The Best Online Investment Sites
With the Internet, Wall Street can be anywhere you want it to be. The vast amount of online information will keep you in the loop no matter where you are located. The following list, in alphabetical order, contains some keys sites with informations investors -- and the CPAs who work with them -- should know about: newsletters from analysts, corporate directories, stock quotes and general financial news. Most of these are free, but some are subscription services. However, even the for-fee services usually have a free trial period, so you can see if a service is right for you. On the page virtually every site has in common is a disclaimer: Nobody guarantees a Web site as a true path to financial success. A slick Web site is no more a guarantee of useful, accurate information than a slick newsletter. Although the sites below were recommended by users or listed on major search engines, the rule on the Web, like elsewhere, is caveat emptor. The Journal thanks the following for sharing their favorite sites: Marjorie Meyer, a sole practitioner in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts; Mike Ruff, a financial adviser in Pampa, Texas; and Milton Baker, a CPA in Michigan. ABC News http://www.abcnews.com Click on the business button on the home page for extensive financial news with a strong international flavor. For example, in November, ABC News covered the fall of a major Japanese securities firm, currency speculation in the Pacific Rim and recent OPEC deliberations. Daily Stocks http://www.dailystocks.com These pages are densely packed with well-organized resource lists. Enter either a ticker symbol or company name for quotes, news charts and Securities and Exchange Commission filings. Look at the site's many links under IPOS/Filings, Earnings, Insiders (analyses), Mutual Funds, Tech Stocks and Futures. The site also offers an extensive list of market summaries and financial columns from a variety of sources. "Please bookmark me now," says the site, "'cause you will come back." The Financial Center http://www.tfc.com The Financial Center is the home of "Wall Street's Market Mavens." Go here for analysts, links to brokerage firms that provide online trading, stock quotes, a news desk, an online bookstore for investors and chat rooms. If you have speakers and a sound card, you can take an audio tour of the site. Sign up for e-mail alerts of when "market mavens" will be online offering advice. FundAlarm http://www.fundalarm.com FundAlarm describes itself as a free noncommercial Web site designed to help investors decide when to sell mutual funds. It has a database of about 1,000 funds and provides information on manager changes, for example, as wen as highlights and commentary. FundAlarm also provides a general introduction to the topic of selling mutual funds and describes its benchmarking system for judging funds. Ibbotson Associates http://www.ibbotson.com/research/iafp96.htm lbbotson Associates, a consulting and training company, has posted an extensive, well-organized online research resource list. Under Practitioner Daily Use, look for forums, e-mail lists and market tracking sites. Want information on federal bonds? International investing? These pages have several resources. Bookmark this site for continued use; the authors even have a "new and notable" section. InfoBeat http://www.infobeat.com A general, free news service, InfoBeat sends e-mail newsletters every day directly to you. If you check "finance" at registration, InfoBeat will send closing prices and news for a custom portfolio of market indices, mutual funds and securities. InfoBeat even promises news alerts e-mailed throughout the day with information that can't wait until tomorrow's newspapers. Longer stories appear on the Web site. INVESTools http://www. …