Most people put a lot of faith in their broker, and that often works out well. But in the age of Bernie Madoff, wary investors may be looking for some reassurance.

The truth is they are largely left to fend for themselves. With a bit of time and widely available tools, many legal experts say investors can improve their chances of choosing wisely when selecting a financial adviser or broker.

+ Resources for background on your broker

Source: Washington Post

From the Digital Download Blog:

There are 67 slots on Forbes’ first ranking of the World’s Most Powerful People –one for every 100 million people on the planet. Barack Obama tops the list, thanks to his control of the world’s largest economy, military, and nuclear arsenal. Google founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page have a combined net worth of $30 billion, and come in fifth. WalMart CEO Michael Duke runs the world’s largest retailer, with $401 billion in annual sales and 2 million employees — he comes in at number eight. And iconoclastic Apple CEO Steve Jobs ranks #57.

Direct to the List

Top 5
1) Barack Obama
2) Hu Jintao
3) Vladimir Putin
4) Ben S. Bernanke
5) Sergey Brin and Larry Page

You Can Sort the List By:
+ Rank
+ Name
+ Title
+ Organization
+ Age

When you click on any name, you’ll access a brief profile of the list member.

+ The World’s Most Powerful People home page also contains links to a set of lists where, “experts pick seven in their field who matter most” plus one list where reader’s selected the most powerful people. 21 lists in all. For example, Kevin Rose from digg, picked the seven members of the technology list.

+ The World’s Most Powerful People in Pictures (Slide Show)

Finally, this article provides background on .

See Also: The Time 100: The Most Influential People
The list is organized by category. The full list on a single page is here.

Included on the Web Site (Free) Are:

+ A Financial Dictionary

+ Financial Related Quotes

+ Financial Information Sources (Very Impressive)

+ Country Profiles

+ Sector Profiles

Much More on the QFINANCE Web Site

Learn More about QFINANCE: The Ultimate Resource in this Article from Publisher’s Weekly:

At a luncheon at the 21 Club last week, Boomsbury publisher Kathy Rooney introduced QFINANCE: The Ultimate Resource, a desk reference volume produced in partnership with the Qatar Financial Centre Authority that was officially released November 3. The 2,000+ page book, a two year project, with essays by over 300 financial experts (investors, economists, professors) includes a glossary, financial sources and even finance-orientated quotations, aiming to position itself as the premier financial resource. The plan is to update the book yearly, while the Web site, www.qfinance.com, on which the entire content is offered free, will be kept current. Price for the print edition, which Bloomsbury is distributing in the U.S. and U.K., is $250.

The book received a positive comments from PW.

Sources: QFINANCE, Publisher’s Weekly

There are six lists available. The primary list is Agenda Setters. Other lists can be accessed via the down menu at the top of each list.

+ Top Agenda Setters (The Primary List) (Sir Tim Berners-Lee #1)

+ Top Business Leaders (Steve Jobs #1)

+ Top Entrepreneurs (Jack Dorsey, Biz Stone and Evan Williams #1)

+ Top Politicos (Richard Thomas #1)

+ Top Techies (Werner Vogels #1)

+ Top Visionaries (Sir Tim Berners-Lee #1)

Each entry also contains a profile.

Lists from previous years can be found on the about half way down on the right side under the header, “Agenda Setters Past.”

Source: Silicon.com

Access to this database and its data is free of chage and contains data grouped into three categories:

Labour market outcomes

+ Unemployment rates, employment to population ratio and labour force participation rates
+ Unemployment, employment, labour force and population of working age (15-64)
+ Unemployment duration+
+ Discouraged workers

Jobs quality

+ Job duration
+ Incidence of temporary employment
+ Working time
+ Incidence of part-time employment
+ Involuntary part-time workers
+ Economic short-time workers
+ Gross earnings of full-time employees by age group
+ Distribution of gross earnings of full-time employees

Labour market policies and institutions

+ Expenditures on and participants to labour market programmes
+ Strictness of employment protection
+ Statutory minimum wages in 21 OECD countries
+ Union members and employees

Each link will take you to definition of the statistic and then direct links to access the data.

For Example:

1) Select Union members and employees

2) Read the definition

Union members and employees are expressed in units. Trade union density is defined as the percentage of employees who are members of a trade-union.

3) Select data on the number of trade union members and employees and/or Trade union density in OECD countries, 1960-2007. (a spreadsheet)

4) The number of trade union or members or employers data is provided by country, membership/employees and for the years, 1999-2007.

Most other the other data is provided in similar formats. Several lists can be limited by sex, age, and employment status

Direct links to each statistic on this OECD page.

