T he Web can be a bottomless pit of useless information if you don’t know the right sites. We asked six of our top experts -- in fields ranging from health to investing to careers -- to tell us where they go to find what they need fast. Here are their favorite sites...

CHARLES INLANDER
Health

www.nlm.nih.gov. Useful information on food, fitness, pregnancy, drugs and more.

www.searchpointe.com. This site lets you check up on US doctors and chiropractors. You can make sure that licensing boards haven’t taken action against a particular doctor... or just find out his/her educational background and specialties.

Charles Inlander is president of People’s Medical Society, consumer health advocates, Allentown, Pennsylvania. www.peoplesmed.org. He is a faculty lecturer at Yale University School of Medicine and author of several books, including The Savvy Medical Consumer (People’s Medical Society).

LEWIS J. ALTFEST, CFP
Investing

www.morningstar.com. The free tools are among the best on the Web for mutual fund research and tracking. Some functions, such as premium membership, which includes analysis of more than 2,100 stocks and mutual funds, require a paid membership fee of $99/yr.

http://finance.yahoo.com. Yahoo! Finance will help you track your stocks and funds. It also offers information on trading by corporate insiders.

www.bondsonline.com. Top site for bond data, offering news and views on interest rates and the economy.

www.cnnfn.com. My favorite for financial news and insight.

Lewis J. Altfest, CFP, is president of the investment advisory firm L.J. Altfest & Co., and professor of finance at Pace University, both in New York City. Worth magazine named him one of the country’s leading financial planners.

STEPHANIE WINSTON
Organization

www.biztravel.com. Travel planner and organizer for busy executives. This site can help you plan your itinerary... book airline reservations... and keep track of your frequent-flier miles.

www.buy-zone.com. Everything from office supplies and furniture to business insurance and services. This site does a great job helping consumers understand their purchasing options.

www.refdesk.com. This free all-in-one reference center has links to hundreds of useful on-line research tools, from encyclopedias to US census data.

Stephanie Winston, professional organizer, is editor of Stephanie Winston’s Organized Executive, Washington, DC.

NELLA BARKLEY
Career

www.hoovers.com. Information about public and private companies. Worthwhile if you’re seeking a job or trying to do business with a specific company.

www.futurestep.com. When a potential employer lists a job that might be relevant, you are contacted.

www.careers.wsj.com. The Wall Street Journal’s career-management site includes employment news and job listings.

Nella Barkley is president of the New York City–based Crystal-Barkley Corporation, which provides career and life counseling. www.careerlife.com. She is author of The Crystal-Barkley Guide to Taking Charge of Your Career (Workman).

Linda Gassenheimer
Cooking

www.globalgourmet.com. The site of Electronic Gourmet Guide, my favorite on-line magazine.

www.ucook.com. Database of cookbooks. Search for recipes or by ingredient, region or preparation time. 99 cents per recipe.

www.epicurious.com. Web site of Bon Appetit and Gourmet.

www.starchefs.com. Recipes from famous chefs, such as Paul Prudhomme and Julia Child.

Food associations: Some of my favorite food Web sites are sponsored by associations of particular foods...

www.nppc.org. The National Pork Producers Council has recipes and advice and, of course, always recommends pork.

www.eatchicken.com. Prize-winning recipes from the National Chicken Cooking Contest. Also: Advice on food safety.

www.usapears.com. The Pear Bureau Northwest has great recipes, especially for kids.

Linda Gassenheimer is author of several books, most recently Low-Carb Meals in Minutes (Bay). Her Web site is www.herald.com/dinner.

GLENN DAILY
Insurance

www.insure.com. Covers auto, health, homeowner’s, life and small-business insurance.

www.term4sale.com. For term life insurance information and quotes in the US and Canada. Compulife, the site’s sponsor, does not sell insurance, so it is impartial.

www.immediateannuity.com. Type in your age and the size of the annuity you want, and the site gives a price.

www.longtermcareinsurance.org. A good resource from Long Term Care Insurance National Advisory Council.

www.naic.org. Links to state insurance commissioners, so you can file a complaint. Sponsored by The National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

Glenn Daily is a fee-only insurance consultant based in New York City. www.glenndaily.com