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Business and
Investing InfoCenter
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The
American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act (ARRA)
is creating
an unprecedented number of new jobs and contracting opportunities for
Maryland businesses. To help Maryland companies get quick access to
federal opportunities when they become available, the links on this
site provide helpful resources to educate and inform Maryland
businesses about ARRA and its potential impact on Maryland .A
link for small business is provided. |
Worried about your financial situation? Want tips on
investing wisely?
BCPL can help
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Bank Finance
Bankrate.com
Free rate information on more than 300 financial products including
mortgages, home equity loans, money market accounts, new and used auto
loans, money market accounts, CDs, credit cards, checking accounts, ATM fees
and online banking fees. Based on weekly surveys of 4800 banks in 173
markets in 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Bank Ratings
Star ratings of banks and credit unions, provided by BauerFinancial. Also
includes CD rates and bank reports. Some items within the web site are
fee-based. A
Failed
Bank List gives customers information on how accounts and loans are
affected.
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
Home page for the government agency responsible for insuring deposits in
banks and thrifts. Also contains banking tips, real estate sales
information, consumer financial rights information, industry and regulation
information..
TreasuryDirect.gov
The direct connection to the United States Treasury. Check bond
values and T-bill auction results. Open a secure account to manage
purchases, redemptions, and savings portfolios on-line. Use the
Savings Bond Calculator to find the worth of a bond today.
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Baltimore County Business and
Professional Resources
Arbutus Business and Professional
Association
Baltimore County Conference and
Visitors Bureau
Put a listing in this directory
which is distributed to trade/travel shows and to meeting planners.
Greater
Baltimore Technology Council
Organization devoted to growing the region's technology
community through programs and forums.
Hereford Zone Business Association
Hunt Valley Business Forum
Infobank
Baltimore County economic, demographic,
and business information.
Overlea Fullerton Business and
Professional Association
Parkville-Carney Business and
Professional Association
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BRAC
http://www.fedbizopps.gov/
Through one
portal - FedBizOpps (FBO) - commercial vendors seeking Federal markets
for their products and services can search, monitor and retrieve
opportunities solicited by the entire Federal contracting. To do business with the government, contractors must
be registered and have established a legitimate bank account that can
accept federal funds. Learn more, go to
www.sellingtoarmy.info
http://www.brac.maryland.gov
A powerful site providing information for people and businesses
affected by the Base Realignment and Closure plan. Links to similar
sites for Counties are given
Baltimore
County offers many advantages for businesses planning to enter the
BRAC market. Check out this website:
http://www.baltimorecountymd.gov/Agencies/economicdev/edd_brac.html
Chambers of Commerce
Baltimore County
and
Small Business Resource Center.
Dundalk
Essex-Middle River-White Marsh
Greater Catonsville
Pikesville
Reisterstown-Owings
Mills
Towson
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Company Reports and
Profiles
Annual Reports (PRARS)
A source of free annual reports from
over 3600 public companies. Provided by the Public Register's Annual Report
Service. Also includes
IBM Guide to
Understanding Financials which provides basic information on how to read
a company's financial statements.
Annual
Reports Library
A portal for sources of annual reports
and company information. Also a
source for non-profit, charity, and other types of annual reports.
Edgar
Database of Corporate Information
All corporations are required to filed 10K and 10KSB
statements and other forms with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Download these from the
site. Searchable by keyword.
Yahoo Finance Company and Fund Index
Profiles on over 9,000 public
companies including contact information; business summaries; officer and
employee information; sector and industry classification; financial
statements and ratings.
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Databases
Available online as electronic Reference
Books. Discover the information by clicking the hyperlinks. Can
be printed, emailed or downloaded. These books do not have to be checked out
or downloaded, and are always available for use either in the library or
from home. A
library card registered with Baltimore County Public Library is needed.
Note that two titles are available ONLY by going to the library.
Associations Unlimited
The combined data from the entire Encyclopedia of Associations series
plus additional IRS information on nonprofit organizations.
Business
Source Premier
Provides
full-text/abstract access to over 3,350 journals. Also indexed
Country economic reports (EIU; DRI-WEFA; ICON) and detailed profiles
for the world's largest companies
Hoover's
Provides comprehensive company and industry information as well as
business news and scheduled Initial Public Offerings (IPOs). Available for
in-library use ONLY at the Towson Library.
Reference USA
Detailed information on more
than 12 million United States businesses. Sources used include both white
and yellow pages, 10-Ks and other Securities and Exchange Commission documents, Chamber of Commerce
information, business publications, and industry directories.
Regional
Business News
Incorporates 75 journals, newspapers, and newswires covering all
metropolitan and rural areas within the United States. Abstracts or
full text available.
Standard & Poor's
NetAdvantage
A comprehensive source of business and investment information. Full text
access for many S&P publications including: Bond Guide; Corporation Records;
The Outlook; Directors and Executives; Stock Guide and Mutual Fund Reports.
Does not include Industry Surveys.
Value Line
Comprehensive source of information and advice on approximately 1,700
stocks, more than 90 industries, the stock market, and the economy.
