Is Cramer's advice legit, and what are his motivations?
Jim Cramer is an outspoken former hedge fund manager who gained fame and notoriety through his personality and consistent outperformance of the market while managing several millions of dollars in assets. The opener of Cramer's show, Mad Money, includes a sound bite of Cramer emphatically stating "I'm not here to make friends, I'm here to make money," setting a tone of no-nonsense commentary for the show. A combination of attitude and a handful of devastatingly wrong calls have led to Cramer earning a dubious reputation and plenty of enemies.
Hi Steemians, I'm 
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TLDR: I have followed James Cramer for well over a decade. I've read several of his books and used to be a consistent viewer of his shows, past and present. After reading Confessions of a Street Addict and making some deep research assessments of his character and demeanor, I believe Cramer's motivations are legit and he purely means the best with the advice he gives his viewers and readers.
But remember - a venerable history of studies has proven that your own research and judgments are just as (if not more) likely to be valid and correct as any "market expert" you see on TV or elsewhere.
Jim Cramer is famous for his no-holds-barred stock market shot-calling. Cramer preaches the importance of doing "homework" when buying and selling stocks and gives solid basic beginner advice (albeit a bit conservative in my view).
Despite Cramer's good educational teaching and wisdom for analyzing individual stocks and broader markets, he has made some catastrophically bad calls that his enemies and run-of-the-mill financial commentators have used to attack and discredit him. While Cramer and anyone who makes mistakes needs to be held accountable, I believe his heart is in the right place as far as a genuine desire to help and educate others is concerned.
My analysis of Cramer's tendencies and past leads me to believe his abrasive personality and fiery demeanor ultimately stems from a deep-seated desire to perform at a personal-best and industry-best at all times. Betrayals, lost friendships, and his own mistakes truly weigh on him personally and professionally, and his drive to perform is born from an enjoyment of his own accuracy just as much as an enjoyment of wealth (conveniently, both these things are strong incentives to perform well in the markets).
But just because Cramer's motivations align him with his audience's best interests still doesn't mean you should listen to him. It is well-documented that it is extremely rare for any market commentator or analyst to outperform the market over any substantial length of time, and even completely random stock picks have a tendency to beat "expert" recommendations. This is especially a case where it (literally) pays to follow the cardinal mantra I advise to everyone who listens - be your own expert and trust your own assessments. Even Cramer's own advice points investors down this path, as his long-time recommendation is for any investor to put their first $10,000 USD into an index fund, where their money will track the market with massively favorable odds of outperforming any given analyst's picks.
Even though his years as an occasionally violent hedge fund manager and a sometimes disagreeable television personality have brought him plenty of flak over his career, I believe Cramer makes his recommendations out of a place of sincerity - but remember that your own duly diligent research is just as good as anyone's on TV.
💰✨Remember… Every single person is their own trusted expert and seeking to promote yourself in that role is vital today, now more than ever.
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