Investment

If you've never read a book about investing in the stock market, this is a great book to start with. Having read many of the authors that Jason cites, I found his distillation of their concepts quite good. Jason first teaches one how to evaluate stocks, and then what the Master Investors (e.g., Buffett, Fisher) can teach us about investing and stock selection. Jason also focuses on a book entitled "What Works on Wall Street." This book by James O'Shaughessy revolves around his study of 43 years of results from 1952-1995 contained in Standard & Poor's Compustat database. Jason's book ends with chapters to help you set up your own core portfolio utilizing the methodology he has set forth.

Bottom line: if you're looking for a thorough discussion of the Capital Asset Pricing Model or the Equity Premium, then I would look at more academic texts, but if you want a clear, user-friendly, well-researched discussion of the stock market, I would buy this book. The average 5 star review from 25 people (as of this review) is substantial evidence to this book's value.

Kelly has put together an excellent book here. In 7 chapters, he covers a breadth of knowledge that every serious or potential stock investor should be familiar with. I learned more in the week I spent reading this book, than in 6 months of listening to tips from co-workers, on-line discussions, and self-directed research.

In chapter 1, he defines all the terminology you'll encounter in stocks. In a very readable manner, he quickly covers EPS, P/E, PSR, ROE, Beta, and numerous other concepts that are useful.

In chapter 2, he describes the methods of 6 all-time top investors (including: Buffett, Lynch, O'Neil, etc.) comparing and contrasting there methods.

In chapter 3, he explores what some historic evaluations of stock growth show. This is great stuff, especially during a down market.

In chapter 4, he explains in detail the Dow Dividend Strategy. Anyone can understand this and with only 30 minutes of work per year have a relatively successful investment plan.

In chapter 5, he covers the process of choosing a broker and placing orders.

In chapter 6, he covers some of the many methods you can use to research stocks. With a ton of web-sites, newsletters, and books, Kelly's advice can save you countless hours wasting time looking for information from the wrong source.

In chapter 7, he explains his own strategy. With easy to understand worksheets and using the knowledge gained earlier in the book, he guides you into an investment plan that will suit you.

Not only is this book full of good information, but it's written in a very readable manner. I highly recommend reading this book BEFORE making another investment decision. Even if you have a broker that you like, you owe it to yourself to educate yourself with this book.

"The Neatest Little Guide to Stock Market Investing" is a great book for all investors.

This book will teach you how to analyze individual stocks. You will learn which information is important and where to go to find it.

It makes the vagaries of investing clear. It concisely covers areas such as Valuation Ratios, Growth Strategies, and Value Strategies.

No only does this book cover a wide variety of information, but it then distills it down into the best strategies for investment success.

Essentially, this is a must have book for anyone new to investing.

I've been in the industry for over seventeen years and I can tell you - this is one of the only mortgage books that really tells it like it is. If your idea of shopping for a mortgage includes picking up the local papaer or yellow pages and calling a bunch of different lenders to ask "what's your rate?", you're in trouble. Read the info on pages 113-118 to see why.

Are you serious about shopping for a mortgage? Are you ready to set aside everything you think you know? Do you want a book that really "hits the nail on the head?" This is the book for you!

Still undecided? How about this? - We like this book so much that we bought 500 copies to give to our mortgage customers.

Do yourself a favor and put this book in your cart.

My husband and I buy and restore old homes and we have always had to run the gauntlet of obtuse lenders and silly rules when it came to getting a mortgage. No longer! This book is filled with facts and information to help the consumer understand how the mortgage industry works and how to get it to work for you instead of the bank. Many thanks to Randy Johnson!

As a new Loan Officer and looking for some real world experience i'm looking for some book with some real life advise and experience that i can gain deep knowledge about mortgage.
This book give a solid foundation and in depth knowledge that i can't get from other Loan Officer in our company.
I will definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for some in depth knowledge and practical way to learn this industry and save money and time for homeowner as well as for new loan officer.

i'm getting another one because the first book is fully hightlighted.

Marcel Link has managed to encompass almost everything you'll need to know about day-trading in one incredibly well-written, highly readable and enjoyable book. Before I found it, I took seminars, accumulating dozens of notebooks, notes and video lectures, and bought countless more expensive books on the topic...but none of these taught me everything I needed to know the same way High Probability Trading did. Mr. Link expertly covers technical analysis, trading on economic indicators, devising a trading plan, managing one's emotions during trading, the importance of sufficient capital, and more -- topics rarely found in one place. I highly recommend this read to anyone serious about making money trading.

This book makes alot of sense, its not only for beginners, its for anyone who wants to be profitable. As i read different sections of the book i would realize the mistakes in my trading. The psychology section alone is better than other books written entirely on the subject. The entire book gave me advice i found to be essential and vital to trading (and i`v read many). You will want to turn to this book again and again.

Be forewarned, High Probability Trading is not a book on investing; rather, it is a book on trading, primarily from a "day-trading" point of view. However, the lessons in this book apply to trading in any time frame.

This book contains a wealth of practical knowledge in learning the disciplines involved in consistently making money over time, covering subjects such as journaling to track and analyze your results; using oscillators to improve your entry- and exit-point timing; how to properly use stops to minimize your losses; and how to develop an overall trading plan. Though the author uses TradeStation to provide charts and examples, the information can easily be applied to other products or services.

Overall, one of the best books in my financial library, and one that I should read over and over again.

