The Motley Fool Careers, Benefits, Review

The Motley Fool is a multimedia financial-services company dedicated to building the world's greatest investment community. Co-founded in 1993 by brothers David and Tom Gardner, our name derives from Shakespeare's play, As You Like It, where only the court jester - the "Fool" - could tell the King the truth without getting his head lopped off.

The Motley Fool continues to advocate tirelessly for the individual investor, and over 300 full-time employes work to reach millions of people each month through our website and subscription newsletters. 

FoolHQ is located outside Washington, DC in beautiful Old Town Alexandria, Virginia. The Motley Fool also operates on a global scale, with offices in Australia, Canada, and the UK. 

Working at the Fool will be the best job you'll ever have: flexible work schedule, competitive salary, top-notch benefits, and one of the greatest working environments you'll find anywhere.

Business is thriving, growing, and evolving, so you'll meet new challenges every day. If you want to spend your career making the world a better place and contributing to a revolution in investment, The Motley Fool may be the place for you. Visit careers.fool.com to view all job opportunities!

Respect & Flexibility

We work hard to understand the needs of Fools (with a capital "F"), and incorporating responsibility and self-awareness into our culture has created winning results. Employees should be able to love what they do every day. The Motley Fool follows the belief: "Take care of your employees and they will take care of your customers, who in turn take care of shareholders."

Our tech-based business is rapidly advancing, and it’s important that employees evolve just as progressively in their roles. Successful Fools must adapt quickly, welcome change with open arms, and always be willing to jump in on mission-driven projects.

Foolish Benefits

Vacation/Sick

The Motley Fool’s vacation/sick policy is pretty straightforward: take what you need. That’s right, as long as you get your work done and consult with your supervisor in advance (if you’re going to be sick, we’d like to know in advance, but we understand it doesn’t always work that way…), you may take any reasonable amount of time off. With pay, of course. Huh? Flexible paid time off? What’s the catch? Well…nothing. Fools treat themselves, their company, and their co-workers with fairness and respect, so such a wonderfully Foolish benefit isn't abused.

Health/Vision/Prescription/Dental Care

The Fool offers comprehensive health, vision, prescription, and dental coverage through a PPO plan. And if you are electing coverage for yourself, it’s only $4 per paycheck ($2 for health/prescription/vision and $2 for dental)! Benefits are even effective on your date of hire.

Location, Location, Motivation

The Motley Fool HQ is located in historic Old Town Alexandria, Virginia across from the King Street Metro station. Walk to swell restaurants. Bike the historic tow path along the Potomac. Go sailing after work. Grab the Metro to anywhere you like.

Holidays

We follow the New York Stock Exchange. 

Work Schedule

Work like a grown-up. A Fool’s work is never done, but that doesn’t mean we work all the time. As a general rule, Fools start their day about 9:30 am. Lots of Fools work a standard 40-50 hour workweek, but we recognize that everyone is different. Working with your supervisors, you can customize your work schedule to meet the particular demands of your job.

Dress Code

We really only have three types of unacceptable dress here at the Fool: Viking helmets with strapless evening gowns; plaid with polka-dots; more than three colors not found in nature.

Tuition Reimbursement

Fools are provided with up to $5,250 in tax-free educational assistance for undergrad or grad-level courses.

The courses must:

• Be provided through an accredited college or university
• Be related to a Fool’s current job or a career path within The Motley Fool (sorry, we don’t need brain surgeons on staff)
• Be approved by HR in advance

Pre-Tax Savings Programs

• Traditional Pre-Tax or Roth (After-Tax): Employees can contribute up to the legal limit each year. And as financial educators, we strongly encourage you to sock away the full amount. The Motley Fool matches $.50 on the dollar up to your first 8%.
• Flex Spending Account: Includes the option of a medical and/or a dependent care account.

Income Protection

• AD&D: 1 times annual salary up to $100k, all paid for by the Fool.
• Life Insurance: 1 times annual salary up to $100k, all paid for by the Fool.
• Long-Term Disability: Fools receive 60% of their salary, tax-free, paid for by the Fool (up to a maximum of $10,000 per month).
• Short-Term Disability: Fools receive 100% of their salary paid for by the Fool.
• Supplemental AD&D: Option to purchase additional AD&D insurance at an awesome group rate.
• Supplemental Life Insurance: Option to purchase additional life insurance at a schweet group rate.
• Supplemental Long-Term Disability Insurance: Option to purchase additional coverage also at a group rate.

