| INVESTMENT SITES |
Understand Where the Money Goes
www.investoreducation.org
The Alliance for Investor Education Web site gives
investors as well as brokers and CPAs in personal financial planning
information on bonds, futures, mutual funds and stocks, and online
calculators and quizzes.
E-School’s in Session
www.investing.rutgers.edu
For beginners “with small dollar amounts to invest at
any one time,” this free home-study course, Investing for Your Future,
has lesson plans on how to find money to work with by reducing
expenses, access online resources and avoid fraud. There are review
questions for each section and a glossary of investment terms.
For the Educated Investor
www.investorprotection.org
Investment brokers and novice and seasoned investors
can find answers for questions such as “How do I resolve disputes with
a financial professional?” and “How do I spot and avoid scams?” at the
Investor Protection Trust site. Users also can link to state
securities agencies’ sites and others with investment resources.
Visitors can preview an antifraud video, “Investment Scams: What Con
Artists Don’t Want You to Know,” for free in RealPlayer format.
A Socially Conscious Site
www.bluemarbleinv.com
Blue Marble Investments (BMI) devotes a section of
its site to information on making socially responsible investment
choices. Visitors can read articles such as “Tax Free Investments” and
find information on college savings plans. Users also can register for
a free e-mail newsletter as well as access online financial
calculators.
Protect Your Investment
www.sipc.org
Investors should do their homework when choosing a
brokerage firm. The Securities Investor Protection Corp. site, created
by Congress in 1970, offers advice on how to screen brokerage firms
before investors commit to one. The Avoiding Investment Fraud section
includes links to sites such as the National Fraud Information Center
( www.fraud.org ) and the
Securities Industry Association ( www.sia.com ). Users also can take
the online investor survival quiz to gauge their preparedness in times
of fiscal crisis.
The REIT Stuff
www.investinreits.com
For CPAs who dole out investment advice and
individual investors, this site offers information on real estate
investment trusts (REITs) in its lengthy frequently asked questions
section. Topics include “How does a company qualify to be a REIT?”
“How are REITs different from limited partnerships?” and “What real
estate fundamentals should one consider before investing?”
Whom Do You Trust?
www.web-miner.com/busethics.htm
A hot topic in business is professional ethics—for
CPAs and anybody else entrusted with making financial decisions for
their clients. Sharon Stoerger, MBA, has compiled this Web site for
the study of business ethics that includes links to articles such as
“Business Schools Add Ethics in Wake of Corporate Scandals” as well as
links to case studies, online publications, professional organizations
and associations.
Be There When the Kids Are
www.workathomeparents.com
Stacey Perez, a work-at-home mother of two, hopes her
site will inspire other parents to opt for her choice. She provides a
free e-mail newsletter and links to inspirational stories on the
work-at-home experience, articles with home-business-marketing tips
and information on homeschooling.
“Wherever You’re Going, Start Here”
www.btonline.com
The Business Traveler Web site wants you to arrive at
your destination well informed, offering links to international
airports from A through Z, as well as Trip Manager, its own system for
booking flights, hotel rooms and car rentals. You also can subscribe
to its weekly e-mail newsletter. The site’s city guide links to
detailed articles about North American cities with information on
getting around and hotel and restaurant reviews.
Take a Tip From an Expert
www.homeofficelife.com
Lisa Kanarek, author of books such as 101 Home
Office Success Secrets and Everything’s Organized,
imparts her wisdom on topics including customer service,
marketing your home-based business, public relations and making the
most of technology at this Web site. Kanarek also offers archived home
office tips as well as a resource section with links to
small-business-support sites.
A Very Specific Search Engine
www.business.com
This site forgoes the frills of usual search engine
home pages—ads, comics, horoscopes and news headlines—and gets right
to the point, offering users business topics to browse. These include
accounting, advertising and marketing, computers and software,
financial services, government and trade, human resources, small
business and telecommunications.
