Mobile Public Library Business/Money Resources

Taxes & Free Tax Preparation | Business | Money/Investments | Economy

Business & Personal Finance

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Taxes

FREE TAX PREPARATION is available for area individuals or families making less than $49,000 p yr. Call 211 to make an appointment or log on to www.irs.gov for more free filing options. Low wage earners are encouraged to file file even if income is too low to be required to file. You could be missing out on money from the earned income tax credit that you may be entitled to.

Forms

Sources of forms for the current tax year as well as forms for past years.

1040.com - info on both federal and state taxes, with forms from previous years and plain English answers
IRS - forms, info, faq's, e-file!
Alabama Department of Revenue

Tools

Tools for tax work such as calculators and deduction finders.

H and R Block Tax Center - you don't need to be a customer to use the Tax Estimator and Withholding Wizard, along with tax forms, laws, etc.
Kiplinger.com Taxes - try the tax estimator and tax tips for advice, law changes, etc.
MortgageLoan.com - a good personal finance reference with advice, loan calculators and current mortgage rates
MSN Money Central - a very impressive tax toolbox with estimators, deduction finder and a reference guide

Families and Seniors

Information and resources for families, students and seniors.

Tax Information for Parents
Education Credits
General Information for Parents
Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)
Information for Seniors and Retirees
AARP Tax Aide - free tax prep, assistance and tax counseling
Tax Counseling for the Elderly

General

General background information, laws and organizations

Alabama Department of Revenue - Tax info, forms, etc.
Nolo.com Legal Encyclopedia - advice such as "How to Deal with the IRS," "Audits and Appeals," "Tax Bills," etc.
Tax Help Online - survival tips for dealing with the IRS
Tax Sites - links to nearly every state tax department with forms and other relevant sites
Uncle Fed's Tax Board - forms, IRS Bulletins, Taxpayer Bill of Rights, and how to audit proof your tax return
US Tax Code Online - complex info and searching but the only place to go for the word of the law
Your Federal Income Tax for Individuals - a 322 page PDF document.
Tax Scams - How to recognize and avoid them.
Yahoo's Tax Center

Business

Communication

Writing for business communication and documentation.

Government, Legal, Tax

Assistance with governmental interactions.

Business.Gov - developed to provide better customer service for small businesses interacting with the Federal Government. Business.gov is a collaborative effort managed by the U.S. Small Business Administration and other executive department partners.
U. S. Business Advisor - the One-Stop Electronic Link to Government for Business

Industry

Directories of industries and products.

Industry Link - A directory of Links to Industry Web Sites
The Thomas Register of Products and Services
U. S. Business Reporter - provides overviews for 35 industries covering the environment, issues, international and environmental outlook as well as statistics and marketshare.

International

Resources for doing business overseas.

International Business Resource - This resource guide provides a plethora of tips, facts, and information about engaging in international business situations.

Marketing, Advertising

Information and resources for every aspect of marketing and advertising.

Emergence of Advertising in America - presents over 9,000 images, with database information, relating to the early history of advertising in the United States.
Know Marketing: The Internet Marketing Virtual Library - One stop shopping for marketing information and resources.
MarketingExec.com - links to a marketer's toolkit, online marketing intelligence, and a marketing product showcase.

Nonprofit

Resources for the nonprofit sector.

Milano Nonprofit Management Hub - guides readers to the most useful free articles, resources and web sites for nonprofit management professionals and researchers.
Idealist.org - Information and advice about nonprofits and what you can do, even if you only have a few minutes, are included in this online resource.
The Nonprofit Management Education Center

Research

Ratings and statistics for analyzing business and industry trends.

BizStats.com - instant and easy access to useful business statistics, effective online analysis of businesses and industries.
GlobalEdge - a must for international business info. Get country background, stats, key facts, history, economy. Stats even has info on language and the environment. The corporations section lists the top companies in the country.
Insurance Company Ratings - links to insurance ratings provided by Standard & Poor's and Fitch.

Small Business

Resources and tools for starting and developing a small business.

Building a Business from Start to Finish
Business Ethics Resource Guide
Guide to Human Resource Management
@BRINT.com - A well-known business tech portal providing information and resources in business technology, ebusiness, electronic commerce, and knowledge management (KM).
BizBuySell - info on businesses to buy and sell
bplans.com - Browse the library for over 60 samples of real-life business plans.
Business Owner's Toolkit - Provides links to help you start, run and grow a successful small business.
CEO Express - Ultimate site for both business news and company information.
Entrepreneur Magazine Online
Fortune Magazine - Online version of this key business magazines features links to their annual issues including Fortune 500, 100 Fastest Growing Companies, 100 Best to Work For, and Small Business 100. Also look for information and resources on the topics of Company Profiles, Investing, Careers, Small Business and Technology.
Idea Cafe - Comprehensive site for entrepreneurs including links to information about starting a business, financing, tech reviews, and more.
The Small Business Knowledge Base - a great resource for starting and managing a small business including worksheets, guidelines and tools
U.S. Small Business Administration - help for those wanting to start a business and those who already own one!
Women's Business Center

