Investing For Beginners – Free Investment Articles and Tutorials

Whether the market is in bear territory or the bulls are running wild, the amount of information that we are exposed to every day is sometimes overwhelming. Newspapers, television, magazines, radio, and even junk mail are chock full of great ideas and information for the average investor, but is there a “one-stop” shopping for this type of information? We came close with our top pick, but “one stop shopping” is elusive, with the exception of course ! However, there are some wonderful sites out there that specialize in certain aspects of investing, and this article is dedicated to my top choices of websites custom tailored for the mutual fund investor.

When I began this article, I thought my list of favorites was pre-determined. However, after considerable research, I discovered a few gems out there that are truly worthy of mention along with some companies that you already may be familiar with.

The first website is not a new company, but one that has been around for years and provided the investing community with invaluable insight into the often-mystifying world of mutual funds. To no surprise, it is Morningstar. (www.morningstar.com) Morningstar, by far is the most comprehensive website available when it comes to investing and should be one of your first stops in your decision making process.

Some of the key features of the website that are free are as follows: Portfolio Manager, which allows you to create and update multiple portfolios of stocks, mutual funds, retirement accounts, etc.

Portfolio X-Ray is a wonderful feature in which you enter stock or mutual fund symbols and the dollar value of your holdings. Porfolio X-Ray then analyzes your holdings by asset allocation, style box diversification, sector, stock type, stock stats, fees & expenses as well as world region.

Quicktake Reports are another free feature that provides easy to read analysis of mutual funds earnings, holdings, expenses etc. A nice quick overview of any stock or mutual fund is also available on wireless devices.

Also available for free are e-newsletters that cover the market, mutual funds, and stocks etc. (daily, weekly or monthly) delivered to your email address. Mutual Fund and Stock Selector allow you to screen mutual funds or stocks based on your personal criteria, or you can use criteria chosen by professionals. Finally, also for free are email alerts and updates as well as Conversations, a community where you can visit online and share ideas, thoughts, comments etc. with others.

For a mere $11.95 a month, you can get a premium membership which will provide you with similar information but with much greater depth and analysis. One of the best ‘for pay’ features is Clear Future, which is personalized 401K assessment and advice that will help you reach your investment goals.

If an investor wanted to stop here, and read no further, Morningstar.com would comfortably provide you with all the information you need to be a successful investor including market commentary and Morningstar University, a great tool for the beginner, or seasoned veterans alike.

Many of us view the world in a more macro context, and find economic data integral in making our investment decisions, changes, etc. The difficulty in finding an appropriate website dealing with the economy is that there are numerous sites that offer economic DATA, but not as much analysis that we would like to see. I actually like two websites and because each offers a different method of delivery, decided to give both of them mention today.

The first is by far easier to read and more focused on the key indicators of the US economy; GDP, Job Growth, Consumer Confidence, Weekly and Monthly Retail Sales, Earnings Growth Rates, and Purchasing Managers Index. www.Smartmoney.com Economy & Bonds column provides, in layman’s terms, the key components of what is happening within our economy, trends, as well as a vast archive of economy related articles. The best surprise of all, is that it is FREE! Easy to read, easy to navigate, and solid information, SmartMoney gets my top vote.

Not to be outdone, if you’re interested in more than just the KEY economic indicators, my other top choice for economic news deserves a review. This leads us to one of Barron’s “15 Best Websites for Investors” in 2001.

Uniquely called The Dismal Scientist (from economy.com), is a website designed solely for the dissemination of the plethora of economic data released every day in the US and the world. To get there, type www.economy.com in your browser and scroll down the page about ¼ of the way and look for The Dismal Scientist and click on the link.

The free service offered by The Dismal Scientist is all that you truly need when it comes to economic data and is available via a newsletter that can be customized to arrive to your e-mail account daily, weekly, or monthly. The amount of information that one receives is impressive, and will definitely provide the investor with all the economic data needed to be more in tune with what is happening in the US economy.

For a simple general overview on the economy, any respectable financial publication will provide this for you. The NY Times, Wall Street Journal, or my personal favorite, the Financial Times will provide you with general economic analysis, but The Dismal Scientist is well worth the time and effort for a more comprehensive and thorough understanding of what is happening in the US or world economy.

The purpose of this article was to provide a few of the most comprehensive websites (beyond InvestorsAlley.com) and eliminate some of the information ‘noise’ that we are exposed to every day. Simply because they are mentioned here does not mean that your research should start and stop here. There are other websites that I reviewed for clarity, ease of use, type of information, whether it was free or there was a monthly subscription rate, and other criteria. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention some of the other gems I found that you could browse to see if there is something that you’re looking for that isn’t mentioned in this article.

Honorable Mention goes to the following websites that although they provided a wealthy array of information, were either more difficult to navigate, seemed lacking comparatively in the depth of information offered, or simply were outshined by the above mentioned sites. www.fundspot.com, www.mfea.com, www.mutual-funds.com, www.bloomberg.com, www.valueline.com, www.fool.com, and www.quicken.com.

Hopefully this article has provided you with a few key websites that will help you navigate the occasionally muddy waters of the investing community. If you have any questions comments regarding these choices feel free to send me an email, I’ll be more than happy to respond.

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