From Ken Little,
Your Guide to Stocks.
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When it comes to getting market news, you might feel like the person trying to get a drink out of a fire hose – overwhelmed.

There are hundreds of sites on the Internet, hundreds of magazines, and cable TV channels all devoted to reporting business and stock market news. This site would be included in this grouping. With all this competition, you have access to more information than any generation of investors ever.

However, not all the information is of the same quality, nor do all the providers present it with the same degree of appropriateness. As competition for your attention increased, some of the providers became more dramatic in an attempt to draw you to their venue.

Consider the Source

One of the most important considerations in choosing information providers is their motivation. All news providers are motivated by something, whether it is to sell advertising or their own products.

Some of the information sources are tied to companies that have a vested interest in keeping you on their site or selling you a product. Their business model may or may not shade the information they provide. For example, a company that sells life insurance might offer personal finance information on its website heavily weighted toward buying life insurance.

Companies that sell registered securities (stocks, bonds, and so forth) must meet certain standards regarding what they can publish about their products. Material on their websites is likely to be more objective than non-registered products.

Straight News

These are several of my favorite online sources of news that I can recommend to get you started. You may have your own favorites, however if you haven’t tried these out you may want to give them a try.

• Wall Street Journal When it comes to getting straight business news on a daily basis, the gold standard is the Wall Street Journal, either in print or online. This link will get you a two-week free look at the online version.
• MorningStar.com MorningStar is another premier information provider. They have an abundant site that covers both stocks and mutual funds. For the really in-depth information, you need to subscribe to their premium membership, but like the Wall Street Journal, you can sign up for a free trail period to try it out.
• Yahoo Finance A typical Yahoo site with no frills, but a ton of information. If you don’t mind the stark interface, the site is loaded with resources.

Listed below are some other sources I find useful for keeping on top of market and company news.

• Bloomberg
• CNN Money
• MSN Money
• CBS MarketWatch