The world of finances scares journalists for one simple reason. It involves numbers -- lots of numbers. It also involves a lot of jargon that, when it doesn't put you to sleep, obscures what is happening, the exact opposite of what journalism strives to do.

Sometimes, your sources can explain the jargon. Sometimes, they can't. This resource is designed to get you started and familiarize you with some basic financial concepts. It also will show you places to find financial information that people might otherwise not want to share. We also hope it takes some of the fear out of covering financial issues.

Good general sources online include financial magazines, trade associations, research groups, think tanks and government sites, such as the U.S. Census Bureau and The Federal Reserve.

General Resources

• Consumers Union
• American Institute of CPAs
• Yahoo! Finance
• Investor's Clearinghouse
• Financial dictionary
• Information on banks, loans and related matters
• Translate dollars into other currencies and vice versa
• Calculate the effects of inflation

Basic Financial Literacy