Source: Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
Hat Tip: Stuart Basefsky

All 22 Color Guides can be Accessed Here as PDF Files

The Subjects

+ Advertising Industry Guide [pdf 144KB]

+ Alcoholic Drinks Industry Guide [pdf 95KB]

+ Book Industry Guide [pdf 74KB]

+ Childrenswear Industry Guide [pdf 218KB]

+ Confectionery Industry Guide [pdf 165KB]

+ Construction Industry Guide [pdf 161KB]

+ Fashion Industry Guide [99.4KB]

+ Fast Food & Snacks Industry Guide [pdf 251KB]

+ Frozen, Chilled & Ready Made Foods Industry Guide [pdf 171KB]

+ Furniture Industry Guide [pdf 211KB]

+ Giftware Industry Guide [pdf 76KB]

+ Green and Ethical Business Opportunities [pdf 97KB]

+ Insurance Industry Guide [pdf 245KB]

+ Jewellery Industry Guide [pdf 109KB]

+ Organic Food Industry Guide [pdf 125KB]

+ Packaging Industry Guide [94.88KB]

+ Pharmacy Industry Guide [pdf 119KB]

+ Sports Industry Guide [pdf 203KB]

+ Toiletries and Cosmetics Industry Guide [98.16KB]

+ Toy and Game Industry Guide [pdf 133KB]

+ Travel & Tourism Industry Guide [pdf 83KB]

+ TV and Film Industry Guide [123.76KB]

Access Business and IP Centre Research Guides

Source: Business and IP Centre, British Library

Lists
+ Access the Complete List
Click an any company’s name and a short profile will be returned.

Sort by:
+ Rank
+ Company Name
+ State
+ Industry
+ Revenue
+ Employees

Top 10

1] Cargill
2] Koch Industries
3] Chrysler
4] GMAC Financial Services
5] Bechtel
6[ Mars
7] HCA
8] PricewaterhouseCoopers
9] Publix Super Markets
10] Ernst & Young

Slide Shows

+ Top Ten Largest Private Companies
+ Private Company Employment
+ Brand Names
+ Private Companies and the Richest Americans
+ Private-Equity-Backed Companies

Via the home page (mid-page) you can filter the list by industry. You can also sort SORT the complete list by industry.

Past Rankings

+ 2008
+ 2007
+ 2006
+ 2005
+ 2004
+ 2003
+ 2002

Source: Forbes

From a News Release:

The Science, Technology, and Business Division of the Library of Congress has launched a new blog, Inside Adams. Inside Adams will point readers to the Library’s large and diverse collections of books, journals, prints, photographs, digital collections, finding aids, and Webcasts related to science, technology, and business. This blog will give us the opportunity to highlight the bibliographies, research guides, and special pages that have been developed by staff, as well as share the history, art, and architecture of the John Adams Building

More in the first Inside Adams Post

Source: LC

See Also: Inside Adams has an RSS feed available here.

The Securities and Exchange Commission today launched its first-ever Web site devoted exclusively to investor education, providing investors with in-depth information and “top tips” on how to invest wisely, plan for the future, and avoid being scammed.

By visiting www.investor.gov, investors can access information in a user-friendly format that is specifically tailored to their needs. The site includes sections specifically for those just getting started investing, for those saving for a child’s education, and for those planning for retirement. It also has a detailed “Seniors Care Package” section for senior citizens and caretakers.

Source: U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission

The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the creation of a new Unemployment Benefit Estimation Tool that allows mortgage companies and housing counselors to project a homeowner’s unemployment insurance income for loan modification purposes. The tool was created as part of collaborative effort among the Labor Department, the U.S. Department of Treasury, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and the Hope Now Alliance.

“Helping unemployed Americans stay in their homes while they seek out new careers is critical to their success and is simply the right thing to do,” said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training Jane Oates. “This new tool will allow mortgage companies and housing counselors to accurately project the income homeowners may receive through unemployment compensation when processing home loan modification applications.”

New loan modification programs created through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 — such as the Making Home Affordable Program — allow mortgage companies to utilize nine months of a homeowner’s unemployment insurance income as part of determining his or her qualifications for a loan modification. Recent extensions of unemployment benefits have made this possible, and the tool unveiled today will make it easier to calculate benefits over several months. Prior to this new program, unemployment made it nearly impossible to qualify for a home loan modification.

+ Unemployment Benefit Estimation Tool

Source: U.S. Department of Labor Department, U.S. Department of Treasury, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Hope Now Alliance

A recent survey of American new media users found that 44% “are searching for, sharing or discussing information about corporate responsibility (CR) efforts and programs” via such outlets as social networks, blogs, and online games. The survey, undertaken by Cone, a brand strategy and communications agency, sought consumer responses in the areas of brand marketing and cause branding, as well as CR.