Money and Investments

Banking

The Bank Rate Monitor - Current rates for mortgages, savings, credit cards, etc.
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System - contains general information, monetary policy, banking system, regulation and supervision, research and data, and consumer information

Consumer Resources

Free Credit Reports
The Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act allows consumers to get a copy of their credit report for free once a year from the big three national credit reporting firms: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. A credit report contains information on where a person lives, how the person pays bills, and whether the person has been bankrupt, arrested or sued. There are three ways to get them:

https://www.annualcreditreport.com/
Call toll-free: 877-322-8228
Print out the annual credit report request form (41K PDF - Do you need the free PDF reader?)

Refinance Mortgage Rates - info on refinancing including calculators
Better Business Bureau
Your Access to Free Credit Reports
Consumer Reports
Federal Trade Commission
Internet Fraud Watch - check here for articles, bulletins etc. so you can protect yourself!
Managing Your Credit include tips on how to legally improve your credit report, explains the system creditors use to help determine whether to grant you credit, how to dispute and correct inaccurate information in your credit report, help with identity theft, and more.
Recalls.gov - get recall info on vehicles, food, medicine, consumer products etc.
Consumer Credit Counseling - debt counseling services

Investing

Current news and analysis for stock, bonds and other investments.

Briefing.Com- Provides Updates and News on Stocks, Bonds, Foreign Exchange and the Economy
CBS Marketwatch - get news, stock quotes, market data, investment tools and more
CNN Financial Network - Financial news and industry watch
Daily Stocks - Provides daily stock information including links to quotes, financial charts, news, SEC filings and research reports.
Fidelity Investments - Online Trading, Mutual Funds, ETFs. A mega-site from one of the largest mutual fund companies
InvestinginBonds.Com - Geared toward many types of investors--from beginners to experienced equity investors who are new to bonds to sophisticated bond investors--Investinginbonds.com is a unique source of bond price information and includes a wide variety of market data, news, commentary and information about bonds.
Investors Business Daily
Investor's Education Clearinghouse - Provides links to information on investing basics and key resources for stocks, mutual funds, bonds, futures, etc.
Morningstar Quicktake Reports - Mutual Fund Info
The Motley Fool - Common sense investment advice, plus portfolio tracking and the Fool's School

Money Management

Resources for managing your money and planning for retirement.

Building Wealth: A Beginner's Guide to Securing Your Financial Future - offers introductory guidance to individuals and families seeking help to develop a plan for building personal wealth.
Money Topics Online - learn the basics of managing your money, paying bills, saving, investing and controlling your debt
Retirement Planner Online - learn about the various retirement accounts and plans, estimate what you will need to retire
USA Today Money Page

Research

Analyses of current and historical performance.

Big Charts - Illustrating Current and Historical Stock Performance
Free EDGAR - An index to company filings
Free Real Time - Stock Quotes and Histories
How to Find a Company's Annual Report Online - Tips & Tricks to locating annual reports on the Internet.
Wall Street Journal Online Annual Reports
Wall Street Research Net - Enter a company's ticker symbol to retrieve current and historical quotes, company description, earnings, and competitors.
Zacks - Find out how top Wall St. analysts view stock potential

Tools

Online tools for calculating debt, retirement and stock performance.

Financial Calculators - All the calculators you need! Budget, savings, college, credit card, auto, home, home equity, retirement, stock, mutual fund, insurance, Roth IRA, and bond calculators.
INVESTools - A Free Investment Newsletter Directory and Article Search Service
Mutual Fund Calculator - this site from the SEC lets you calculate the cost/returns of a fund based on your initial investment, years held, etc.
Quicken.com - A complete range of financial links and services from the maker of the best-selling software

Economy

Recovery.gov
Help for Homeowners
Economic Crisis Guide - intro to resources and research available from the federal government and academic community concerning the recent Economic Stimulus Plans
Census Bureau Briefs on Economic Indicators
Bureau of Labor Statistics News Releases on the Economy
Bureau of Economic Analysis
BEA's Overview of the Economy - an overview of the US economy in recent quarters
Bureau of Labor Statistics Data
Economic Indicators - get the latest indicators from the Dept. of Commerce including Gross Domestic Product, retail and real estate sales and durable goods,
EconDash - "easy to read dashboard for the US economy"
Freelunch.com - provides FREE access to over 900,000 economic and financial data series
US Economy at a Glance