Verifying against the live site and live WHOIS/DNS…
Common questions
Is fool.com legit or a scam?
fool.com was registered Jun 26, 1995 (31 years old), per public registration records. AboutUs doesn't label sites "legit" or "a scam": this page lists the dated registration, DNS, HTTPS, mail-authentication and safety checks we could verify, each with its source, so you can decide for yourself.
Who owns fool.com?
Nobody has completed AboutUs's owner verification for fool.com. That's true of most sites here — it isn't itself a warning sign.
When was fool.com registered?
fool.com's registration dates to Jun 26, 1995 (31 years old), per public registration records. GoDaddy.com, LLC is the registrar on record today.
Checked in the last 30 daysOlder, dated recordFrom registration records
Registered 31 years ago · on AboutUs since 2006 · one registrar since Sep 25, 2011 · no ownership change on record since 2007 · last checked Oct 25, 2026.
Registration
RegisteredJun 26, 1995fool.com was registered on Jun 26, 1995.Source: RDAP, fetched Oct 25, 2026
AboutUs record
AboutUs wiki pageAboutUs wiki pageJun 20, 2006 – Nov 10, 2013An AboutUs wiki page described fool.com from Jun 20, 2006 to Nov 10, 2013 (12 edits).Source: AboutUs wiki archive, 2006–2023
Registrar
GoDaddy.com, LLCGoDaddy.com, LLCSep 25, 2011 – Oct 20, 2026 (latest)Registrar GoDaddy.com, LLC (IANA 146) in the registration data recorded, first on Sep 25, 2011 and most recently on Oct 20, 2026.Source: RDAP, fetched Oct 25, 2026
Ownership
Ownership recordsMay 12, 2007 – Jun 12, 2026Registration records for fool.com are held from May 12, 2007 to Jun 12, 2026 (770 records). None shows a change of registrant. Privacy-service and redaction changes are not counted.Source: WHOIS / RDAP archive (who.is); counted by registrant name and organization only
No ownership changes recorded, 2007–2026
Zone file
Nameservers: fool.comSep 25, 2011 – Oct 17, 2013Registration records listed fool.com nameservers (ns1.fool.com, ns2.fool.com) for fool.com from Sep 25, 2011 to Oct 17, 2013. Days a zone file covers are shown from the zone file instead.Source: From registration records (WHOIS / RDAP archive, who.is)
Certificate
Sectigo LimitedSectigo LimitedOct 16, 2025 – Oct 26, 2026 (latest)Sectigo Limited issued 4 certificates for fool.com from Oct 16, 2025, the latest valid until Dec 22, 2026. Seen in use on Oct 20, 2026.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (AboutUs's own certificate-log reader); TLS check, Oct 20, 2026Amazon
200020102020Jan ’26Oct ’26← last 12 months, drawn wider
Every dated fact on this lifeline (26)
Jun 26, 1995Registration: fool.com was registered on Jun 26, 1995.Source: RDAP, fetched Oct 25, 2026
Jun 20, 2006 – Nov 10, 2013AboutUs record: An AboutUs wiki page described fool.com from Jun 20, 2006 to Nov 10, 2013 (12 edits).Source: AboutUs wiki archive, 2006–2023
Jul 1, 2006AboutUs record: “When they were young, brothers David and Tom Gardner learned about stocks and the business world from their father at the supermarket. Dad, a lawyer and economist, would tell them, "See that pudding? We own the company …”Source: AboutUs wiki archive, 2006
May 12, 2007 – Jun 12, 2026Ownership: Registration records for fool.com are held from May 12, 2007 to Jun 12, 2026 (770 records). None shows a change of registrant. Privacy-service and redaction changes are not counted.Source: WHOIS / RDAP archive (who.is); counted by registrant name and organization only
Sep 25, 2011 – Oct 20, 2026Registrar: Registrar GoDaddy.com, LLC (IANA 146) in the registration data recorded, first on Sep 25, 2011 and most recently on Oct 20, 2026.Source: RDAP, fetched Oct 25, 2026
Sep 25, 2011 – Oct 17, 2013
All 4 safety checks passed (Oct 26, 2026).