Seventy-eight percent of new media users reported interacting with companies online, up from 59% in 2008. Thirty-eight percent reported doing so at least once a week, compared to 25% in 2008.

Sixty-two percent of respondents to the survey indicated that they believe they can influence corporate decision-making through participation in new media outlets. Twenty-four percent reported that they have contributed to online discussions about CR, and 23% have contacted companies directly. Three-quarters of respondents “expect companies to join conversations about their corporate responsibility practices happening on new media.”

Forty-seven percent believe that companies are transparent and honest in addressing CR efforts online. The online venues most often accessed for the purpose of learning about CR efforts were email (27%) and corporate web sites (22%). The findings suggest that opportunities for more interactive venues such as social networks and blogs have yet to be exploited.

+ 2009 Cone Consumer New Media Study
Free registration required.

Source: SocialFunds.com/Cone

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has launched a new Web site that will benefit current and potential users of hearing aids.

FDA regulates hearing aids, which it defines as sound-amplifying devices designed to aid people who have impaired hearing.

“People who already use a hearing aid know that selecting the right one is not a simple process,” says Eric Mann, M.D., Ph.D., deputy director of FDA’s Division of Ophthalmic, Neurological, and Ear, Nose, and Throat Devices. “There are many issues to consider. Also, current users of hearing aids want to know about the latest types and technology, and how to properly maintain the ones they already have.”

Source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Hat tip: PW

Publishers have been battling Amazon (AMZN) over the price of e-books, only to get outflanked by Wal-Mart (WMT) last week on the bread-and-butter best-sellers. In an effort to boost traffic on Wal-Mart.com, the Bentonville, Ark., retailer is offering select hardcovers that are among the most anticipated of the season for $8.99. Who saw that coming?

Not the publishing world. Book people are easily spooked. And their first line of defense is to hyperventilate. That’s what literary agent David Gernert did in the New York Times when he claimed, “[P]ublishing as we know it is over” if readers come to expect hardcover best-sellers for $9 at Wal-Mart, Amazon, and Target (TGT) (which matched the offer.) He feared the low price would turn readers off to literary books at $25: “I think we underestimate the effect to which extremely discounted best-sellers take the consumer’s attention away from emerging writers.” But instead of fretting over first novels, publishers and agents should latch on to this development as a way to restructure the economics of the industry to everyone’s benefit.

In truth, there are no barriers to success in the book business. Publishing is ruthlessly efficient. Books that excite readers take off; those that don’t disappear fast. There’s no evidence that John Grisham crowds out the great American novel. In fact, it’s quite the reverse. What the industry lacks are products that excite readers. Where publishing is brutally inefficient is the process by which it selects products and allocates resources. And those toxic assets—all the unearned advances—are paid off by the best-selling authors. Stephen King, John Grisham, and the Freakonomics guys cover the cost of failed books.

Much More After a Click

So fighting the low-priced book—either electronic or hardcover—is a red herring. Consumers are already accustomed to paying varying prices for different editions of the same title. Many a book sells well in the higher-priced trade paperback form even when a cheaper mass market edition is available. The same is true for hardcovers, in many cases. More to the point, Costco trained customers to expect to pay half the cover price on hardcovers and paperbacks many years ago. The impact on independent bookstores—the entities that supposedly support and nurture emerging writers—and chains has been profound but is hardly new

Source: The Big Money (Slate)

Make sure to check the page regularly for updates.

Purpose of the Fraudulent Products List

This list is intended to alert consumers about Web sites that are or were illegally marketing unapproved, uncleared, or unauthorized products in relation to the 2009 H1N1 Flu Virus (sometimes referred to as the “swine flu” virus). Note that until evidence to the contrary is presented to FDA, the owner of the listed Web site is considered responsible for promoting the unapproved, uncleared, or unauthorized products. The uses related to the 2009 H1N1 Flu Virus are not necessarily being promoted by the manufacturers of the products.

Consumer Considerations about the Products List

+ This list does not include every Web site that is marketing products related to the 2009 H1N1 Flu Virus without FDA approval, clearance, or authorization, only those Web sites to which FDA has issued a warning letter.
+ Even if a Web site is not included in this list, consumers should exercise caution before purchasing over the Internet any product purporting to diagnose, mitigate, prevent, treat, or cure the 2009 H1N1 Flu Virus.
+ Please note that some of these products may be approved or cleared by FDA for other medical uses. The fact that a product is listed on this page indicates ONLY that the products are not cleared, approved, or authorized for the diagnosis, mitigation, prevention, treatment, or cure of the 2009 H1N1 flu virus.

