If you want to succeed in finance, you need a sharp mind -- and a sharp pencil. The Pentopia T2300 won't necessarily give your brains a boost, but it will help you make your points clearer. This mechanical pencil features a ballpoint pen as well as a stylus that can be used with touch-sensitive screens.

The T2300 costs about $30. Visit Pentopia on the Web (www.pentopia.com).

Sidebar: These Sites Compute

There's a bull market for Web sites that offer news about the financial scene. There are also plenty of sites that market nothing but bull. Here are some sites that add up.

Financial Job Network(www.fjn.com)

Looking for a job in finance? Look no further than this site, which lists openings in the United States and abroad. Click on a job category (actuary, auditor, controller) and get a list of all the jobs that are available.

FreeEDGAR (www.freedgar.com)

Still paying for SEC filings? This site offers free real-time filings. Set up a Watchlist, and the site will notify you by email whenever one of the companies submits a filing to the SEC.

Universal Currency Converter (www.xe.net/ucc)

At this site you can find exchange rates for currencies from more than 50 countries. And since the site is updated every minute, you'll be sure to get the most accurate rates.

CFOnet (www.cfonet.com)

"CFO" magazine online -- and then some. You can find information about conferences or jobs, and a discussion area lets you connect with other finance folks. The site also offers resources aimed at specific areas, such as accounting, tax, or technology.