Business : FAMILIES NEWS RELEASE

Contact:          Phyllis Zalenski, Family Resource Management Specialist

                        Iowa State University Extension

                        (319) 462-2791

Investing Information on the Internet:  Who Do You Trust?

Wondering where to go for reliable information about investing?  In today’s Internet wired world, there are numerous Web sites with the words investing, money, or finances in their titles, but how do you know which ones are reliable? A study conducted by Consumer Reports’ Webwatch showed that viewers are more apt to evaluate a Web site on its visual appeal, such as color and layout, than on its content.

“This is not a good way to decide if information is trustworthy,” says Pat Swanson, CFP®, Specialist with Iowa State University (ISU) Extension.   “A better way to evaluate a Web site is to look at its address, its URL. This will tell you about the sponsor or creator of the site,” Swanson explains. “Site names ending in .edu are educational; .org is used in the Web addresses of organizations; .gov URLs are government sites; and .coms are commercial sites.

Below is a brief description of non-commercial Web sites available through government and non-profit organizations:

The Investor Protection Trust (IPT)’s Web site http://www.investoprotection.orgprovides independent, objective information needed by consumers to make informed investment decisions. The IPT serves as an independent source of non-commercial investor education materials. There are a number of booklets on their Web site, such as Mutual Funds: Maybe All You’ll Ever Need.

FINRA is the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. Its function is to regulate securities firms and stockbrokers. As a not-for-profit financial resource, FINRA offers unbiased information on its Web site http://www.finra.orgon a full range of issues that affect your money and investments.

The Securities and Exchange Commission or SEC http://www.sec.govis the governmental agency that oversees and regulates the securities markets in the United States. The SEC also provides information to help consumers invest wisely. For example, its mutual fund cost calculator can help you compare the costs of different mutual funds and understand the impact that fees and high expense ratios can have over time.

Several Cooperative Extension Web sites have a deep collection of materials to help investors make informed financial decisions. Iowa State University Extension http://www.extension.iastate.edu/financeshas a series of retirement planning fact sheets that can help you identify retirement goals and suitable investments to achieve those goals.

Rutgers Cooperative Extension’s Money and Investing Web site http://njaes.rutgers.edu/money2000/contains dozens of helpful financial planning worksheets. It also includes an online quiz that users can take to assess their investment risk tolerance (see http://njaes.rutgers.edu/money/riskquiz/and a link to the Cooperative Extension System’s basic investing home study course, Investing for Your Future (see http://www.investing.rutgers.edu).

The Cooperative Extension online eXtension (pronounced e-extension) information delivery system ( http://www.extension.org) is available 24/7/365 and has experts who answer questions directly from consumers. eXtension combines the efforts of more than 70 land grant universities to provide a one-stop shop to access the best educational materials developed by Extension faculty across the nation. Many of the personal finance experts who answer consumer questions have advanced degrees and certifications in financial planning. To access the personal finance Web site, visit http://www.extension.org/personal_finance.

MyMoney.gov ( http://www.mymoney.gov) serves as the federal government’s “one-stop shop” for financial education programs and information. It includes links to financial information