Automated safety checks
DNS (passed)
HTTPS (passed)
Page metadata (passed)
Security headers (passed)
Current facts
Latest available measurements; dated entries retain their dates. These are measurements, not an endorsement of the site.
latest result
Domain registered Jun 26, 1995 — 31 years old.
latest result
Registrar on record: GoDaddy.com, LLC — unchanged since AboutUs began tracking (Aug 10, 2026).
Said about itself in 2006
Jul 1, 2006
“When they were young, brothers David and Tom Gardner learned about stocks and the business world from their father at the supermarket. Dad, a lawyer and economist, would tell them, "See that pudding? We own the company …”
Source: AboutUs wiki archive, 2006
Current AboutUs recordJun 19, 2026 – Oct 25, 2026 (latest)Authority and Safety last refreshed Oct 25, 2026.Source: AboutUs checks
Nameservers: fool.com
Oct 18, 2013 – Jun 1, 2014
fool.com (ns1.fool.com, ns2.fool.com) were the nameservers listed for fool.com at every ICANN zone-file snapshot AboutUs holds from Oct 18, 2013 to Jun 1, 2014 (snapshots exist for only part of 2013–2018).
Nameservers: fool.comJun 2, 2014 – Nov 10, 2014Registration records listed fool.com nameservers (ns1.fool.com, ns2.fool.com) for fool.com from Jun 2, 2014 to Nov 10, 2014. Days a zone file covers are shown from the zone file instead.Source: From registration records (WHOIS / RDAP archive, who.is)
Nameservers: incapsecuredns.netJan 24, 2015 – Apr 1, 2016incapsecuredns.net (ns156.a1.incapsecuredns.net, ns181.a0.incapsecuredns.net, ns50.a2.incapsecuredns.net) were the nameservers listed for fool.com at every ICANN zone-file snapshot AboutUs holds from Jan 24, 2015 to Apr 1, 2016 (snapshots exist for only part of 2013–2018).Source: ICANN zone-file snapshots, 2013–2018 (legacy archive)
DNS moved to incapsecuredns.netJan 24, 2015fool.com's nameservers moved from fool.com to incapsecuredns.net at some point between Nov 10, 2014 and Jan 24, 2015. Last seen at fool.com: Nov 10, 2014 (registration record). First seen at incapsecuredns.net: Jan 24, 2015 (ICANN zone-file snapshot). AboutUs holds no nameserver records for the 2 months in between, so the date of the move is not known more closely.Source: Derived from the nameserver records on this lifeline (registration record → ICANN zone-file snapshot)
Nameservers: incapsecuredns.netJul 21, 2016Registration records listed incapsecuredns.net nameservers (ns156.a1.incapsecuredns.net, ns181.a0.incapsecuredns.net, ns50.a2.incapsecuredns.net) for fool.com from Jul 21, 2016 to Jul 21, 2016.Source: From registration records (WHOIS / RDAP archive, who.is)
Nameservers: fool.comSep 25, 2016 – Apr 2, 2018Registration records listed fool.com nameservers (ns1.fool.com, ns2.fool.com) for fool.com from Sep 25, 2016 to Apr 2, 2018. Days a zone file covers are shown from the zone file instead.Source: From registration records (WHOIS / RDAP archive, who.is)
DNS moved to fool.comSep 25, 2016fool.com's nameservers moved from incapsecuredns.net to fool.com at some point between Jul 21, 2016 and Sep 25, 2016. Last seen at incapsecuredns.net: Jul 21, 2016 (registration record). First seen at fool.com: Sep 25, 2016 (registration record). AboutUs holds no nameserver records for the 2 months in between, so the date of the move is not known more closely.Source: Derived from the nameserver records on this lifeline (registration record → registration record)
Nameservers: fool.comApr 3, 2018fool.com (ns1.fool.com, ns2.fool.com) were the nameservers listed for fool.com at every ICANN zone-file snapshot AboutUs holds from Apr 3, 2018 to Apr 3, 2018 (snapshots exist for only part of 2013–2018).Source: ICANN zone-file snapshots, 2013–2018 (legacy archive)
