When you have your final 2012 tax information, you will need to submit it. (The Department of Education will remind you via email in the spring.) You'll be able to input your information on your own or use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool, which imports data directly from your tax return, available online (at fafsa.ed.gov) starting Feb. 3.

WSJ: Don't Delay Filing Fafsa

Advanced Digital Information, of Redmond, Washington, provides electronic data storage and retrieval.

FORBES: The hot ones

The World Wide Web, the leading information retrieval service of the Internet, now permits millions of American voters to access data about issues and candidates, allows politicians to create their own web pages for further dissemination of information, offers information on campaign contributions, and even includes "push technology, " whereby Internet users can customize the type of information they receive from Web sources.

CNN: Understanding The Role of the Media