Technical Analysis

Online resources offer the advantage of real time stock quotes, albeit for fees that range from the modest to the daunting. But once you pay, you gain access to great features like Chart Surfer, which helps you view several charts per sector simultaneously, and Flash video tutorials. You can even customize charts that reflect your investing interests and download them quickly as well as link to pages that analyze market security. Many sites also tell you if certain stocks are fluctuating due either to price breakouts or overselling.

For beginners, ECharts.com makes a great starting place, supplying a learning center, definitions, and charts and graphics to prepare you for the fast-paced, often bewildering world of online investing. Even if you're an experienced trader, you can benefit from its expert advice and audiovisual presentations. And the cartoons appeal to those who see the humor in playing the stock market (presumably not the same people who scream and gesticulate on the trading floor).

Elsewhere, a site like MetaStock.com displays charts for aficionados of every level, from the novice to the advanced player. Here’s where traders can use the latest software to build their own custom indicators and then performance test them. Once you've surfed around enough to understand the lay of the land, you might consider implementing TradeStation.com's state of the art software to design a program suited to your investing needs and to institute individual indicators. Boasting a hefty price tag, this site beckons serious stock traders, rewarding them with excellent tools.