I’m a lifetime member and have been for most of those 40 years under Dr. Cloonan’s leadership. Thanks for everything you have done for the investors like me who received a great education.
—Jim Murphy from Shallotte, North Carolina
AAII Member for 35 years

AAII has helped me stay the course of sensible financial decision-making from young adulthood to middle age.
—Benjamin Lis from New York, New York
AAII Member for 25+ years

I only wish I had joined years before I did. Thanks for all of the help I have received since I joined.
—Robert Kinzie from Bethesda, Maryland
AAII Member for 3 years

I have always trusted the information provided by AAII in its publications and software packages, and I was always aware that Dr. Cloonan was the guiding force behind it all. I appreciated his book, “Investing at Level3” that came out last year. I wish Dr. Cloonan a long and happy retirement.
—Tony Mlakar from Chesterland, Ohio

In 1991, I retired from IBM, and AAII has been my investing foundation. I am now beginning to explore Jim’s Level3 Investing and it makes good sense. Cloonan and AAII have helped me. Thank you, and I wish you a successful retirement.
—Bud Liles from Bedford, Texas
AAII Member for 30+ years

Although not remembering how, I first heard of AAII in the late ’80s, and, I’ll note, while I was still in my 20s. I was smitten by the lack of advertising and thus the pristine nature of it being more educational than promotional and, after a few years, splurged for the lifetime subscription. I still value the education and have most definitely benefited from your Journal, as evidenced by my relative financial strength in my mid-50s. One noteworthy example was the epiphany of index funds back in the ’90s or so, which I took advantage of and certainly benefited from that bull run.
—Jim Isaacson from Salt Lake City, Utah
AAII Member for 30 years

Commonsense, unbiased advice that makes sense.
—Marshall Horwitz from Holden, Massachusetts
AAII Member for 15 years

I appreciate his vision and service.
—D. Elliott from Johnson City, Tennessee
AAII Member for 30+ years

I am doubtful that I am the typical AAII member. I think I know a bit about investing, enough to call myself a novice. When I attend AAII events and meetings, I am reminded how knowledgeable so many other AAII members are. The opportunity to learn is always there. The best general piece of advice I have taken to heart is the overall investing strategies Jim gives in his book, “Investing at Level3.” Gives me comfort in remaining focused on the long term even as I am on the brink of retirement. Thank you, Dr. Cloonan.
—Ed McGuire from Media, Pennsylvania
AAII Member for decades

Interesting articles not available elsewhere.
—Jack Kartyover from St. Louis, Missouri
AAII Member for 35+ years

Thank you for all the effort you have put into the association. It has been my go-to source for financial information for over 30 years and has not once been a disappointment. Quite a record; you can be just as proud.
—Dale McLane from Boiling Springs, Pennsylvania
AAII Member for 33 years

Thanks to you and the AAII team throughout the years. You’ve provided me the needed guidance, which has allowed me to decide when to retire, rather than circumstances dictating retirement. For that, I am eternally grateful!
—Dick Bottom from Reno, Nevada
AAII Member for 30+ years

I became a life member of AAII soon after Jim Cloonan founded it. What has happened since then is that he has offered a whole lot of insights about how markets function and a wide range of approaches to think about how one investor can respond to telling [Burton] Malkiel that he does not have a sound theory.
—Jonathan Brown from Fair Oaks, California
AAII Member for many years

An AAII member since February 1989, I give credit to Jim Cloonan for inspiring the AAII members to grow in both competence and confidence as individual investors. The AAII educational materials he developed and made available have been of great value. And, of course, with all that extra knowledge and encouragement, many members came to discover they no longer needed to be pawns in the financial chess game of life. In life, every child grows up, every student eventually leaves school and every person needs to stand up by himself. No parents. No teachers. No brokers who control everything. Eventually, the enablers who made one’s independence possible withdraw. That’s the normal order of things, and that’s what happens with retirements. We can pay tribute for all the good that took place to bring us where we are, and thus extend sincere thanks to Jim for his contribution. Jim’s main legacy is the organization itself, and the talented and dedicated people he attracted to the cause of providing a solid education in improving one’s lot in life by investing wisely. It’s only fair to say thanks and to wish Jim many more pleasant and healthy years, no doubt enriched by his own investing wisdom.
—Claude Y. Paquin from Fayetteville, Georgia
AAII Member for 28+ years

As a young man, 31 years ago, I became a lifetime member of AAII. This was one of the few, and now only, investing organizations of which I am a member. I’ve learned a lot about markets and how to invest from AAII. Having retired early at 53 years old, which was significantly enabled by my investing success, AAII was the best investment I ever made.
—Jeff Yockers from Ashland, Oregon
AAII Member for 31 years

