① Free & Straight From the Source
You can research almost any U.S. company thoroughly without paying a cent. Start here — these are free, and the first two are the primary sources everything else is built on.
SEC EDGARFree
The U.S. government's database of every public company's official filings — the annual 10-K, quarterly 10-Q, and more. The unfiltered source. sec.gov/edgar
Company Investor-Relations PageFree
Nearly every company has an "Investor Relations" site with its reports, earnings slides, and press releases — straight from the company. search "[company] investor relations"
Yahoo FinanceFree
The popular free all-rounder: quotes, charts, key ratios, financial statements, news, and a built-in stock screener. A great everyday starting point. finance.yahoo.com
Google FinanceFree
Clean, simple quotes and charts, and easy to build a watchlist to follow companies you're studying. google.com/finance
FINRA & SEC Investor.govFree
Plain-language investor education from the regulators — how markets work, how to spot fraud, and how to check a broker. Trustworthy and ad-free. investor.gov
FRED (St. Louis Fed)Free
The go-to free source for the big-picture data behind the market — interest rates, inflation, unemployment, GDP. Perfect for "market trends" discussions. fred.stlouisfed.org
② Screeners, Research & Deeper Analysis
When you want to find candidates or read someone else's analysis, these help. Some are free, some paid — and if you have a brokerage account, you may already own premium research without realizing it.
Your Brokerage's ResearchFree with account
Fidelity, Schwab, Vanguard, and others give account holders free professional research reports, screeners, and analyst ratings. Often the best value going — you already have it.
FinvizFree tier
A fast, visual stock screener and heat-map. Filter thousands of companies by size, P/E, dividend, and more in seconds. A paid "Elite" tier adds extras. finviz.com
MorningstarFree + Paid
Respected independent analysis and star ratings for stocks and funds. Much is free; deeper reports and "fair value" estimates need a subscription. morningstar.com
Value LineFree at library
The classic one-page research sheet, packed with 15+ years of history. Often free through your public library's databases — well worth checking. valueline.com
Seeking AlphaFree + Paid
Crowd-sourced opinion articles and earnings-call transcripts. Useful for other viewpoints — but remember these are opinions with their own agendas. seekingalpha.com
Your Public LibraryFree on-site
Many libraries offer free access to Value Line, Morningstar, and business databases you'd otherwise pay for — in person or with your library card online.
🔑 One habit worth forming: go to the source
Screeners and articles are handy, but the 10-K annual report on SEC EDGAR is the company describing itself, under penalty of law. Read at least the business overview and the "Risk Factors" section. It's less polished than a news story — and far more honest. When a figure on a free site looks surprising, the filing is where you confirm it.