The Virtual Woman: A Woman's
Weekly Guide To Cyberspace
Strolling Down Wall Street With Your Finger Tips
The stock market-that daily circus where money's made and money's lost (without the funnel cake). Whether you've been depressed about not being in the market at all or are curious about how the web can save you time and money in your investment activities, this week's column has some great links for you. So buy low, sell high and, for those of you who like to have their funnel cake and it too, check out these two recipes: http://www.runet.edu/~cpf-clb/fc.html and http://berksweb.com/pam/funnel.html. Happy investing!
Dear Virtual Woman:
Though not quite ready
to invest in stocks, I would like to be more knowledgeable in reference to
them. I feel lost, like I'm listening to another language when news
broadcasters talk about the DOW or NASDAQ being up or down so many points. I
consider myself pretty financially educated when it comes to basic personal
finance; I guess I'm just looking for novice friendly web sites that can
catch me up to speed on all this stock market jargon. Thanks.
- Jackie V., Chicago, IL
Dear Jackie:
We all have to start somewhere, and Buck Investor (http://www.buckinvestor.com) is perfect for those wanting to expand their financial horizons, if not just vocabularies. Be sure to click on the Glossary link when that Wall Street word catches you off guard.
Dear Virtual Woman:
I ususally go through
my broker to trade stocks over the phone, but I keep hearing about how easy
and cheap it is to trade stocks online. Is there a site I can visit where I
can get a feel of how online trading would be like without really committing
myself?
- Curious Trader, Gainesville, Florida
Dear CT:
If you've gone through the rigmarole of buying or renting a house, you know it's not like playing the board game Monopoly, simply because you're not throwing around "play money."
The same thing goes for Yahoo's monthly fantasy investing game, but it's still fun! Plus, you can a rough idea of how transactions take place online. Go to http://quote.yahoo.com and click on the "Investment challenge" link. At the Investment challenge page, you'll find out how to play the game, which starts you off with $100,000 of fantasy money. The idea is to trade stocks that will give you the highest return. Over 100,000 other people participate for one month, and the top three winners receive gift certificates to shop online. MSNBC (http://MSNBC.com) also has a fantasy trade contest, which is similar, but there is some downloading involved.
The bottom-line is that even a beginner can get the sense of being a trader on Wall Street, without having to make that financial commitment. However, include the three R's in your exploration of the stock trading alternative online: research, research, and research. Visit the Online Investor at http://www.investhelp.com for answers to specific questions about investing online.
Dear Virtual Woman:
I'm tired of the high fees associated with trading stocks. The firm I use doesn't even have a site online where I can see how my investments are doing in real time. Where can I go to research discount brokerage firms?
- Susan, Washington, DC
Dear Susan:
Try Internet Investing at (http://www.internetinvesting.com). Here you just may find the discount broker that fits your needs. Brief descriptions of various firms at this site will put you more in touch with your stock picks.
Dear Virtual Woman:
I am retired and spend a good deal of time researching stocks and working on various ways to invest my money. I've hit upon some formulas I like to follow in terms of finding companies of a certain size, growth rate and price/earnings ratio. Is there a site that could help me search those companies out?
- Pamela, Vancouver
Dear Pamela:
Check out StockScreener.com (http://www.stockscreener.com). This site does exactly what you are asking for. Additionally, it will screen for other criteria such as return on equity, dividend yield, volatility and profit margin. You can enter in the minimum and maximum levels you require in each field, specifiy an exchange if you'd like and also an industry group and then search away!
Happy Surfing!
Find these links and more at WWWomen.Com (http://www.wwwomen.com) the web's largest search directory of topics for women online. Email the Virtual Woman with your Internet questions or send snailmail to: WWWomen.Com, Attn: Virtual Woman, 3701 Geary Blvd., #325, S.F., CA 94118. Copyright, 1998. WWWomen, Inc. All rights reserved.
This column can only be re-distributed with written
permission by
Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service or WWWomen, Inc.
Contributing Editor: Mary Claire Ray
© Copyright 1996-99. WWWomen, Inc.®. All Rights Reserved.
WWWomen is a registered trademark of the WWWomen company.