Top 5 E-Subscriptions for Businesspeople

In this economy, anything that is free is golden, but anything that is free that has intrinsic value is even more important. However, it is also important that productivity is maximized (and junk e-mails are kept to a minimum). As someone who works in the financial industry, I get slammed with spam and unwanted e-magazines, but some daily, weekly and monthly email subscriptions are actually worthwhile. Here are the top 5 e-subscriptions that you should have if you work in, manage or own a small, medium or even large-sized business.

1. CPA Letter Daily. A free publication from the AICPA (American Institute of CPAs), this daily newsletter features a top story as well as several other financial pieces. Also interesting is the partnership with American Express OPEN, that provides even more free content. Most articles are linked to other websites, but a browse daily will ensure that you are up-to-date with what's happening in the financial world, as well as how finances and the economy relate to politics.

2. IRS e-News. Mostly for tax professionals, this e-newsletter highlights more technical aspects of financial planning and the tax system. Each issue is numbered and is a nice resource to keep in your email "save" box. Most have several important stories that are highlighted, as well as seminars and workshops that are available. While the focus of this newsletter is obviously on the financial professional, any taxpayer can benefit from keeping up to date with important changes and top stories that are highlighted here.

3. Business.gov. This weekly e-newsletter is much more geared to the non financial professional than the IRS e-News publication. With topics that appeal mostly to the small business person, this e-magazine is packed full of information ranging from tax information to how to obtain financing for your small business and how business law impacts all sizes of companies. You should definitely subscribe if you currently own or are thinking of starting a small business.

4. Financial Times. I first started noticing the Financial Times publications when I lived in Berlin , and that made me aware of how far-reaching this periodical really is. More targeted at the financial professional (but not as technical as the IRS e-newsletter), this monthly e-magazine highlights everything from US foreign policy to the latest Federal Reserve data. The e-magazine also highlights the latest international markets data, as well as the top world news stories.

5. WSJ Online. Probably the most widely read financial publication in the world, the Wall Street Journal offers a free e-newsletter that, like the Financial Times, is in-depth enough for the financial professional or business owner, but in terms that anyone can understand. As one might expect, the WSJ is more well-rounded than any other publication and is perfect for anyone to read through daily to stay educated.

Resources:
CPA Letter Daily: http://www.smartbrief.com/cpa/
IRS e-News: http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/content/0,,id=103381,00.html
Business.gov: http://business.gov/
Financial Times: http://registration.ft.com/registration/barrier?location=http%3A%2F%2Fapp.ft.com%2Fprefcenter%2Fprofile.cfm&Referer=http%3A%2F%2Fapp.ft.com%2Fprefcenter
WSJ Online: https://services.wsj.com/Gryphon/staticPages.dj?redirect=newsletters