I know reading corporate filings at the SEC may not be as interesting as the latest John Grisham thriller. However, smart investors know that lots of good information is contained in these filings - information that often moves stocks.

Fortunately, because of the Internet, there are lots of easy ways for investors to get their hands on these corporate filings.

One useful Web site is www.10kwizard. This Web site has an extremely user-friendly interface that allows you to obtain filings of companies of interest simply by plugging in a stock symbol. One feature I like about this site is that you can set up email alerts. When a company of interest makes a filing, 10K Wizard will automatically email you a link to the filing.

Other user-friendly sites include Free Edgar (www.freeedgar.com), as well as the SEC's own Web site - www.sec.gov.

The importance of reading corporate filings is increasing with the implementation of Regulation FD. Reg FD is a new SEC regulation that requires companies to disseminate material, nonpublic information to all market participants simultaneously. One way that companies may meet Reg FD disclosure requirements is by filing what's called a form 8-K with the SEC. These 8-K filings are must reading to stay abreast of the latest important developments at companies of interest.

Fortunately, using any of the abovementioned Web sites, you can easily obtain 8-K filings, or any other SEC filing, from companies of interest.