US investors will be able to compare and contrast executives' pay packets after the Securities and Exchange Commission launched an online tool linked to the top 500 companies.

The Executive Compensation Reader uses XBRL interactive computer language to enable comparison of the executives' salaries.

'Through its new rules and the power of interactive data, the SEC has transformed the landscape of compensation disclosure,' said chairman Christopher Cox.

'The result is quicker and better analysis, and better-informed shareholders.'

The salaries are 'tagged' using XBRL technology, and can then be compared through the reader.

The data can also be downloaded into Excel for further analysis.

For more go to www.sec.gov/xbrl

Further reading:

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