Nameservers: fool.comApr 4, 2018 – Dec 5, 2022Registration records listed fool.com nameservers (ns1.fool.com, ns2.fool.com) for fool.com from Apr 4, 2018 to Dec 5, 2022. Days a zone file covers are shown from the zone file instead.Source: From registration records (WHOIS / RDAP archive, who.is)
Nameservers: CloudflareJan 20, 2023 – Feb 12, 2023Registration records listed Cloudflare nameservers (lia.ns.cloudflare.com, sid.ns.cloudflare.com) for fool.com from Jan 20, 2023 to Feb 12, 2023.Source: From registration records (WHOIS / RDAP archive, who.is)
DNS moved to CloudflareJan 20, 2023fool.com's nameservers moved from fool.com to Cloudflare at some point between Dec 5, 2022 and Jan 20, 2023. Last seen at fool.com: Dec 5, 2022 (registration record). First seen at Cloudflare: Jan 20, 2023 (registration record). AboutUs holds no nameserver records for the 46 days in between, so the date of the move is not known more closely.Source: Derived from the nameserver records on this lifeline (registration record → registration record)
Nameservers: Amazon Route 53Nameservers: Amazon Route 53Mar 10, 2023 – Jun 12, 2026Registration records listed Amazon Route 53 nameservers (ns-1307.awsdns-35.org, ns-2009.awsdns-59.co.uk, ns-407.awsdns-50.com…) for fool.com from Mar 10, 2023 to Jun 12, 2026.Source: From registration records (WHOIS / RDAP archive, who.is)
DNS moved to Amazon Route 53Mar 10, 2023fool.com's nameservers moved from Cloudflare to Amazon Route 53 between Feb 12, 2023 and Mar 10, 2023. Last seen at Cloudflare: Feb 12, 2023 (registration record). First seen at Amazon Route 53: Mar 10, 2023 (registration record).Source: Derived from the nameserver records on this lifeline (registration record → registration record)
Seen in the .com zone fileSep 8, 2026 – Sep 24, 2026 (latest)First seen in the .com zone file records AboutUs holds on Sep 8, 2026; latest sighting Sep 24, 2026. Nameservers on Sep 24, 2026: ns-1307.awsdns-35.org, ns-2009.awsdns-59.co.uk, ns-407.awsdns-50.com, ns-848.awsdns-42.net.Source: ICANN CZDS zone file, snapshot Sep 24, 2026
AmazonNov 16, 2025 – Oct 26, 2026Amazon issued 57 certificates for fool.com from Nov 16, 2025, the latest valid until May 10, 2027.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (AboutUs's own certificate-log reader)
Let's EncryptMar 23, 2026 – Oct 26, 2026Let's Encrypt issued 70 certificates for fool.com from Mar 23, 2026, the latest valid until Jan 24, 2027.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (AboutUs's own certificate-log reader)
Google Trust ServicesMay 13, 2026 – Oct 26, 2026Google Trust Services issued 20 certificates for fool.com from May 13, 2026, the latest valid until Jan 20, 2027.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (AboutUs's own certificate-log reader)
DigiCert IncMay 22, 2026 – Oct 26, 2026DigiCert Inc issued 3 certificates for fool.com from May 22, 2026, the latest valid until Jan 14, 2027.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (AboutUs's own certificate-log reader)
Zone file: Registration records listed fool.com nameservers (ns1.fool.com, ns2.fool.com) for fool.com from Sep 25, 2011 to Oct 17, 2013. Days a zone file covers are shown from the zone file instead.Source: From registration records (WHOIS / RDAP archive, who.is)
Oct 18, 2013 – Jun 1, 2014Zone file: fool.com (ns1.fool.com, ns2.fool.com) were the nameservers listed for fool.com at every ICANN zone-file snapshot AboutUs holds from Oct 18, 2013 to Jun 1, 2014 (snapshots exist for only part of 2013–2018).Source: ICANN zone-file snapshots, 2013–2018 (legacy archive)
Jun 2, 2014 – Nov 10, 2014Zone file: Registration records listed fool.com nameservers (ns1.fool.com, ns2.fool.com) for fool.com from Jun 2, 2014 to Nov 10, 2014. Days a zone file covers are shown from the zone file instead.Source: From registration records (WHOIS / RDAP archive, who.is)
