Financial database added to Terrebonne library’s offerings

The Terrebonne Parish Library System is offering the local business community an online ratings’ database to access to financial institutions, stocks and mutual funds.

Weiss Ratings’ database, known as TheStreet.com Ratings, offers businesses direct access to safety ratings of more than 15,000 financial institutions, 6,000 stocks and 20,000 mutual funds.

“That means individuals researching potential investment opportunities, companies wishing to evaluate the financial health of a client or people wishing to evaluate financial organizations can obtain information with a few mouse clicks,” said Darryl Eschete, Terrebonne Parish Library’s reference services supervisor.

Eschete said the database offers electronic books, the Thomson Gale database and links to small business plans, legal forms, bills of sales and deeds. Also, through the state, the library has access to EBSCO, a database that allows individuals to search business profiles.

Weiss Ratings’ is a completely independent, basic guide. It is primarily for business owners, but individuals that have an interest in receiving quarterly company analysis of stocks and mutual funds can browse the Web site too.

“The library chose this particular service because it accepts no advertising from any fund or institution,” Eschete said “The database simply tells the reader the exact criteria that is used when making a judgment on the viability of the stock, fund, bank or insurer.”

The reviews are easy to understand with an A+ rating given for excellent funds and stocks, and an F rating given for those that are failing to perform.

Because the information is released on a quarterly basis n it is compiled from daily company reports n it does stand a slight chance of being slightly outdated. Eschete said programmers project the safety ratings based on how the company measures up to its peers.

The database can be accessed for free with their Terrebonne Library Knowledge Card. Knowledge cards n or library cards n can be obtained from any Terrebonne Parish Library branch.

For more information on Weiss Ratings’, contact Eschete at (985) 876-1733 or visit the library’s Web site at www.terrebonne.lib.la.us/.