Kapitall, a slick new investing site for consumers and advisers, takes flight

The beta of Kapitall — an investing website intended for consumers or advisers — was launched yesterday. While advisers are unlikely to be intimidated by everything the site has to offer, the design should have some real consumer appeal: It's meant to resemble that of a gaming interface rather than that of standard, dry investing sites. On the main screen, you'll see a game-show-style wheel that takes you through a lot of what's offered on the site in an intuitive way (though the site's features should probably be a bit more prominent than they are). Each selection provides a Flash pop-up with background explanation, directions and steps to take. Tools on the site allow you to research and compare companies — the “compare-o-matic” is one such example — build portfolios, share ideas and see the latest financial news. There's a default stock ticker running along the bottom of the screen with a news ticker just above it — along with many other tools, such as the “number cruncher”for analyzing a company's financials. While it's aesthetically pleasing to look at and navigate, those signing up to use Kapitall should plan on investing some time to become familiar with its tools and how they work. While fairly intuitive, there is a lot to see and do at the site, and some might find the numerous features a bit overwhelming. The site's looks have a lot to do with the fact that Cordell Ratzlaff is Kapitall's creative director. He was head of the Mac OS X team at Apple Inc. in the 1990s. In fact, one of the first looks the public got at the site was in New York's Apple Store in SoHo in July. A company spokeswoman said in an e-mail that Kapitall will soon be announcing the launch of trading abilities for the site through a partnership with TD Ameritrade Holding Corp. These features are expected to be in place by the end of 2009. In the meantime, Kapitall users can get familiar with the tools at the site and practice trading with virtual money. To get a behind-the-scenes look at the application/site's development, visit its backstage page. For more information and to try out the site, visit Kapitall.com.