Library 309 - Business Reference Sources

List of Resources

BUSINESS DICTIONARIES/ENCYCLOPEDIAS

Barron’s Finance and Investment Handbook

Ref HG 173 D66 1990

Business: The Ultimate Resource

Ref HD 38.15 B878 2006

Dictionary of Business

Ref HF 1001 C64 2001

Encyclopedia of Busine$$ and Finance

Ref HF 1001 E466 2001 v. 1 & 2

The New York Public Library Business Desk Reference

Ref HF 5547.5 N5 1998

QFINANCE Dictionary | Business Dictionary Online | Financial Dictionary Online - QFINANCE

Online dictionary and glossary provides clear definitions for international business financial terms. In addition to abbreviations and acronyms our economical dictionary core vocabulary for commercial accounting, banking and even marketing categories. The dictionary and financial glossary have been compiled by an international team of expert researchers and business information specialists, including over 3,000 terms from the Chartered Management Institute. World Business and Financial English terms are included to reflect the globalization of the business world. Financial and business slang from the around the world – some humorous, some serious, some baffling. If English is not your first language, the entries will help you find a ‘tenbagger’, avoid getting into a ‘big bath’, and ensure you are aware of the ‘witching hour’.

Glossary of Financial and Business Terms
Glossary of more than 2,500 terms related to business and finance. Find definitions for terms such as "bull market," "J-curve," "kiretsu," and "Pac-Man strategy." Compiled by a business professor for The New York Times.

The Layman's Finance Crisis Glossary
"Here is a guide to many of the business terms currently cropping up regularly, as well as some of the more exotic words coined to describe some of the social effects of the credit crunch." Defines terms such as credit default swap, derivatives, short selling, sub-prime mortgages, and write-down. Includes links to related news stories and the number of mentions in British newspapers. From the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).

BizLink: Your On-Line Business Resource

This is an excellent, selective, annotated directory of resources that "support the local, national, and international business communities and others conducting business research." Topics covered include business forms; careers, jobs, and salaries; company and industry research; international business; investment and personal finance; marketing and demographics; patent and trademark; starting a business; and taxes. From the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. +

IPL Business & Economic Links This valuable resource that categorizes and evaluates web resources. One of the very best places to start research on a variety of topics.

INVESTMENT RESOURCES

INVESTOR GUIDES AND INFORMATION SOURCES

Invest like Warren Buffet, Live like Jimmy Buffett

Ref HG 179 V317

The Complete Book of Personal Finance

Ref HG 179 C323 1989

The Dow Jones-Irwin Business and Investment Almanac

Ref HF 5003 D68 1990

Motley Fool: Finance and Folly ‑ http://www.fool.com/

A comprehensive investment resource for small investors. They say their mission is “to educate, amuse, and enrich" The Motley Fool champions shareholder value and advocates tirelessly for the individual investor. The company's name was taken from Shakespeare, whose wise fools both instructed and amused, and could speak the truth to the king -- without getting their heads lopped off. Has helpful personal finance information contained in the Fool's School which is still here but no longer linked to on the top level – enter “fools school” in the search box to get to it – Getting Started has great sections including a good section on How to Value Stocks; and discussion boards within the School are very helpful, with topics ranging from broker comparisons to mutual funds and stock tips. Be sure to read their Fool Discloser Policy – they never met a pun they didn’t like!

Investorama - http://finance.yahoo.com/

Incorporated into Yahoo!Finance. Has great sources under Investment tab> Education Center. It includes links to financial calculators, financial dictionaries, lists of financial Web sites, a strong collection of guides to investment topics, including Investing 101 and Personal Finance 101. One of the good sites for stock quotes.

InvestorGuide ‑ Your Guide to Investing on the Web ‑ http://investorguide.com/

Excellent, comprehensive source of information for the investor. Excellent source of information for the investor. Includes news and information on stocks, bonds, mutual funds, brokers, exchanges, and much more, credit, loans, taxes, retirement, etc. The site also has a large categorized directory with annotated links, a learning center called University, and a glossary of over 6,000 terms.