Jan 24, 2015 – Apr 1, 2016Zone file: incapsecuredns.net (ns156.a1.incapsecuredns.net, ns181.a0.incapsecuredns.net, ns50.a2.incapsecuredns.net) were the nameservers listed for fool.com at every ICANN zone-file snapshot AboutUs holds from Jan 24, 2015 to Apr 1, 2016 (snapshots exist for only part of 2013–2018).Source: ICANN zone-file snapshots, 2013–2018 (legacy archive)
Jan 24, 2015Zone file: fool.com's nameservers moved from fool.com to incapsecuredns.net at some point between Nov 10, 2014 and Jan 24, 2015. Last seen at fool.com: Nov 10, 2014 (registration record). First seen at incapsecuredns.net: Jan 24, 2015 (ICANN zone-file snapshot). AboutUs holds no nameserver records for the 2 months in between, so the date of the move is not known more closely.Source: Derived from the nameserver records on this lifeline (registration record → ICANN zone-file snapshot)
Jul 21, 2016Zone file: Registration records listed incapsecuredns.net nameservers (ns156.a1.incapsecuredns.net, ns181.a0.incapsecuredns.net, ns50.a2.incapsecuredns.net) for fool.com from Jul 21, 2016 to Jul 21, 2016.Source: From registration records (WHOIS / RDAP archive, who.is)
Sep 25, 2016 – Apr 2, 2018Zone file: Registration records listed fool.com nameservers (ns1.fool.com, ns2.fool.com) for fool.com from Sep 25, 2016 to Apr 2, 2018. Days a zone file covers are shown from the zone file instead.Source: From registration records (WHOIS / RDAP archive, who.is)
Sep 25, 2016Zone file: fool.com's nameservers moved from incapsecuredns.net to fool.com at some point between Jul 21, 2016 and Sep 25, 2016. Last seen at incapsecuredns.net: Jul 21, 2016 (registration record). First seen at fool.com: Sep 25, 2016 (registration record). AboutUs holds no nameserver records for the 2 months in between, so the date of the move is not known more closely.Source: Derived from the nameserver records on this lifeline (registration record → registration record)
Apr 3, 2018Zone file: fool.com (ns1.fool.com, ns2.fool.com) were the nameservers listed for fool.com at every ICANN zone-file snapshot AboutUs holds from Apr 3, 2018 to Apr 3, 2018 (snapshots exist for only part of 2013–2018).Source: ICANN zone-file snapshots, 2013–2018 (legacy archive)
Apr 4, 2018 – Dec 5, 2022Zone file: Registration records listed fool.com nameservers (ns1.fool.com, ns2.fool.com) for fool.com from Apr 4, 2018 to Dec 5, 2022. Days a zone file covers are shown from the zone file instead.Source: From registration records (WHOIS / RDAP archive, who.is)
Jan 20, 2023 – Feb 12, 2023Zone file: Registration records listed Cloudflare nameservers (lia.ns.cloudflare.com, sid.ns.cloudflare.com) for fool.com from Jan 20, 2023 to Feb 12, 2023.Source: From registration records (WHOIS / RDAP archive, who.is)
Jan 20, 2023Zone file: fool.com's nameservers moved from fool.com to Cloudflare at some point between Dec 5, 2022 and Jan 20, 2023. Last seen at fool.com: Dec 5, 2022 (registration record). First seen at Cloudflare: Jan 20, 2023 (registration record). AboutUs holds no nameserver records for the 46 days in between, so the date of the move is not known more closely.Source: Derived from the nameserver records on this lifeline (registration record → registration record)
Mar 10, 2023 – Jun 12, 2026Zone file: Registration records listed Amazon Route 53 nameservers (ns-1307.awsdns-35.org, ns-2009.awsdns-59.co.uk, ns-407.awsdns-50.com…) for fool.com from Mar 10, 2023 to Jun 12, 2026.Source: From registration records (WHOIS / RDAP archive, who.is)
Mar 10, 2023Zone file: fool.com's nameservers moved from Cloudflare to Amazon Route 53 between Feb 12, 2023 and Mar 10, 2023. Last seen at Cloudflare: Feb 12, 2023 (registration record). First seen at Amazon Route 53: Mar 10, 2023 (registration record).Source: Derived from the nameserver records on this lifeline (registration record → registration record)
