Web Smarts

www.socialfunds.com

WHAT: A guide to socially responsible companies for investors who want to personally manage their portfolios, the site helps investors ensure that they aren't profiting from corporations with values that differ from their own.

BEST POINTS: The site allows users to screen companies for policies they support (such as environmental protection, charitable work, or fair treatment of employees). Users can also screen corporations for policies they may find objectionable (such as testing on animals or ties to tobacco). The site may not be flashy, but it is very active, with daily news, investing advice, book reviews, and fund-performance information.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: The site is sponsored by SRI World Group Inc., an Internet-based financial-information firm headquartered in Williamsville, Vt. Although the site has been around for more than a year, its new feature, the Corporate Social Research Center, provides investors with a searchable database on the social and environmental policies of more than 1,000 companies - both in the United States and abroad.

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