Investor Home http://www.investorhome.com/

An excellent resource for investors. In addition to quick and direct access to the most popular investing sites on the Internet, a stock or fund ticker symbol entered in the DailyStocks links list box on the home page takes you directly to a page with links to quotes, Contents takes you to education materials http://www.investorhome.com/educate.htm ,also tests, a who's who in investing, broker, consultant and money managers information, and even investment humor.

STOCK GUIDES

Value Line Investment Survey

Ref HG 4501 V26 (SCC paper subscription ended in 2010 – see online version below)

Business Pages of Daily Newspapers

New York Times, Sacramento Bee, Los Angeles Times, etc.

EDGAR Online ‑ http://www.edgar-online.com/

Once said by Business Week to be the best interface to the SEC filings. Still great but no longer free. Not even a free trial anymore. $229/year. Features include: Today's Filings, available to visitors one full business day after filing date; EDGAR Online People, search Proxy Filings (DEF14A) by individual name; Full Search, to access filings with any combination of 10 criteria; Glimpse, an extract of the 10K & 10Q Management Discussion and Analysis for an overview of operating results; Financial Data Schedule (FDS) that downloads a company's balance sheet and vital financial statistics, in Excel format; HTML format suitable for on‑screen reading and Rich Text Format (RTF) for word processing programs; and complete EDGAR database back to 1994.

Free Edgar SEC Filings & Forms (EDGAR) http://www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml

Full-text searchable index to the filings by corporations to the Securities and Exchange Commission that are available to the public (including 10-K reports). Non-electronic filings, filings that are not available to the public, and any data prior to 1994 will not be available here. EDGAR stands for "Electronic Data Gathering Analysis And Retrieval." The somewhat useful tutorial: http://www.sec.gov/edgar/quickedgar.htm is a little tricky to use. Hence, all of the user friendlier versions that have been developed and charge for the ease of use.

Value Line.Com - http://www.valueline.com/

The free on-line version of the well-known investor service. Many links to investment sources. Does not offer the same services as the print version or subscription version. Many useful general investment and business references and links.

Historical Stock Quotes http://bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/
This handy tool from BigCharts is especially useful for income tax and estate planning preparation. Just type in a stock or mutual fund symbol and the desired date (back to January 2, 1970), and Big Charts provides the closing price. Also, this free service provides easy-to-use online charting.

MUTUAL FUNDS/BONDS

In addition to the following, several of the investment web sites also have mutual fund sections.

Lipper Leaders: Funds That Fit http://www.lipperweb.com/default.aspx
Mutual fund screening tool from Lipper, a provider of mutual fund data and analysis. The site describes how funds are evaluated and provides scores for funds in the United States as well as from several countries in Europe and Asia. Search for funds based on classification, asset type, fund company, total return, consistent return, preservation, tax efficiency, and expense.

ICI Mutual Fund Connection http://www.ici.org/
A primary source of statistical information on the mutual fund industry. Monthly and weekly releases cover trends in stock, bond, hybrid, closed-end, and money market funds. Contains data on fund shareholders and information about related legislation and regulation. Other topics covered include retirement security, taxation, and basic investor information. From the Investment Company Institute, a trade association representing the investment company industry.

Invest Wisely: An Introduction to Mutual Funds http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/inwsmf.htm
This site from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) "explains the basics of mutual fund investing — how mutual funds work, what factors to consider before investing, and how to avoid common pitfalls." Includes discussions of advantages and disadvantages, different types of funds, and how to buy and sell shares. Also includes a glossary.

