If you want to be a successful investor, you need to know what you're doing. Sounds obvious, right? You might be surprised at how many people just buy companies they think are cool. To really figure out what's going on in the markets, investors have to read, read and then read some more. Here are five of the best investing-related websites to get you started.

1. Morningstar

This Chicago-based investment research company is full of essential data on mutual funds, stocks, exchange-traded funds and more. Knowledgeable experts and analysts offer their opinions on every investing topic you can imagine, and users can build and then follow their portfolios using the site's tools. If you opt for the premium service ($249.95 a year), you'll get access to additional research and advice. Read both Morningstar.com and Morningstar.ca, which covers Canadian markets.

2. Globe Investor
You can't call yourself an investor unless you read Globe Investor at least once a day. The website, run by the Globe and Mail, has a plethora of investment stories on everything from global economic news to Canadian banking information. There are also videos, blogs and columnists and tools to track your portfolio, too. Really serious investors might want to subscribe to GlobeInvestorGold for $159.99 a year to get extra features and insights.

3. Google Finance

All investors should have this site high up in their bookmarks. Google Finance's home page offers a ton of news, market information, sector summaries and the top gainers and losers, but it's the stock price charts that are really impressive. Type any company name into the search field and you'll quickly see an interactive stock chart, company-specific news, a list of officers and directors and more. It's a quick way to get vital information about various companies.

4. Investopedia
As its moniker suggests, Investopedia is an online encyclopedia about all things investing. Market newbies and veterans will find all sorts of information on stock strategies and investment ideas. There are full-length articles, but the best feature is the short descriptions of investment terms. Search "price-to-earnings ratio" or even "stock" or "bond" and you're guaranteed to learn something new.

5. Seeking Alpha

One of the most comprehensive investing sites out there is U.S.-based Seeking Alpha. Its home page is crammed with top-notch content -- their expert contributors churn out articles as quickly as they can -- but it's the "market currents" ticker, which automatically refreshes on the page, that may be the most insightful. That feature brings in content from other sites so you always get the most up-to-date investing news.

There are many, many other sites to look at, but start with these. Then simply do a Google search for "investing website" and see if what appears measures up against these five sites.

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