Do any of you all invest in any stocks?

Long term investing? Day trading?

If you do, is there any resource to find out what companies are involved in what with their business practices and their donations? I am part of an investment club and was curious to know where some of the companies we invest in put their money. Also, if there is a trustworthy source for finding out which companies may or may not use sweatshops and the like?

Is there an online database anywhere with this information?

Unfort, I have nothing to help.

However, after my mom died, I got a somewhat sizeable inheritance that is in the hands of the firm AG Edwards, that is built around a long term goal. I have my hands in all osrts of stuff stocks, bunds, mutual funds, etc...

I am unaware of where its all invested....

I don't think there is any one company that is going to be soo much better then another....Perhaps there is a consumer reports issue on it?

I sit across from the peer review section of our company... that's where firms review other firms to make sure they're ethical. I'll ask them about it.

Nope, everything is in Vanguard's Total Market Index VIPERS.

I've only invested in an individual stock once, and only to take advantage of a market over-reaction to a negative earnings report that I thought would put the company in play. This was a company I researched at B-School and had been following for about four years.

As for your "lines of business" question, I'd check the 10-K on EDGAR. For their charitable activities, shoot their Investor Relations dept an e-mail--corps love to play this up to prospective investors.

Pretty much everything you need to know is there, but you have to get good at sifting the kernel of good info out of a haystack of poop. The Man makes them put everything there, so it's in there. But they know that nobody takes the time to really read it, and they also have some leeway about reporting things.

THINGS TO WATCH FOR:
If a company you like is part of a larger parent company, that larger co. doesn't really have to break out earnings and dealings for the smaller one. And even if they do, there's noooo way you can really be sure they did an honest job of it.

There's a very good resource, both a website and a book, called buy-blue. google it and you shall find a well researched listing of companies that not only are ethically diligent, but usually environmentaly friendly. or so i've heard.

list of ethical funds, per the controller at my company:

Legg Mason Social Awareness Fund
Domini Social Equity
Citizens Index
Vanguard Calvert Social Index
TIAA-CREF Social Choice Equity
Walden/BBT International Social Index

I suppose you could look those up online. Hope this helps.

thanks everyone. there's a lot of good resources here.

Who needs a library when I have an obner?

I think that if we databased our collective knowledge here at Obner we could rival AskJeeves.

AskObner. Nice.