Accurate and independently created research information. Available on
Public PCs in full-service BCPL Libraries
ONLY.
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International Business
Global Edge
Search this well organized web-portal of regional and country
specific sites. Maintained by the International Business Center at Michigan
State University, free registration is required to access some information.
Also offers industry profiles, international business statistics as well as
diagnostic tools to help in pursuing opportunities in the global
marketplace.
Europages
An international yellow pages. Free listings for companies. Requires free registration.
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Maryland Resources
Maryland Comptroller of the Treasury
Maryland
Department of Business and Economic Development
Maryland Insurance Administration
One Stop Shop for Business
Assistance (University of Maryland)
University resources for small
business.
University of Maryland,
Baltimore County (UMBC) – Research Park and Technology Center
A major incubator site in Baltimore County.
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Minority Business
Minority Business Development Agency
Major source of information to foster the creation, growth, and expansion of
minority owned businesses. Provided by the United States Department of
Commerce.
State of Maryland Governor's Office
of Minority Affairs
Excellent portal to helpful sites for start ups; financing; marketing and
expanding information. The
Resource Guide
is an exhaustive list of agencies dedicated to small business success.
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Mutual Funds
Fund Alarm
Helps investors get a handle on the
riskiness of their mutual funds by measuring their volatility. Each
month a list of funds are listed that have trailed their benchmarks.
The site is free.
Green Money Journal
Information on socially
responsible investing opportunities.
Morningstar.com
A free registration allows access to a wealth of information on all aspects
of investing.
Mutual Fund Investor's Center
Published by the Mutual Fund
Education Alliance (a no-load fund trade association), this site offers fund
listings and tools for planning, tracking and monitoring them.
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Personal Finance
Connections: Family Financial Assistance
Local resources for getting financial help, assistance in money management,
budgeting for the household, debt repayment, and more.
Consumer Credit Counseling Center of Maryland and Delaware, Inc
This agency provides tools that assist in setting up a budget as well as
gaining financial security through saving and other money-making
suggestions.
Debt Management - NOLO Press
This web site contains information about handling your debt. The information
includes: avoiding overspending, using credit and debit cards, strategies
for repayment of student loans, and credit repair.
There is also a section that will help you calculate the amount of your
loan.
Small Business
About.com--Small Business Information
Mega site containing relevant links,
how-to information, forums, and best practice news.
Resource Directory for the Small Business
Owner in Baltimore County
Important localized
information for the small business community.
United States Small Business
Administration
Official government site for
financial, technical, and management assistance. Also contains an
extensive list of downloadable
forms.
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Stocks and Bonds
American
Association of Individual Investors
A non-profit organization devoted to helping individuals
become effective managers of their own assets through education,
information, and research.
Big Charts
This commercial source supplies free
easy-to-use online charting and investing research tools. It provides
access to interactive charts, quotes, industry analyses and intraday stock
screeners, reports, and indicators on over 50,000
stocks, mutual funds, market indexes. Also provides historical quotes back
to 1985.
Edgar
Access and download for free the 10K and 10KSB reports from United States
corporations.
Financial Times
Financial and general news from around the world provided by
the British International business newspaper.
Investing
in Bonds
Unique source of bond price information. Includes a wide variety of
market data, news, commentary and information about bonds. A product of the
Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association.
.
Savings and Treasury Bonds (Treasury
Direct)
Find the redemption value of a variety of bonds. This site also has
information on a selection of products and services offered by the United
States Treasury.
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General
Resources
Cable
News Network (CNN) Financial Network
The 24-hour news powerhouse provides comprehensive news and reports
on
financial markets, retirement planning resources and a small business
resource guide.
FastFacts
InfoCenter: Directories
Ready reference listing of
directories important to business.
Insure.com
Shop on-line for business insurance. Get comparative quotes on all
types of insurance products.
Internet Public Library: Business and Economics Reference
A useful and complete portal.
The e-commerce section is particularly useful. Now includes blogs.
'Lectric
Law Library
Source of free legal forms for
business.
Librarians' Internet
Index: Business Topics
From Accounting to ZIP Codes, this
portal contains links to all areas vital to the small business person.
Maryland
State-Chartered Banks and Trust Companies
Official state list of Maryland
chartered banks and trusts.
Maryland State Library Resource Center: Business Center
A useful collection of e-sites and books on all aspects of business and
investing.
MSN
Moneycentral
A personal finance mega-site.
North
American Industry Classification System (NAICS)
The official site of the uniform industry-wide
classification system (North American Industry Classification System).
Recent updates to the manual are added regularly.
Risk Grades
Compare individual securities with
benchmark indexes and other stocks, or gauge the risk of an entire
portfolio. Allows for comparison of risk across all asset classes.
Free registration is required.
SuperPages.com--Verizon
Searches over 11 million Unites States companies by business name or
category. Map their locations, get hours of operation and customer reviews.
Thomas Register of American Manufacturers
Comprehensive online resource
for finding manufacturers, distributors and service providers. Requires free
registration.
United States Securities and
Exchange Commission--Investor Information
A source of useful links on topics of
interest to both novice and veteran investors.
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