The list can be browsed by product type or searched by:
+ Brand Name (Example: SilverCure)
+ Product Name (Example: Silver Shampoo)
+ Any combination of: brand name, Product Name

At the Bottom of the Page You Can Download All Unapproved, Uncleared, or Unauthorized Products as an Excel Spreadsheet, a PDF File, or in XML.

Access the Web Page

Source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration

+ Direct to Complete List
+ Click on any company name and get a brief profile about the company.
++ List can be sorted by (click on header):
++ Company Name
++ Sales
++ Sales Growth Rank
++ EPS (Earnings Per Share) Growth Rank
++ ROE (Return on Equity) Rank

+ Slideshows
++ The Top 20: Behind The Numbers
++ Self-Made Stars (Founder Run Companies)
++ Health-Related Companies
++ Stimulus Riders (Companies that Have Benefited from the Economic Stimulus

+ Previous Rankings
++ 2008
++ 2007
++ 2006

++ The Top 10 Companies on the List Have Profiles Beginning on the This Page

+ The Methodology to Create this List is Available at the Top of this Page

Source: Forbes

The current headline: Recession ends in 79 metro areas

+ How the Adversity Index detects trends in local economies

+ Main Article
Contains an interactive map.

The Adversity Index, from msnbc.com and Moody’s Economy.com, measures the economic health of 381 metro areas and all 50 states. Each area is in recession, at risk, recovering or expanding. On this map you can explore changes in the four components of the index: employment, housing starts, housing prices and industrial production, each shown as a percentage change from a year earlier. (The change in housing prices will be updated at the end of the quarter.) Roll over a state to see its numbers. Click on a state to see details for its metro areas. Slide left or right to see data for different months. Click play to see all the months. Use the forward and back buttons to step a month at a time.

+ When the Downturn Hit, Month by Month

+ Recession-resistant areas
Map at bottom of page

+ Boundaries of metro areas in Adversity Index

+ The Areas Rarely Suffer a Recession
Map.

+ Occupation Title
Here you’ll find a description of the job as well as a link to get a report about the occupation in any/all states. You’ll also find links to video segments about the selected occupation.

+ Projected Need for Employees (2006 – 2016)

+ Projected Growth

+ 2008 Hourly (Median) Wage Range

+ Education & Training

The list data can also be downloaded as a two page PDF file.

Access the Complete List

Source: Career Voyages (using Bureau of Labor Statistics 2008 wages and 2006-2016 projection series)

Scientists are exploring the health implications of cell phone radiation. Meanwhile, buy smart. Use Environmental Working Group’s new interactive database to find wireless devices with the lowest emissions. Learn how to limit your family’s exposures

On this page, in the lower right corner, you can search for phones by name and limit by provider and/or manufacturer.

Source: Environmental Working Group

The announcement on Tuesday comes after several rounds of bids by various private equity firms and publishers. Bloomberg was long seen as the most likely winner of the auction.
[Snip]
Bloomberg would keep the magazines separate after the purchase. BusinessWeek journalists also would work as separate groups, but with much “cross-pollenization,” said [Bloomberg Chief Content Officer Norman] Pearlstine.
[Snip]
Other bidders included an investment firm run by Strauss Zelnick, chairman of videogame publisher Take Two Interactive Software, private equity firm OpenGate Capital and Boston Properties (BXP.N) co-founder and New York Daily News owner Mort Zuckerman.

From BusinessWeek:

Bloomberg LP, the global financial data and news empire created by New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, is the winning bidder for BusinessWeek. Terms of the offer will not be disclosed by Bloomberg and BusinessWeek parent McGraw-Hill Cos.
[Snip]
If the deal closes as anticipated by Dec. 1, it will be unprecedented for both buyer and seller. For Bloomberg, buying BusinessWeek will be its first major acquisition ever and a significant departure for a 28-year-old company nurtured on a “build, don’t buy” culture.
[Snip]
BusinessWeek, launched 80 years ago, will give Bloomberg entrée to a much larger business audience of corporate executives and senior government officials, beyond what has been its sweet spot of catering to Wall Street and the professional investor community.
[Snip]
BusinessWeek, whose logo will eventually incorporate the Bloomberg name in some still-undetermined way, will continue to publish weekly in print and around the clock online. The goal will be to substantially boost the magazine’s editorial pages. It still hasn’t been decided whether Bloomberg and BusinessWeek will maintain separate Web sites or be morphed together as one

Sources: Reuters, BusinessWeek
Hat Tip: Library Stuff