1 Investing and the Internet “Information is the investor’s best tool when it comes to invest- ing wisely.” —Securities and Exchange Commission, Microcap Stock: A Guide for Investors T he Internet has made a wealth of investment data available to investors, and the playing field has been leveled in terms of the amount and kinds of investment data that is available. Detailed financial data on companies, and investment analysis tools that were once accessible only to research departments of large com- panies, or by those willing to fork over hefty annual subscription fees, are now available to you and me. Dozens of Internet sites provide investment data for free, and many of the professional online services offer pay-as-you-go pricing plans and user-friendly system interfaces to access this data. Indeed, today’s choices of online sites to access investment data are overwhelming. The goal of this volume is to help the average investor not only find data on the Internet for a variety of invest- ment strategies, but also understand the methods of distinguishing between valuable information and useless opinions. This book is not about how to make investment decisions, but rather how to find the data needed to make investment decisions. Bookmark the sites and sources listed in this book and you are on your way to finding better research advice for personal investment decisions. The following types of financial investments are discussed: ● Stocks ● Initial public offerings ● Real estate investment trusts ● Mutual funds ● Bonds 1
