Fundamentals
Fortune Magazine reported that in 1980 banks and thrifts held 54% of all financial assets. By mid 1995 it had dropped to 32%, while non-banks rose from 46% to 68% during the same period. Also, over the last 15 years consumer assets held in CD's, savings and checking has decreased from 34% to 17% with stocks and mutual funds growing 28% to 37%.

What this means to you is that their are many options for you to invest in. Web sites are built to assist you in evaluating the market, evaluating financial options, and assisting you in your money management.

Security
Security of your personal information is always a concern. However, as consumers, we routinely give our credit card information to store clerks, waiters, and gas station attendants and think nothing of it. And a site that offers secured transactions provides a lot of security. It's probably easier to invade your home and steal your credit cards than it is to electronically pilfer your checking account number.

Consumer & Mortgage Loans
The FinanCenter offers loads of general financial information including purchasing homes, autos, and obtaining credit cards. Easy to use interactive financial calculators allow you to check costs, payments, and loan rates. After deciding on a course of action, pick the loan, credit card or financial product that fits you.

Bayshore Trust Co. is a new player in the web game. Internet users nationwide are now able to apply for loans via the bank's Web site. The approval process is nearly instantaneous because Bayshore Trust is linked electronically to a major North American credit bureau.

The Mortgage Source Online is a source for national, regional, and local mortgage information. This online resource has been created to help homeowners make the best home financing decision.

Money Magazine gives high marks to Myers Equity Express for new or refinance home mortgage oans.

If you need fast response on a car loan, try Car-Loan.Com for loans with a 24-hour turnaround time.

Banking Web Sites
Internet banking allows you to take control of your financial life. The real savings is in time and payment administration. Bounced checks and late fees will no longer eat away at your hard earned dollars because payments can be automatically made on a pre-determined schedule.

Banking sites allows you to check saving and checking balances, make transfers between financial instruments, pay bills, and apply for loans. Because the government underwrites banks with $100,000 worth of FDIC insurance these sites are the safest sites on the web.

Bank of America HomeBanking
Bank of America HomeBanking costs $6.50 a month. Utilize direct deposit with the HomeBanking option and then Bank of America will wave their banking fees. To track all of your financial data, users can download checking information into computer based financial tracking products from Quicken, Microsoft Money, or Managing Your Money.

Wells Fargo OnLine Banking
Wells Fargo offers a transactional oriented banking system on the Web or Prodigy, through Quicken and Microsoft Money. Start with $100 to open an account and then apply for services: loans, credit cards, mutual funds, and checking. Wells Fargo doesn't charge for the banking service but requires $5 per month for unlimited bill payment.

Investment Information Sites
Like a good entrepreneur, you look for where the big boys aren't. Same with investing. It's difficult to beat the Wall Street pros. They have all the resources and a lot of money for investigation.

Ted Allrich, author of " The On-Line Investor", says that if you focus on small-cap stocks that few brokerages and institutes follow, then it gives you a competitive advantage because nobody has more information than you.

CNN Financial Network leverages content from the cable company. Investors can review interviews from CNN's Moneyline, look up CNN's programming times, and meet CNN's anchors. Investors can look up stocks, markets, interest rates, commodities and tech stocks.

NETworth is the Investment section of the Quicken Financial Network. NETworth provides the individual investor with the knowledge to make their own investment decisions. Investors can follow mutual funds or equities and can access financial background information all in one convenient location.

Trade on the Internet
Brokerage services like E-Trade and Charles Schwab allows investors to trade over the net. E-Trade offers unlimited quotes, charts, and business news. Money Magazine has rated E-Trade the best of the cyberspace brokers.

Another highly regarded site is eschwab online investing service. Investors pay $29.95 for stock trades up to 1,000 shares and $.03 a share for trades over 1,000 shares.

Additional brokerage and trading services can be found on the Yahoo search engine in the investment service and brokerages section. When you are looking for advice, financial solutions, or financial products, the World Wide Web delivers custom programs for your state of mind.