Family Concern

• Employee Assistance Program: Confidential counseling & referral service for employees and eligible dependents.
• Parental Leave: Up to 16 weeks off at 100% pay. Plus $200 of grocery delivery at the Fool’s expense.

Going Green Initiative

• No Styrofoam: Fools use Foolish travel mugs instead of adding heaps of Styrofoam to the landfills.
• Zipcar: Enjoy discounted membership and driving rates. Easy access to cars such as the two cars located across the street at the King Street Metro station.

Stock Program

Everyone here is an owner. As a new-hire, you’ll be granted options to purchase shares of Motley Fool stock. Your option price will be based upon the fair market value as determined by the Board of Directors on the date of grant.

Other Great Benefits

• Clubs: We have clubs that go bowling, try new recipes, watch movies, read books, and get together while their dogs play in the park. (And that’s only naming a few of our clubs.)
• Credit Monitoring: If you want someone else to monitor your credit report and restore your identity if it is ever stolen (hopefully, it won’t!), it can be done, at a group rate.
• Fool Dollars: $1,200 for a gym membership, tuition, work-at-home hardware, domestic partner insurance, and many other approved expenses.
• Free Access to all TMF subscription services: How much are you shelling out for our subscriptions currently?
• Free Fitness Classes: Led by our Chief Wellness Officer, for Fools only.
• Game Room: We’ve got pool, ping-pong, Playstation, Atari, Ms. Pacman and satellite TV. Fools play at all hours.
• Monthly All-Fool Activities: Each month we have some kind of exciting adventure. It could be camping, going to a hockey game, going to an amusement park, skiing, attending the theater, or celebrating April Fool’s Day.
• Onsite Gym: Fools have free access to an in-house gym with locker rooms and shower facilities.
• Onsite Massage: Stress happens, even here. Twice a week, licensed therapists come on-site to bliss you out with a seated massage. 
• Open Gym: Free access to a local gym twice a week to join fellow fools for a game of basketball, soccer, or floor hockey.
• Pizza, Cake, and the Occasional Belgian Waffle: On the first Friday each month we enjoy big gooey cakes to spotlight everyone with a birthday. And on the last Friday of every month, we gather for pizza on the Fool. There are also other occasional food days, like Chili Day, Smoothie Day, & Hot Breakfast Day.
• Subsidized Transit: You can choose between a metro subsidy (a metro stop is right across the street!) or (free) subsidized parking right below our magnificent offices.
• Vet Insurance: Because sometimes the most important person in your life isn’t a person, you can get a 5% discount off normal rates.
• Yoga Classes: Bi-weekly classes are held for Fools to stretch out.

To wear the title of Fool proudly (as we do), you need brains, talent, integrity, passion, stamina, and what we call Foolishness.

Individual responsibility is at the heart of our culture here at the Fool. Use your own judgment and bounce your ideas around with other Fools. Superior investment ideas can come from anywhere, so the ability to listen and synthesize is as important as your ability to create.

Growth and Development

The career of each Fool is dynamic and may change over time. We know you are most productive when your skills, passion, and the company’s needs intersect.

We believe that continuous learning is essential to drive creativity, problem solving, and overall job satisfaction. It is also the key to the future of The Motley Fool, and your development is not only supported – it’s expected.

Our dynamic speaker series brings in dozens of experts each year to discuss a broad range of topics. Past speakers have included world renowned CEO’s, authors, investors, economists, and a Flying Karamazov Brother.

Wherever you are in your career path, The Motley Fool offers you opportunities for personal and professional growth. We provide a foundation for continuous learning in a culture of respect, transparency, competition and fun. At the Fool, your career can be what you make it.

Our Mission To make the world smarter, happier, and richer.

Our Core Values

Created by Fools across the business, our principles differ from your typical buzz words. Though these terms hang on our office walls, they don’t live there - they breathe throughout our culture and in each Fool’s daily actions. 

1. Collaborative - Do Great Things Together

2. Innovative - Search for a better solution. Then top it.

3. Fun - Revel in your work.

4. Honest - Make us proud.

5. Competitive – Play hard, play fair, play to win.

6. Motley - Make Foolishness your own.