Modern business is a global affair, with information and opinion coming from a vast variety of sources. Gone are the days when a subscription to The Wall Street Journal was all you needed to keep tabs on the market. The savvy businessman now keeps his eye on a number of essential websites, each of which can offer different insight. Here are five of the most important to bookmark:

–          Forbes.com – Forbes has long been one of the most trustworthy sources for business and financial information, and their website continues that tradition of excellence. Featuring a wide array of columnists with deep wells of knowledge, Forbes is an edifying and entertaining read.

–          Fool.com – One of the biggest success stories of the early days of the internet, the Motley Fool brought investment advice to the masses with an easy-to-understand portfolio management tool and lots of information and insight.

–          Smartmoney.com – A great site for tracking the fluctuations of the market, Smartmoney.com offers hourly updates on daily trends as well as a tremendous amount of analytical work that can give investors a jump on the next day.

–          Fastcompany.com – Dedicated to tracking the breaking wave of new business, Fast Company profiles people who are expanding the marketplace of ideas around the world. If you want to see the future of competition, this is the best place to look.

–          Businessweek.com – One of the best all-around business news websites, Bloomberg Businessweek's website draws on the success and reputation of the print publication to offer unmatched access to the business world.