Oct 16, 2025 – Oct 26, 2026Certificate: Sectigo Limited issued 4 certificates for fool.com from Oct 16, 2025, the latest valid until Dec 22, 2026. Seen in use on Oct 20, 2026.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (AboutUs's own certificate-log reader); TLS check, Oct 20, 2026
Nov 16, 2025 – Oct 26, 2026Certificate: Amazon issued 57 certificates for fool.com from Nov 16, 2025, the latest valid until May 10, 2027.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (AboutUs's own certificate-log reader)
Mar 23, 2026 – Oct 26, 2026Certificate: Let's Encrypt issued 70 certificates for fool.com from Mar 23, 2026, the latest valid until Jan 24, 2027.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (AboutUs's own certificate-log reader)
May 13, 2026 – Oct 26, 2026Certificate: Google Trust Services issued 20 certificates for fool.com from May 13, 2026, the latest valid until Jan 20, 2027.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (AboutUs's own certificate-log reader)
May 22, 2026 – Oct 26, 2026Certificate: DigiCert Inc issued 3 certificates for fool.com from May 22, 2026, the latest valid until Jan 14, 2027.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (AboutUs's own certificate-log reader)
Jun 19, 2026 – Oct 25, 2026AboutUs record: Authority and Safety last refreshed Oct 25, 2026.Source: AboutUs checks
Sep 8, 2026 – Sep 24, 2026Zone file: First seen in the .com zone file records AboutUs holds on Sep 8, 2026; latest sighting Sep 24, 2026. Nameservers on Sep 24, 2026: ns-1307.awsdns-35.org, ns-2009.awsdns-59.co.uk, ns-407.awsdns-50.com, ns-848.awsdns-42.net.Source: ICANN CZDS zone file, snapshot Sep 24, 2026
latest result
HTTPS request succeeded for www.fool.com.
checked Sep 29, 2026
The site names The Motley Fool as the organisation behind it.
checked Sep 29, 2026
The live front page reads as a finance site, mainly for the public as customers.
Authority 96/100— ahead of 96% of the August 2026 scored sampleClear
Why this authority score
96 is a percentile: higher than 96% of sites we score.
How it's calculated
Prominence (Tranco rank #3,175)+10
Verified continuity: 31.3 years (RDAP registration)+11
Identity corroboration (capped)+4
Security & email hygiene+5
Calibration adjustment (published map)+20
Model score: 50/99 — what these reason lines add up to.
Published Authority (percentile): 96/100 — this site's rank against the August 2026 scored sample. Public Authority is capped at 99.
Safety evidence
No unexpired threat-feed result; name-similarity check available (recorded about 1 days ago); 3/3 transport and email checks available (oldest recorded about 1 days ago). This is evidence coverage, not a probability that a website is safe.
No caution flags in the available scoring observations; this is not a complete safety assessment
What fool.com said about itself, 2006
Quoted from the site's AboutUs wiki page in each year it changed (1 version). These are the page's own words at the time, not AboutUs's assessment. New words · dropped words
2006
When they were young, brothers David and Tom Gardner learned about stocks and the business world from their father at the supermarket. Dad, a lawyer and economist, would tell them, "See that pudding? We own the company that makes it! Every time someone buys that pudding, it's good for our company. So go get some more!"
Site history
Dated record — historical facts always carry their date; self-description below is the 2013 record.
1995
Domain registered (Jun 26, 1995).
2006
First tracked by AboutUs (Jun 20, 2006); profile edited 12 times through 2013.
2013
Self-description at the time:
“Fool.com offers investing advice and market-beating stock research”