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Special Report:  Financial Times

by Lucas Everidge

The Financial Times combines rock-solid coverage of world events with thorough reporting and analysis of financial and business news.  A quick flip through the unique pink pages relates the important news of the day.  Containing fewer investigative features and human interest stories than the Wall Street Journal, it focuses on business, financial and economic issues and news with a stronger European lens. The result is a data-rich paper that is indispensible to anyone who follows business or news in Europe.

The Financial Times's first section contains important news of the day and stories that relate to politics, the economy and world markets. Recent stories include reports on the United States electric power industry, Mexican banks and the World Trade Organization. A special story questioned the ramifications of France's old bankruptcy laws.

A recent series, the FT Summer School, gives instructive illustrations on interesting subjects you would expect to pay top dollar for at a leading Business School. A story that ran in August, 2003 was titled, "New risks put scenario planning in favour" - Constructive alternative futures can be valuable to businesses that depend on balancing uncertain risks and rewards.

The Financial Times has several pages of Comment and Letters to the Editor with subjects ranging from current events to economic news, like a recent full page essay titled, "Turning Japanese? As Germany's distressed banks struggle with bad loans, US vulture funds start to circle"

The paper's back page includes the well-read Lex Column, popular with subscribers, and also available on a subscribers-only basis on the Financial Times web site.

The second section of the Financial Times comprehensively documents the important companies and markets of the day. After including a business news briefing, the paper fills the pages with pieces on business sectors and leading companies which can be found nowhere else. Recent reporting includes spotlights on companies affected by the North American blackouts, as well as the controversies swirling around executive severance packages, or golden parachutes. With articles that can range from the Westpac banks in Australia to Wells Real Estate in Atlanta, Georgia, the Financial Times displays unique ability to cover issues from around the globe.

The paper covers companies and sectors including banks, retail, health, oil and gas, real estate, telecom defense and aerospace, to name a few. Investors in today's world economy will find no better news source.

Beyond the paper, the Financial Times maintains an outstanding, well-organized website. Easy to read, may sections are available only to subscribers. Click through the banners on this page to find their latest special offers.

Currently, their two main specials are: 4 weeks risk-free for the Financial Times newspaper, and 15-day free trial to FT.com, the website.

Lucas Everidge is a business owner and entrepreneur living in Austin, Texas.