Investment Websites
The Internet has made an unparalleled impact on the world of investing. The web has significantly affected the manner in which business is conducted worldwide. It has taken the information once found buried in the business sections of newspapers and made it easily accessible to investors at all levels. Add to that a vast array of software, as well as investment websites designed for the investment professional, and you have a whole new world of investing, literally at your fingertips.
A majority of the major financial institutions and nearly all of the major brokerage houses offer their own websites. The most comprehensive of the many websites offered by major investment firms include the following:
Historical information, fund holdings, performance updates, fund profiles, information on fund managers, libraries of articles and general information, and even glossaries and investor tips can be found on various websites. Needless to say, the investor tips and how-to information can lean in favor of the funds offered by a fund family. You usually won't find the virtues of REITs or advantages of muni bond funds discussed by a fund family that doesn't handle them. Nevertheless, you will get a lot of overall information at the websites of financial institutions.
Hone in on the specific areas that you are looking for, such as tax-free investments, socially responsible investing (try Green America), or information on particular funds. This will narrow down your search and reduce your time spent online, since some websites are loaded with promotional material and hype or are simply confusing with numerous bells and whistles.
There are dozens of sites on the Internet devoted to investing and investment advice. Some will give you an overall picture of investing as a whole, and others will focus on a particular area. The list on the following page includes just a sampling of the many investment-related websites available:
About.com: This network of websites has several helpful business sites for investors, such as International Investing, Socially Responsible Investing, and Investing for Beginners.
Bloomberg: Bloomberg's online financial news and information site, with real-time streaming quotes.
Bondtrac Financial Information: If you're looking for bond information and the latest in bond offerings, this site should be of help.
Financial Planning Toolkit: This website offers expert advice on financial planning and investing, including free planning tools and financial calculators.
CNN Money: The CNN Financial News Network offers a site with an extensive amount of information about U.S. and global markets.
Green America: Describes how to integrate social investing into your financial plan and portfolio.
Dogs of the Dow: Gives you the lowdown on the stocks in the Dow Jones, from historical information to the latest quotes, plus news and updates.
Dow Jones Business Directory: Offers you a comprehensive listing of all sorts of financial sites on the web, even reviewing many of them.
The Green Money Journal: Advice and information especially for green investors.
The Global Investor Directory: As the name indicates, this site provides access to a plethora of international investing information, including performance information on worldwide alternative and emerging markets.
Hoovers Online: Gives you the scoop on more than 32 million companies, from IPOs to industry profiles.
Investopedia: This website is jam-packed with articles, tutorials, and investment calculators, all designed to help you become an even better investor.
Investor Guide: Offers a long list of subjects, with plenty of information and tons of links.
U.S. Government Investment and Tax Information: The government's website for government investments and tax information, plus news on the U.S. and world financial markets.
MarketWatch: This financial site has information on stocks, bonds, mutual funds, the economy, and more, plus charts and commentary.
The Mutual Fund Investor's Center: Helps you pull together all the information you need to select the right mutual funds.
Moody's: The place to go for bond ratings, including a downgrade watchlist, authoritative reports on credit trends and corporate finance.
Morningstar: One of the most comprehensive investing websites on the Internet, you'll find information about mutual funds, ETFs, bonds, stocks, and options. A veritable wealth of information.
The Motley Fool: Provides a wide variety of information, including a lot of investing basics, in plain clear language.
Investing in Bonds: Legislative and statistical information, research, prices, and more, all tailored for bond investors.
The New York Times: Investments: This section contains articles and news to help people find the investments that best match their personal strategies and risk tolerances.
Quote.com: Up-to-the-minute quotes from numerous markets, along with analysis and commentary.
Reuters: Offers all the latest financial news you need, from one of the most trusted sources in the world.
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission: Information on corporations, brokerage houses, SEC policies, and news, as well as a place for individual investors to learn about current fraud investigations and personal fraud protection (including reporting suspected instances of investment fraud).
Treasury Direct: The U.S. Treasury Department's site designed to help you invest in government bonds, even by using direct deposit, to make saving and investing very easy.
Yahoo Finance: From personal financial tutorials to streaming real-time quotes, this site offers lots of advice to novice investors.
Zack's Investment Research: A research site with market commentary and information.
