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Investing & Tax Information
Investing & Tax Information Research Materials
AtoZdatabases
Use at Home? Yes
Description: Premier Reference and Marketing Database including 30 million business profiles & 220 million residents. Ideal for sales leads, mailing lists, market research, employment opportunities, or finding friends and relatives.
Gale Business: Insights
Use at Home? Yes
Description: Research and analyze companies, industries, and economies around the world. Featuring robust data sets, industry essays, Plunkett reports, company histories, case studies, market share reports, and SWOT reports.
Guidestar by Candid
Use at Home? No
Description: Comprehensive source of nonprofit information to easily find local nonprofits to donate, work, or volunteer at, and connect those in need to resources they rely on, such as food banks or shelters
Legal Information Source
Use at Home? Yes
Description: Thousands of legal forms by topic including Bankruptcy, Divorce, Name Changes, Wills & Estate Planning and more. Most of the full text legal reference books provided through NOLO.
Mergent Intellect
Use at Home? Yes
Description: Coupling Mergent’s expertise in developing products for the reference marketplace with D&B®’s Hoover’s™ private company database, Mergent Intellect offers new and existing clients a unique opportunity to access private and public U.S. and international business data, industry news, facts and figures, executive contact information, the ability to access industry profiles, and much more.
Morningstar
Use at Home? Yes
Description: Find a stock or mutual fund, research current or prospective holdings, read analysts’ reports, and see ratings, financial reports, valuation ratios, and key ratios.
Value Line
Use at Home? Yes
Description: Information and advice on over 6,000 stocks, 18,000 mutual funds, 200,000 options, and other securities.
Wall Street Journal
Use at Home? Yes
Description: Access The Wall Street Journal (both print and online editions), as well as WSJ: The Magazine from the Wall Street Journal
Weiss Ratings
Use at Home? Yes
Description: Online listing of the trusted Weiss guides to stocks, mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs), banks, credit unions and insurance companies. Also contains the valuable Medigap tool detailing Medicare supplemental insurance options and Financial Literacy Basics guides about budgeting, paying off student loans, opening bank and investement accounts, and other key finanical skills.
Investing and Tax Information Websites
Investing and Personal Finance Websites
- AARP Financial Planning and Retirement
- EDGAR – U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
- Federal Reserve Economic Data FRED
- Money as You Grow
- Mutual Funds and Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) – A Guide for Investors
- Saver Life
General Tax Information Websites
The IRS will open for e-filing of 2024 federal tax returns on Monday, January 27, 2025.
The State of Illinois will open for e-filing of 2024 Illinois tax returns on Wednesday, January 29, 2025.
The deadline for filing both Federal and Illinois tax for Tax Year 2024 is Tuesday, April 15, 2025.
The deadline for filing both Federal and Illinois taxes with an extension is Wednesday, October 15, 2025.
More Tax Resources
Federal Forms and Publications are available for current and past years from the Internal Revenue Service site. You may also request forms by calling 1-800-TAX FORMS.
Illinois Forms can be downloaded at the Illinois Department of Revenue site. If you prefer to call, phone 1-800-732-8866.
Forms from Other States are online at the Federation of Tax Administrators site.
IRS e-file options lets you know options for filing, including directly with the IRS or with an IRS FreeFile partner
IL-1040 online filing allows all Illinois individual taxpayers to file their state form online for free.
Free File Alliance is a non-profit organization that allows low-income taxpayers to file their taxes using commercial tax software for free. Income thresholds are strictly enforced, so please check requirements before using this option. For Tax Year 2024 the income limit is $84,000.
Approved Third-Party Software by the State of Illinois – These commercial products have registered with the State of Illinois as legitimate for-profit tax preparation services, for those who’d like a bit of automated assistance while preparing their taxes online.
2025 Local Tax Preparation for Display
IRS VITA and TCE Locator – find local free tax preparation help, for those who qualify (For Tax Year 2024, this may include those with income under $67,000, proof of disability, or limited ability to speak English)
AARP Site Locator Tool – free local tax preparation help (sometimes just for seniors)
IRS Taxpayer Assistance Centers can help you with your federal forms. Check the hours and services provided before you visit.
Illinois Regional Offices offer drop-in assistance. Remember to bring all your documents with you.
Ladder Up/Center for Economic Progress – Tax help for lower-income filers in Illinois. Income requirements for tax year 2024 are $67,000 for joint filing and $35,000 for individuals.
AARP Tax-Aide – AARP Foundation’s online tax resources
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau – Guide to filing your taxes in 2025
IRS Interactive Tax Assistant (ITA) – answers to several tax law questions specific to your individual circumstances
IRS Withholding Estimator – make sure the right amount of tax is withheld from your paycheck so you aren’t surprised by a big bill at tax time
Taxpayer Advocate Service – Your voice in the IRS for tax problems you can’t resolve yourself.