What Works for Investors? You Tell Us!

There are nearly as many "best of" lists for online investor services as there are actual investing sites these days. But rather than provide frank assessments, assessments that are -- heaven forbid -- based on actual use, the rosters heap on the praise for a site's "interactivity," "in-depth" analysis, and "top-notch" tools.

Typical site reviews don't review. They highlight quotes, company profiles and portfolio trackers but don't say whether they're any better than what you're probably already getting from your broker or from portals like Yahoo! and MSN MoneyCentral. If a tracker boasts some unique twist, the review rarely says whether it pays to switch. ...