors’ Advisory Services

• Energy Advantage: a $299 per year newsletter that shows readers how to profit from major paradigm shifts within the energy industry.
• The Energy Inner Circle: a $4,000 subscription service where he gives you insights into the energy industry’s most “lucrative” investment recommendations.
• Micro Energy Trader: a “high-end” research service that gives you weekly reports with investment opportunities.
• Oil & Energy Investor: a free newsletter service which gives you special insights into what the biggest players in the energy sector are up to.

Bill Patalon

Bill Patalon is the executive editor and senior research analyst for Money Map Press’ flagship website Money Morning.

He was a journalist for 22 years before beginning his career in the investment research industry in late 2005.

He’s known for interviewing big names such as former U.S. president Richard Nixon, the CEO of General Electric, and Steve Forbes (the guy who publishes Forbes magazine).

He’s earned over two dozen journalism awards, including top honors from both the Associated Press and the Society of American Business Editors and Writers.

Bill Patalon’s Advisory Services

• Money Morning Private Briefing: a daily newsletter that costs $299 that combines valuable insights and tips from all of the experts on the Money Map Press team.
• Money Morning: a free membership service that gives you a Member ID and thus gets you access to exclusive benefits.

Shah Gilani

Investing expert Shah Gilani is well-known for his nearly unrivaled expertise and experience in the trading industry.

It started back in 1982 when he ran his first hedge fund, and he founded another in 1999.

One of his crowning achievements has been his aid in developing what’s known as the Volatility Index (VIX). Today, the VIX is one of the most widely used stock indicators around.

He has a lot of heavyweight, big name players as his contacts, which is (in part) where he garners a lot of his valuable trade information.

He appears on news broadcasts regularly, including CNBC, and he is a weekly guest on Fox Business’ Varney & Co.

Shah Gilani’s Advisory Services

• The Money Zone: a subscription service that gives you weekly trade recommendations that are based on Gilani’s “Master Algorithm.”
• 10X Trader: a $5,000 newsletter service where you get weekly access to recommendations and insights based on a proprietary multi-layered trading system that claims you can earn 10 times your money.
• Wall Street Insights and Indictments: a free newsletter that gives you tips and tidbits of information about the truth of the stock market.

Chris Johnson

Expert Chris Johnson has over 30 years of experience and is best known for being an equity and options analyst.

He started using his deep mathematical knowledge in 1998 to build models that could analyze large amounts of data per day – and that is exactly what he claims is the key to his success today.

On top of that, he’s the founder a company called ETF Advisory Research Partners back in 2007.

Like the other Money Map Press “gurus,” he’s made multiple appearances on CNBC, Fox Business, Bloomberg TV, and more.

Chris Johnson’s Advisory Services

Night Trader: a $5,000 per year trading research service that gives you five recommendations per week (at night) based on what he calls the “Command Grid.”

Ernie Tremblay

Ernie Tremblay has over 25 years of experience in analyzing developments in the health and medicine industries.

And while his name might not be that well-known, he was once called the “most winning” stock picker.

He has a strong background in the health industry and understands the FDA regulating process very well, which is important when dealing with potentially ground-breaking new drugs.

In fact, some claim that the key to his success is his ability to know whether or not the science that’s backing a new drug will actually work or not.

Ernie Tremblay’s Advisory Services

• Biotech Insider Alert: a newsletter service that costs $1,950 for a lifetime subscription that uses his proprietary Three Phase System in conjunction with his own investing knowledge to give recommendations in the biotech industry.

Garrett Baldwin

Garrett Baldwin is a young investing “expert,” being only 38 years old, but he has a lot of experience under his belt.

For one thing, he has degrees from four universities. He’s also known for being a political and financial risk analyst, during which time he oversaw projects for people in 27 different countries.

But perhaps the thing he’s most well known for is being a “self-made” millionaire.

He’s also authored multiple books with the goal of helping people to attain their own financial goals.

Garrett Baldwin’s Advisory Services

• Quantum Windfall Alert: a subscription service that gives you access to trade recommendations that are based on his patent-pending stock tracker, the Quantum Loop.

Tim Melvin

According to his Money Map Press page, Tim Melvin has an “undefeated” track record, which is cited as having 30 years of experience and no “realized losses” within the past five years – and making 32 consecutive winning plays.

Throughout the years, he’s been a broker, advisor, and portfolio manager. He’s also the Special Situations Strategist for Money Map Press’ flagship website, Money Morning.

He’s even authored a book series relating to investing and a course that’s geared towards the younger generation that teaches them about the basic principles of investing.

Tim Melvin’s Advisory Services

• Heatseekers: a subscription service that costs $5,000 per year and gives you weekly recommendations and detailed analyses based on the principle of sabermetrics.
• Max Wealth: a free newsletter service that gives you insights into the methods he uses (that others don’t) that have made him rich.

Andrew Keene

Andrew Keene is the other really young guru that works with Money Map Press.

As a multimillionaire before age 30, he lost nearly everything he had before going across the world to teach English at a Buddhist monastery in Thailand.

It was then and there where he came up with a new algorithm he calls S.C.A.N., and that’s supposedly what put his life back on track.

On a more professional note, he’s also the CEO and President of AlphaShark trading, which was originally founded by him in 2011 as KeeneOnTheMarket.

Andrew Keene’s Advisory Services

• 1450 Club: a $5,000 per year subscription service where Keene gives you options trade recommendations that are based on his S.C.A.N. algorithm (which essentially picks up not-so-legal insider trading moves).

Along with the 1450 Club, Keene was also part of an event called the Transform Your Life Summit, and the transcript of that is now used to promote his newsletter.

Is Money Map Press Legit?

Money Map Press is a legit financial publishing company. All of the services they offer are real services that actually provide you with actionable advice.

But does that mean you should invest in their services?

Not necessarily. There are definitely a few things worth noting that give some insight as to whether or not these publications are actually likely to earn you profits as they all claim.

The first thing to note is that, for the most part, all the services are quite similar to one another. While yes, some of them are focused on different sectors or industries, there are a lot of similarities between the services and the marketing used to promote them.

The second thing worth noting is that many of the complaints about Money Map Press have to do with misleading marketing tactics.

And this is probably my biggest concern, too. Because their marketing does tend to hype up the potential winnings while downplaying how risky it can be and the amount of money you (really) need to invest to make the kind of returns they mention.

They also use some (in my opinion) unethical sales tactics to sell their newsletters. Like pretending only limited spots are available, so more people buy on impulse out of a fear of “missing out”.

So they’re clearly using “clever” marketing tactics to boost sales. Which doesn’t make them a scam or fraudulent. But it does mean you should be careful before spending thousands of dollars on any of their services, and realize that there is no guarantee of becoming a millionaire overnight.

Anyway, the third thing worth noting is that the FTC – Federal Trade Commission – actually sued parent company Agora Financial for allegedly tricking seniors into buying books that promote a false cure for type 2 diabetes.

Also included in the lawsuit was the allegation that Agora publications promoted a fake plan to “cash in” on a government-affiliated check program, called Congressional Checks.

This case is currently pending though, and the lawsuit isn’t directed at Money Map Press or any of their publications, so it doesn’t prove Money Map Press is a scam.

To me, it just says caution is needed.

Conclusion

Money Map Press is a financial publishing company that offers a wide array of services from so-called “experts” across a vast number of industries.

I do believe it’s legit overall, but it’s pretty common to hear complaints from former subscribers of theirs that the marketing they use is hyped up and a bit misleading.

Whether or not you decide to use any of their subscriptions is up to you, but just make sure to be cautious and use common sense before sinking thousands of dollars into a subscription that may or may not help you earn money.