Online Sources of Investment Information

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Online Sources of Investment Information

Anyone with a computer and Internet has access to a range of financial and investment information that investors could only dream about twenty years ago. A variety of online services provide current market prices direct from securities exchanges, as well as breaking business and economic news. Special sites offer everything from basic information for beginning investors to in-depth analysis of companies and business trends. Each of the major stock and commodity exchanges has Web sites, as do many investment firms, insurance companies, mutual fund companies, and bond rating services.

Check out government sites

A number of federal government agencies maintain sites that provide important information about regulations, taxes, and US Treasury securities. One of the most popular of these is EDGAR, the Electronic Data Gathering and Retrieval system that the Securities and Exchange Commission uses to collect and disseminate information about publicly held companies, such as their quarterly reports and offering prospectuses. Another useful one is Investor.gov, also offered by the SEC.

Consult the publications

Once you’re there, the financial world is your oyster. The major financial publications—Barron’s, Wall Street Journal, Forbes, etc.—all have Websites featuring articles and research tools. The Web has also spawned a number of new players, such as Motley Fool, which specializes in providing basic education and advice to new investors. As well, dozens of Internet sites educate and inform—and often entertain—investors. Buyer beware, however.

Sites for sites

There are even sites that help you find investors’ sites! Sites like The Street and CNBC contain links to sites and organize them by the category of information you seek. You can browse sites by category or use search engines to help you find precisely the kind of information you are looking for.