FINANCIAL WEBSITE REVIEW

The Web is aptly named - it’s so easy to get tangled up. There are thousands of finance sites on the Web and the number is growing every day. Since our job demands immediate access to new s and research, we cast a wide net, clicking and comparing our way through many of them to find the most useful investing and money management sites on the Web. Below we highlight the best financial sites with a description of each:

www.moneycentral.com This site is a juggernaut. There isn’t another site around that can match MoneyCentral for the number and quality of its resources and tools, and no other portal so appropriately addresses the needs of every level of investor, from the neophyte to the guru. Probably the single best all-around financial destination on the Net.

Quicken

www.quicken.com Although is doesn’t have the technological sophistication of MSN it is easier to use and offers solid information on a broad range of topics.

Yahoo Finance 

www.finance.yahoo.com It lacks the bells and whistles of both MSN and Quicken but it’s faster. Its clean design is free of intrusive advertising making it easy to navigate and a blessing for the self-directed surfer.

FINANCIAL NEWS

The Street.com

www.thestreet.com This is one of the best sites for in-depth, original commentary updated several times a day that covers think pieces and specific analysis of market movements.

CBS Marketwatch

www.cbsmarketwatch.com This site is almost a portal with its abundant research data and tools. However, their commentary makes it one of the best on the street for market news.

CNNmoney

money.cnn.com This site is the result of a recent marriage between CNNfn and Money.com. The opening page is a mix of breaking news, business- and market-oriented analysis and features. Besides excelling in news coverage, there’s a good chance you can find the other online investing features you need here.

Financial Times

www.ft.com A global prospective was never more needed and Financial Times is the place to find it. There’s lots to be found: breaking and in-depth international news, original commentary and analysis.

COMPANY REPORTS

Multex Investor

www.multexinvestor.com This site offers the largest selection of free and for-free individual company reports on the web.

Hoover's

www.hoovers.com They cover 12 million companies worldwide. You can get capsule reports, financials and links to news and industry data.

MUTUAL FUNDS

Morningstar

www.morningstar.com Companies that excel at providing data in print form haven’t always been successful in transferring it to the Web. But Morningstar, long a leading provider of mutual fund information, continues to be the best place on the Web to head for fund data.

FundAlarm

www.fundalarm.com The biggest draw is founder Roy Weitz’s quirky monthly column. The site also posts an informative listing of funds that have underperformed their benchmarks over various time periods.

BONDS

Investing In Bonds

www.investinginbonds.com A beginners guide to bonds - go through the step-by-step primer to learn fixed-income lingo or read articles on bond related topics. The site is sponsored by the Bond Market Association, a trade group for dealers.

BondsOnline

www.bondsonline.com Separate sections for corporate, municipal, treasury and savings bonds break out quotes and rates, informative articles and frequently asked questions (FAQ), calculators and other tools.

Bureau Of Public Debt

www.publicdebt.treas.gov This site run by the US Government is where you can buy and manage your Savings Bonds (EE and I Bonds), T-Bills and Notes.

TAXES

Gary Klott's Tax Planet.com

www.taxplanet.com Klott, a former tax columnist at the New York Times, packs his site with the most recent tables, forms and updates. His year-around tax guide is full of tips and articles linked directly to the referenced IRS publication.

INSURANCE

Insurance.com

www.insurance.com This site offers clear, in-depth explanations of auto, home and life insurance and helps you figure out if you have too much or too little coverage.

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Disclaimers:

The information in this web-site is based on data gathered from what the Adviser believes are reliable sources. It is not guaranteed as to accuracy, and does not purport to be complete and is not intended as the primary basis for investment decisions. It should also not be construed as advice meeting the particular investment needs of any investor. The identification of specific funds and model portfolios is being made on the assumption that the investor would participate in that investment or portfolio on a long-term basis and only after consulting with their investment adviser to determine their needs and tolerance for risk. With respect to any such identification, there can be no assurance that the fund or model portfolio will in fact perform in the manner suggested.

The results do not represent actual trading due to the timing of the clients' trades and their trading costs. They may also not reflect the impact that material economic and market factors might have had on the adviser's decision-making if the adviser were managing the clients' money. Investment and portfolio results may be different than the results the adviser's discretionary clients achieve due to the timing of trades and the market conditions.

All references that might be made to an investment or portfolio's performance are based on historical data and one should not assume that this performance will continue in the future.