COMPANY INFORMATION

NAICS, United States, 1997

Ref HF 1041.5 N674 1998

Hoover's Handbook of American Business

Ref HG 4057 A28617 v. 1 & 2

Mergent Bank and Finance Manual

ebook in LOIS

Mergent Public Utility and Transportation Manual

ebook in LOIS

Standard and Poor's Register of Corporations, Directors and Executives

Ref HG 4057 A4

Hoover's Online ‑ http://www.hoovers.com/

Database of information on more than 50,000 of the largest or fastest‑growing public and private U.S. companies. Information provided includes company address, number of employees, key people, financial data, news items and selected Web links to company Web site, SEC filings, and current stock prices (click on ticker symbol).

AnnualReports.com http://www.annualreports.com/
A collection of hundreds of the annual reports and 10K reports of companies traded on the U.S. stock exchanges, including most of the Fortune 500. "Visitors are able to look for a company through 5 search criteria: alphabetically, by company name, by ticker symbol, by sector, or by industry." Searchable.

Forbes.com Lists http://www.forbes.com/lists/
This site provides a compilation of Forbes magazine's annual lists, such as the world's richest people, the most powerful women, largest companies, and the most expensive real estate. Browse lists by topics such as people, companies, education, health and style, technology and Internet, sports, places, and vehicles. From Forbes.com.

http://metamoney.com/usListIndex.html

Searchable site that supplies company Web pages, annual reports, and company information. Also has consumer ratings and product information.

SocialFunds.com http://www.socialfunds.com
SocialFunds.com has over 1000 pages of strategic content to help make informed investment decisions regarding socially responsible investing. The site provides news, information, research, investment analysis, and financial services. Especially helpful is the searchable newsroom and activism libraries.

Tutorials

Tutorial for Company Research http://legacy.www.nypl.org/research/sibl/company/c2index.htm

Excellent research guide from the New York Public Library that contains tutorial and great list of resources..

Researching Companies Online: http://www.learnwebskills.com/company/

“This business research tutorial presents a step-by-step process for finding

free company and industry information on the World Wide Web.”

Motley Fools’ Tutorial – Investing Basics

http://www.fool.com/investing/basics/index.aspx

One of the best tutorials I have encountered.

SMALL BUSINESS INFORMATION

GETTING STARTED

Business Plans Handbook

Ref HD 62.7 B865

Business Plans for Dummies

Ref HD 30.28 .T575 2005

How to Write a Business Plan

Ref HD 30.28 H3839 M3839 2005

How to Start a Business in California: With Forms

Ref KFC 337 Z9 T35 2001

The small business start-up kit for California

ebook in LOIS

Small Business Entrepreneur Search http://www.smallbizsearch.com/

Help with business plans, franchises, products and services for small business, thousands of articles from Entrepreneur.com – see below.

Entrepreneur.com ‑ http://www.entrepreneur.com/

This site, designed for the entrepreneur or small business owner, contains tips on everything from starting a business to finding funds. Includes franchise and business opportunity databases, free e‑mail accounts, a chat room, and classifieds. Contains articles from Entrepreneur Magazine, Business Start‑Ups Online, and Entrepreneur's HomeOffice.

Small Business Administration (SBA) ‑ http://www.sba.gov/

Information on starting, financing and expanding your business; SBA info by state; searchable.

SCORE: Counselors to America's Small Business ‑ http://www.score.org/

The Service Corps of Retired Executives gives small business owners guidance in establishing and maintaining successful enterprises. The Web site offers disaster advice; locations of local chapters; links to calculators, free software, business plans, trade shows, and other business resources; news and informational articles; and free, confidential counseling by e‑mail. Counselors representing more than 600 skills are available to assist in locating investors, setting goals, veterans' business issues, and other matters.

