sign with two choices

Top post: Aggregators or direct sources?

This is an updated version of a post that was originally published in 2016. When buying information – public records, news, or legal filings – you have two choices: Buying direct from the sources or buying from information aggregators, firms that compile data from multiple direct sources into one database or product. These are usually […]

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Newspapers and tablet with business news

What sources do I use for searching news?

I’m frequently asked about what I use for news searching, so I thought I’d share my sources and why they’re so important to my investigations. Note that these include free and fee-based sources, because – with online information – you definitely get what you pay for. You can’t do a thorough job with just free. […]

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Currency

Why it pays to pay for online information

If you read this blog, you know that I frequently advise others to conduct a background investigation on themselves. It pays to know what others find when they search for your name on Google or another search engine. But what if the news isn’t good? What if, among your results, you discover information that you […]

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Aggregators or direct?

When buying information – public (and not-so-public) records, news, or legal filings – you have two choices: Buying direct from the sources or buying from information aggregators, firms that collect the data from the various sources and compile it into one database or product. I frequently use aggregated sources, including LexisNexis, Dow Jones Factiva, TracersInfo.com, […]

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It’s a crazy mixed-up world

The world of business information sources is changing so fast that every so often I feel the need to start singing and dancing to Soul Asylum’s “Crazy Mixed Up World.” Discontinued content, new interfaces, and huge price increases are just some of the issues info pros are dealing with lately. You know things are crazy […]

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You get what you pay for

Why would anyone pay for online information when there’s so much available for free?  Sometimes – when you can’t find what you need on the free web, when you need it fast, or when you need something beyond basic information – it’s a good idea to consider paying for premium. For example, if you’re going […]

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