For many, the holiday season marks a time for giving thanks. Stock investors in particular may be very thankful this year. The S&P 500 has risen double digits. Inflation has slowed. The Cboe Volatility Index, also known as Wall Street’s “fear gauge” remains low, implying confidence in markets.
However, interest rates and prices remain high, and market conditions are always subject to turn on a dime. Investors know that it is the future, not that past, that matters for their portfolios. For this reason, it’s important to take time to be thankful for resources that we can use in the future as we celebrate the market’s performance in 2023.
Investor.gov
Investor.gov is the Security and Exchange Commission’s one-stop shop for all things investing. This site provides numerous articles, FAQs, tutorials, and calculators that will help both beginning and experienced investors make prudent decisions. This site now includes sections on cryptocurrencies and the risks associated with investing in these digital assets.
EDGAR
The SEC’s Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval system, known as “EDGAR” is where investors can find all publicly-traded company filings, including annual and quarterly reports, proxy statements, and other releases. Of note are “Ownership Disclosures,” which tell investors when a firm’s management or large shareholders acquire or dispose shares of their company. Before buying stock in a firm, investors should carefully examine the company’s filings to ensure they understand the firm’s business model, competitive environment, and risk factors.
FRED
The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis offers the Federal Reserve Economic Data, or “FRED,” website. Investors can obtain data and observe figures for numerous data series pertaining to the economy, including inflation, gross domestic product, unemployment, and interest rates. The site also maintains a calendar of upcoming important economic announcements that move markets. Of note is their “Macro Snapshot” that highlights the most popular economic indicators that investors should follow. Right now, inflation and interest rates dominate headlines, and will continue to be impactful moving forward.
BLS.gov
The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ BLS.gov site similarly hosts a number of important data sets pertaining to key economic data, particularly unemployment rates and compensation. The BLS also publishes the “Occupational Outlook Handbook” that discusses career data, including median pay, expected job opportunity growth, and the years of education and training required for various roles. Investors should pay close attention to the projected industry growth rates as they consider adding stocks to their portfolios.
BrokerCheck
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority’s BrokerCheck site lets users research the certifications and employment history of a broker. Notably, the site discloses any instances of misconduct or fraud committed. All investors would benefit from researching their broker to become aware of any potential issues that they, by law, are required to reveal.
Investment Adviser Public Disclosure
Like BrokerCheck, the Investment Adviser Public Disclosure site allows users to get details on their financial adviser, including their strategies, assets under management, number of employees, clients, past disciplinary actions, and more. This site hosts the adviser’s most recent Form ADV, a document that explains in narrative text these details and more.
When conducting research, investors should consider using these trusted sites as a starting point. All are free, and all offer incredible insight into what drives markets and the economy. As we conclude what has been a good year for markets, investors should recognize they will face uncertainty in 2024, though they can be thankful for the many places they can go for advice.
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