CONSUMER INFORMATION including Financial Literacy

Brands and their Companies

Ref T223 V4 A 25

Companies and their Brands

Ref T223 V4 A253

Credit Repair

Ref HG 3756 L46 1996

ConsumerSearch ‑ http://www.consumersearch.com/

A great place to start researching a product. ConsumerSearch reviews products, analyzes what others say (Full Story), and provides top‑rated products listings (Fast Answers). Their reviewers include "former writers for Consumer Reports, PC Magazine and The New York Times; a Wall Street research analyst; and talent from dozens of major magazines and newspapers." Product categories include electronics, sports & leisure, office, house & home, kitchen, health, automotive, and lawn & garden. You'll find information on hundreds of items including tires, vacuum cleaners, scanners, VCRs, strollers, washers/dryers, Internet service providers, furnaces, hedge trimmers, inline skates, mountain bikes, and exercise bikes.

Epinions ‑ http://www.epinions.com/

A well‑designed consumer site that provides unedited opinions and reviews from user members about a broad range of products, services, and travel destinations. “Unbiased reviews by real people.” Links to professional reviews and buying guides are also available in many categories. Users can rate member reviews for usefulness, and reviewers for "trustworthiness."

C/NET Reviews ‑ http://reviews.cnet.com/

“CNET Reviews is your home for the best unbiased reviews of computers, digital cameras, cell phones, and more. Through CNET Labs-based testing, hands-on use, user opinions, and videos, CNET Reviews provides trusted and unbiased reviews that showcase product quality, features, and value. With more than 100 years of combined editorial expertise, the CNET Reviews team is dedicated to providing the most accurate, timely, and engaging information available about the hottest tech products on the market.”

Consumer World ‑ http://www.consumerworld.org/

The most comprehensive directory of consumer products and information on the Web. Not annotated. Over 2000 resources: check an airfare, find an ATM machine, file a consumer complaint with a state agency, read hundreds of consumer booklets, find a low rate credit card or mortgage, look up the wholesale price of a car, locate a Better Business Bureau, find a toll‑free number, contact a company's customer service department, comparison shop for bargains, check stock quotes or CD rates, or read a movie review. Created by Edgar Dworsky, noted consumer advocate.

Financial Literacy Now http://www.financiallitnow.org/index.shtml

“Financial Literacy Now is an initiative to raise awareness about the critical importance of financial literacy and provide greater access to financial literacy training, services and information. The Campaign for Financial Literacy is being spearheaded by The McGraw-Hill Companies and its nonprofit partners and targets the general public with an emphasis on supporting kindergarten through high school teachers.”

Practical Money Skills for Life http://www.practicalmoneyskills.com/english/index.php

A great “financial literacy program” brought to us by VISA. This resource has many of the tools and skills needed to learn and plan for a wise financial life.

Smart Phone Apps consolidated by Parade Magazine – Intelligence Report April 1, 2012

Can I buy? (android, apple) After entering income, assets, and liabilities this app will tell you if you can afford it.($2.00)

Manilla (android,apple) Allows you to manage all your online accounts – bank, cell phone, frequent flier, subscriptions in one place – then pay bills. (free)

Shoeboxed (android,apple) Take photo of receipts and submit – app will scan and post to Shoebox account – can categorize and export (30 day free-trial - $10+/month)

Mint.com Personal finance (android,apple) Receive an overall view of all of your finances including bank accounts, investments, credit cards, house payments and a breakdown of spending. Can create budgets by categories and receive alert when you are near or over your limit. (free)

And finally BLOGS – do realize these are personal opinions

NPR’s Planet Money – business and economics news and opinions

http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/

Business blogs from About.com

http://banking.about.com/od/blogscommunities/Money_Blogs_Podcasts_and_Communities.htm

Business blogs - 2500 blogs by business category

http://www.iblogbusiness.com/

10 Top Business Blogs and why they are successful. http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/10-top-business-blogs-and-why-they-are-successful/

This article showcases 10 top blogs in multiple markets. “Follow their lead to take your blog from good to great. And if you don’t have a business blog yet, now’s the perfect time to get in the game! Each of these successful blog examples has incorporated unique features that have attracted thousands of readers. The great news is that you don’t have to reinvent the wheel—just model the best. Take a look at these thriving blogs and apply the same success strategies to your own blog.”

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