Business & Investing

See also Economic Crisis

Reference E-Books

• Business E-Books (Gale Virtual Reference Library)

  Complete coverage of the following e-books: Business Plans Handbooks, Company Profiles for Students, Encyclopedia of Business and Finance, Encyclopedia, Major Marketing Campaigns, Encyclopedia of Management, Encyclopedia of Small Business, Gale E-Commerce Sourcebook, International Directory of Business Biographies, Gale Encyclopedia of U.S. Economic History and History of World Trade Since 1450.
  Outside the Library, this resource is only available to Lincolnwood Library card holders.

General Business & Financial Data

• Barron's

  Full-text articles, cover to cover, 1988--present.
  Outside the Library, this resource is only available to Lincolnwood Library card holders.

• Beginner's Guide to Handling Money (DollarsFromSense.com)

  An interactive site designed to help young adults make smart savings and long-term investment decisions. Funded by the FINRA Investor Education Foundation.

• Bloomberg.com

  Search quotes and financial news.

• Consumer Price Index

  Measures inflation by tracking the change in the typical market basket of goods and services purchased by households. Website also has an inflation calculator. Published monthly by the Department of Labor.

• Crain's Chicago Business Via Infotrac

  1. Search Crain's Chicago via General Reference Center Gold -- Infotrac.
  2. Select General Reference Center Gold.
  3. Choose "Advanced Search".
  4. Scroll down to "Publication Titles" and click "Browse Publication Titles".
  5. Type "Crain's Chicago" and checkmark the box in front of it once the newspaper appears in a list. This will add Crain's to "Your Selections".
  6. Click "Submit" in the "Your Selections" box.
  7. Enter your search term at the top of the "Advanced Search".
  Outside the Library, this resource is only available to Lincolnwood Library card holders.

• Crain's Chicago Business

  Chicago business news, analysis, rankings, and more.

• Illinois Department of Financial & Professional Regulation.

  The Department oversees most of the state’s financial institutions which have combined assets in excess of $4 trillion.

• Federal Reserve System, Board of Governors

  Information on our banking system and monetary policy. Consumer information and educational resources.

• Forbes

  Find The 200 Best Small Companies, The 100 Richest People and several other lists of rankings.

• Fortune

  Like Forbes, this site provides lists of rankings, click on Fortune 500 for a ranking of global companies. Get a snapshot of a company by selecting it.

• Franchise Handbook

  Information on operating a franchise. Search for a specific franchise by name or category.

• Global Edge Resources

  International business resources from Center for International Business Education and Research at Michigan State University.

• Internal Revenue Service (IRS)

  Tax planning and tax forms.

• The Living Trust Network

  Estate planning information (no forms or legal documents provided), lawyer directory, community forum, newsletter, and book recommendations on estate planning.

• Mortgage Bankers Association

  Consumer information on house buying.

• Mymoney.gov

  Financial information from federal agencies from U.S. Financial Literacy and Education Commission. Broad categories include: budgeting & taxes, home ownership, paying for education, retirement planning, and starting a small business. Calculators and other tools.

• National Foundation for Credit Counseling

  Find a credit counselor, information on bankruptcy, housing (such as how to avoid foreclosure), financial education, consumer tools, such as budget worksheets, calculators, and more.

• Small Business Administration (SBA)

  Advice for small businesses from the government.

• State of Illinois Business Portal

  Information on starting, running, and changing a business. Find government forms and reasons to open a business in Illinois.

• Wall Street Journal

  Full-text articles, cover to cover, 1982--present.
  Outside the Library, this resource is only available to Lincolnwood Library card holders.

Investing

• AARP

  Retirement planning, investment advice, Social Security information, and financial news for people 50 and over. Retirement calculator and other tools.

• BankRate

  CD rates, mortgage rates, and other loan rates. Various calculators.

• Beginner's Guide to Handling Money (DollarsFromSense.com)

  An interactive site designed to help young adults make smart savings and long-term investment decisions. Funded by the FINRA Investor Education Foundation.

• Big Charts

  "Historical Quotes" lets you look up a stock's closing price for a specific date in the past. CBS MarketWatch, MN, provides this free service and current stock quotes, interactive charts, and industry analysis.

• Bureau of Economic Analysis

  International, national, and regional statistics as well as news releases on U.S. economy.

• Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)

  Information on banks (check if your bank is insured) and real estate.

• Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago

  Banking information, consumer help, etc.

• Federal Reserve System, Board of Governors

  Consumer information, current and historical data on interest rates, foreign exchange rates, monetary policy, etc. from the U.S. central bank.

• Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA)

  Investment articles and interactive tools from FINRA, overseer of brokerage firms and registered securities representatives.

• Investing in Bonds

  Created by The Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association to help educate investors about bonds. Beginners and experienced investors should find this site helpful.

• Standard & Poor's NetAdvantage

  Business and investment information, including stock, bond, and mutual fund reports; company profiles; and The Outlook investment newsletter.
  Outside the Library, this resource is only available to Lincolnwood Library card holders. If accessing from outside the library: username=Lincolnwood, password=Your Lincolnwood Library card number.

• TreasuryDirect

  Learn about purchasing & holding Treasury Securities, from Series EE Savings Bonds to Treasury Notes, from the U.S. government.

Seniors

• AARP

  Retirement planning, investment advice, Social Security information, and financial news for people 50 and over. Retirement calculator and other tools.

• BenefitsCheckUp

  If you are a senior citizen, the National Council on the Aging lets you determine your potential eligibility for public programs and provides you with the organization(s) to contact.

• Social Security Administration

  Information on retirement, Medicare, disability, and survivor's benefits. Forms and publications available online.

Company Information

• Public Register's Annual Report Service

  First you need to create a user profile and log in. Then you can connect the annual reports of over 1,700 companies. You can view the report or order a hard copy.

• Hoover's Online

  Contact information and brief company descriptions. Subscription required for more detailed information.

• MasterSeek

  Masterseek's global search engine provides access to company profiles, contact information, and descriptions of products and services from more than 45 million companies in 75 countries.

• ReferenceUSA

  Business data from Infogroup. Search company by industry, location or size. Entries are based on Yellow Page & White Page Telephone Directories; annual reports, 10-Ks and other SEC information, Chamber of Commerce, and postal service information. Updated monthly.
  Outside the Library, this resource is only available to Lincolnwood Library card holders.

• SEC filings & Forms (EDGAR)

  Financial information on public U.S. companies is available for free at this government site.

• Standard & Poor's NetAdvantage

  Find a company profile by SIC code or company name.
  Outside the Library, this resource is only available to Lincolnwood Library card holders. If accessing from outside the library: username=Lincolnwood, password=Your Lincolnwood Library card number.

• Thomas Register of American Manufacturers

  Find companies and products manufactured in North America. No subscription necessary, but registration required.