The Internet is replete with internet investment sites - it seems as though everybody is trying to make money in this good economy.  The fact is, however, that the Internet is a wonderful tool for doing market research on any company in which you might want to invest.

The Federal Government produces U.S. Business Advisor which is an excellent directory of business resources.  All manner of business related topics, including workplace issues, tax and demographic information, financial assistance, and international trade can be found here.

Specialized search engines are also available.  TradingDay.com stands out as a great site for doing research on stocks, for example.  You enter the ticker symbol for a stock listed on the NYSE, AMEX, or Nasdaq exchanges and this site will return links to quotes, charts, SEC filings, analysts' reports, earning estimates, message-board posting, and more.

Company Sleuth will send you free e-mail reports tracking up to ten companies drawing on various sources for their research, including SEC filings, new patents, job and discussion group postings, along with press releases.

CorporateInformation provides useful information on private and foreign companies from non-U.S. exchanges.  FreeEDGAR is a fast and up to the minute filing site for information from the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Hoover's Online gives basic company data covering about 14,000 public and private companies.  This site offers extensive, free information, along with contact information, iey officers, and basic financial data and links to stock quotes and delayed SEC filings.  For a price ($14.95/month, or $109.95/year), subscribers can get more extensive profiles, full lists of officers and competitors, and in-depth financial information.

Computer and Web-based industries are the specialties of ADNet Company Finder.  This site has contact informatoin, links to the companies concerned, Web sites, product lists, company news, and more.

Economics has been called the "dismal science," and in this venue, economics information can be found at The Dismal Scientist, called "the best free lunch on the Web.'  This site organizes a large collection of economic information, including a large collection of economic information, including U.S. macro-level forecasts and historical data, state and metro-area information, US. and international economic releases, commentary, and more.

Local and state socioeconomic statistics can be found at EconData.Net.  Its data comes from the Census Bureau, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the Bureau of Economic Analysis, along with other federal, state, and local agencies.  This information is compiled using your taxes - so enjoy.

On the other hand, if you want an even wide, global perspective on economics, try World Bank Country-at-a-Glance Tables.  These tables are updated annually in PDF format, offering concise, country-by-country summaries of economic trends.

Statistical and economical data can also be found on U.S. federal government Web sites including FedStats.  This is a low glitz, but well organized and easy to use treasure trove of information.  To access the data, you browse by statistical program; demographic, economic, labor, health, crime, and more.  You can also view a directory of federal agencies and the keys statistics they produce.

An extensive resource for demographics and socioeconomic statistics on 227 countries and dependencies can be found at the International Database.  This also includes information from the Census Bureau, the United Nations, and various other international statistical agencies.

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