Jim Cramer (James Cramer)

Jim Cramer is a media personality and an expert on the stock market. He is a former hedge fund manager, columnist, and author of many books and articles, as well as the host of CNBC's "Mad Money,” CBS radio's "Real Money" and co-anchor of “Squawk on the Street.” 

Cramer's claim to fame is his bombastic and "in-your-face" style in which he gives recommendations and analysis on featured and viewer-suggested stocks. Jim Cramer is also one of the founders of TheStreet.com, a popular financial investment website, where he provides daily market commentary and runs Action Alerts PLUS, a charitable trust portfolio. He is a frequent guest on many shows and sites discussing stock market trends and insights.

Although Cramer does give his opinion on the investment value of any given stock, he encourages his viewers to conduct their research on the underlying businesses before buying stocks. Many of Cramer's viewers purchase or sell stock positions, just because he recommended them. This effect is so prominent that the price of a stock can go up significantly for a couple of days after his recommendation, dubbed "The Cramer Bounce," due to the increased buying pressure.

Jim Cramer has many fans, but also many critics. Critics often point out that Cramer can be fickle in his investment outlook because he appears to frequently flip-flop from a bullish to a bearish position, to reflect the market's current sentiment. He has had his fair share of failures. In 2008, for example, he interviewed Wachovia’s C.E.O. live on the air, actually talking up the company’s stock immediately before it plummeted.

Cramer’s harsh personality and outspoken ways have led to him having quite the reputation. In fact, as the New York Times reports, he “gets away with a lot” because he also happens to make people, himself included, a lot of money. His tagline on "Mad Money" is that he’s not here to “make friends, but to make you money.” 

Cramer himself has been open about his personal life as well, such as in his autobiography, “Confessions of a Street Addict,” which provided an inside look at both the hedge fund culture as well as his life struggles.

While Cramer may be able to provide insight into the market due to his long history on Wall Street and financial background, his advice is limited for individuals who will have differing financial portfolios, risk tolerances, and investment needs.