This just lulls many people into a false sense of security. The web, in all of its complexity, does present an opportunity to disseminate financial information of various types and indeed has helped to shape a new type of investor. Investment related or centred sites of all types are continuing to help investors see through the multi-million pound marketing campaigns and slight of hand tactics employed by investment providers. Usability, albeit for a small number of us, plays an important role in effectively demystifying investment. Investment management companies and financial portals akin to The Motley Fool and Interactive Investor in the UK are also helping to make investment available to everyone regardless of class etc, etc.
Investment decisions are often about mapping relationships between multiple sets of data.
Data which is important enough to make us buy or sell, invest or dispel. Often, and in many cases on the web there appear sets of data, but these are frequently disparate and no advantage is gained from correlation or comparison, leaving only question marks and indecision. Many companies and individuals now talk of the Empowered Investor. Individuals who don't trust companies or their investment products until they and they alone have done the research and know everything there is to know. Historically, individuals have used financial advisors - people who know the ins and outs of investment very well and can guide people through the proverbial maze, but with many taking huge profits and premiums at the cost of the investors.