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How to Navigate the Stock Market Using Your Library Card

By Steve Slavick, Adult Services Specialist, August 2022

Since the pandemic began over two years ago, the stock market has plunged, roared beyond its previous highs, and then dropped into what many think will result in a recession. When the market is up, everyone’s happy. When it’s down, people often make drastic changes to their portfolios that result in even bigger losses than necessary. Want to know the trick to keeping your cool? Knowledge!

Our library has the financial tools you need to keep your head above water in times of financial distress. We provide you with access to the two largest, best loved market databases (Value Line and Morningstar) that will help you navigate through stock market minefields. 

If you prefer to own individual stocks, Value Line ranks, analyzes, and provides commentary on the largest stocks on the market. Each company is given a full complement of charts, graphs, figures, and projections on where its stock is headed in the near, intermediate, or long term.

Just as Value Line excels at highlighting stocks, Morningstar concentrates on mutual funds and Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs). And while you’ll get the same type of ratings and tables as Value Line, the major difference here is that Morningstar spends more time examining each fund, since each one is composed of a group of companies). This product also offers more tools to help you make more informed investing decisions for your future.

Need help getting started? While library staff are unable to offer investing advice, we'll gladly show you how to navigate the tools mentioned here. Book a 1-on-1 appointment with us to get started!