Thank you, Jim. You prepared me for my retirement!
—Dolores Serafin from Downers Grove, Illinois

AAII is the one service I have counted on over the past 30 years to provide excellent investment and associated financial advice with the focus on future investment success and financial well-being in retirement. The focus was always on the individual investor and that a reasonable investment result was achievable with associated risk. Thank you, Jim. Wishing you well in retirement!
—Harmon Odell from Franklin, North Carolina
AAII Member for 30 years

I thank Jim for creating this very useful organization. Its independence was sorely needed and continues to give “small” investors a chance to separate the wheat from the chaff. I wish you a happy and healthy retirement!
—Adrian Ryneveld from Renton, Washington
AAII Member for 5+ years

In a world where claims to enhance wealth abound, one steady, reasoned and believable voice emerged from the din, and that was the clarion call of Jim Cloonan. It was clear and believable, and it convinced me to be a life member of AAII. As he approaches his own retirement, I add my gratitude to those of many investors who have retired comfortably thanks to the outstanding products and sage advice of AAII.
—Jim Bolger from New Bern, North Carolina

I know of no other organization that has done so much to educate and enrich its members from an investment return perspective. I spent 27 years in the financial services industry working for sell-side banks and asset managers, and AAII stands above all in providing rock-solid education and equipping the individual investor. I tell all who are interested in furthering their financial knowledge and returns about AAII. I am forever grateful to Jim and all at AAII who contribute to this unique organization.
—Daliah Savino from Long Beach, New York
AAII Member for 4 years

He has provided a way to track and evaluate our investing performance and provided some information on which stocks are an appropriate buy!
—Donald Licatovich from Lindale, Texas
AAII Member for 12+ years

AAII has exposed this old buy-and-hold investor to other ways of thinking about investing. The different approach keeps investing more interesting and usually more profitable. There is no publication, and I follow several, that is more dedicated to educating the reader. No other publication can compare in true value to the investor.
—Jon Harrison from Georgetown, Texas
AAII Member for a very long time

Great information on investing.
—Bernard from Incline Village, Nevada
AAII Member for 10 years

I have found this organization to be the most unbiased and objective of the financial publications. The lack of any advertising gives the information a trust that few others can match. It is also written for the individual rather than corporations and can therefore touch and help those from different socio-economic backgrounds. A worthwhile investment at a reasonable price—a hard combination to beat. Congrats and enjoy your next chapter.
—Jack Graber from Bellmore, New York
AAII Member for 8 years

While I never used AAII guidance directly, I never bought or sold an investment without checking the basics as so helpfully described in the AAII Journal.
—Irv Forster from Decorah, Iowa
AAII Member for 20 years

Best investment advice for the low-dollar investment over the past 10-plus years.
—Jack L. Davis from Kalispell, Montana
AAII Member for 12 years

I am able to background check the decisions made by my account managers by staying up-to-speed with AAII literature. Additionally, the information helps with my business management courses taught at the local college.
—Joe Syslo from Mathews, Virginia
AAII Member for 4 years

I have been an AAII member for decades and will continue so until death takes me away. (I am 84 years old.) The AAII Journal has been an important part of my investment life, and I received many valuable tips from it. I wish Jim well and thank him for the great job he did.
—Edward A. Spiller from Kensington, California
AAII Member for a long, long time

AAII and its founder Jim Cloonan have always presented investment information in an understandable format in order to help the individual investor better themselves financially, without the clutter of advertisements and their inherent biases.
—Bruce Stocker from Georgetown, Texas
AAII Member for 12 years

Jim,
Your organization gave the little guy like me many ideas and excellent advice. I gained much from Saturday presentations in Chicago from knowledgeable people in various disciplines. You can be very proud that you have helped the average investor prosper. Thanks for the great service you have provided through the years. You will be missed.
—Sam Weaver from Elgin, Illinois
AAII Member for 37 years

AAII has been one important piece of the puzzle that is saving for retirement. If not for its information and approach to investing, my wife and I would almost certainly not be in as good of shape as we are, as we prepare to retire in the near future.
—David Niethamer from Richmond, Virginia
AAII Member for 20+ years

Jim,
Thank you for founding AAII and persisting with sound advice and vision to educate the common investor. I am an average Joe, but AAII has saved me from repeating mistakes from my earlier investing experiences. I too am about to retire and because of the education and great ideas from AAII, I can enjoy financial security in my golden years. Thanks again and best wishes for a healthy and happy retirement.
—David Jordan from Richmond, Virginia
AAII Member for 6 years

I just love the entire idea of the AAII publication. Thoughtful, analytical and diverse. Thank you Dr. Cloonan for creating this nice publication.
—John Gehred from Wauwatosa, Wisconsin
AAII Member for 17 years