This is a superb investment book. Bernstein first covers basic statistical topics and historical risk and return data for stocks, bonds and bills. He then presents a lucid discussion of portfolio theory and its applications for the small investor. The most important result of this theory is that the risk and return of a portfolio are very different from the risk and return of its constituent parts, so that adding a 'risky' asset to a portfolio can actually decrease the portfolio's overall volatility. This discussion requires only minimal mathematical background. Bernstein then takes on the controversial topic of market efficiency. He also describes stock valuation models, current valuation levels, growth and value investing, Fama and French's three factor model, the concept of the efficient frontier and numerous other important topics in finance. But the discussion throughout is very clear and understandable as well as practical. After making a compelling case for index investing with periodic rebalancing, Bernstein presents helpful Vanguard and DFA model portfolios. What the author has done is to take the most significant results from academic finance and translated them into English for the individual investor. He has done investors a great service.

I would have to agree with John Bogle's endorsement: "This is a great book!"
While Malkiel's Random Walk covers Modern Portfolio Theory, Bogle covers the virtues of index investing, and Graham, Lynch and Fisher cover individual stock selection, studies show that asset allocation alone is responsible for over 90% of a portfolio's performance in the long run. Yet asset allocation theory seems to me to be under-represented in the investment literature for non-professionals.
Bernstein's book goes a long way to correct this gap. He starts out almost too simply. Bernstein takes the reader step-by-step through a discussion of basic financial math and statistics (hitting variance and correlation coefficients in particular) as he builds the case and explanation behind asset diversification. He writes to an intelligent audience but does not assume a mathematical or financial background. I like that he encourages the reader to take a chapter at a time. He instructs the reader to finish the chapter, and then put the book down and get back to life. This adds to the methodical tone of the book: a step at a time.
In the final chapter "Odds and Ends" the author changes gears. Suddenly we are in the world of - well - odds and ends, the finer points of portfolio management. This was the most interesting part of the book for me. Here Bernstein reviews the case for index investing and - of special interest to me - value investing. What is the premium in returns for small vs. large caps, value vs. growth? Which MPT stat, P/E or P/B is the better predictor of future performance? Why is value averaging so important and yet so counter intuitive? This chapter alone was worth the price of the book.
Finally, Bernstein shares the wealth. The bibliography and recommending reading sections are terrific. This alone might be worth twice the price of the book.
In a time when we are all more intimately involved with the management of our retirement accounts, I cannot recommend this book highly enough to anyone and everyone. You cannot afford not to be familiar with the contents of this book. Highly recommended.

When you pick up this book and look through it the graphs my scare you. Don't let your math phobia kick in. William Bernstein does a great job of walking you through each chapter. In fact at the end of one of the first chapters he tells you to put the book down for a few days and just digest the information. I would rate myself as at least an investor with moderate investing knowledge. I found this book helpful and the charts held validate the points Mr. Bernstein is making. I suspect I will refer to it often when I have a guestion about investing.

Some of the previous readers may have felt that the author's examples were "fake" and "made up" but I can tell you that if you have spent years doing something less productive than that which you knew you really ought to have done, you might actually "burst into tears" in the author's office. Admitting money mistakes can be very difficult, particularly when you "intellectually" knew better.

Nonetheless, this book is energizing and encouraging. I have provided some of the charts to staff that work for me in the hopes that it will encourage them to save for their retirement early and constantly.

I read many books, and I've read many on financial investing--this one provides lots of motivation and encouragement in addition to its clear explanations and wonderfully practical advice.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book. There are other excellent books on investment and financial planning, and each individual should start with one that speaks to him or her. A book like this one explains the basics without confusing the consumer!

Best wishes on your financial fortune!

Yes, I am one of those educated, smart women that has not done much with my money, other than spend it on things I don't need! You must be thinking, "she must not be that smart afterall!" Well, I just never had anyone teach me about money, and I never was really motivated to do anything about it. For those of you who think someone else is going to take care you...don't. You need to know about your money...married or single. Reading "Smart Women Finish Rich" has changed my financial life. It contains the information for literally anyone from any walk of life to get started. This book contains forms to determine where you are at right now with debt, cash outflow, etc., and then walks you through ways to save and invest that money, resulting in a secure future. It also clearly explains all the language, basic concepts, and types of funds, retirement accounts etc. After reading this book, you really will have a much better understanding of how to control your finances, and you will NOT be intimidated again. If you read any book this year, read this one. It really will make a difference in your life!

This book is a must read! I couldn't put it down! If you want to retire and do the things you enjoy and not worry about money holding you back, buy this book NOW!

This book entertains. It is pretty well written and the characters and conflict seem authentic. The story is fluid and I give Morris credit for projecting his knowledge of the securities markets into a format that isn't pious or clinical - not an easy task.

My only problems with the book are as follows: 1) the corny dialogue, mostly between Neil and his coworker; and 2) the difficulty in reconciling the Neil character before and after he starts his trading position. They seem like two entirely different people, with two entirely different thought processes and intellects. There is just a giant leap in his actions from the beginning of the story to the end. Maybe that is Morris's point - "realizing his potential." I just found it a little difficult to grasp.

These are really nit-picks however. This book is fun to read and I congratulate Morris on an impressive first effort.

Ken Morris, a former hedge fund trader, captures the relentless pulse and attraction of being the inside man in the financial market, while at the same time maintaining a streamlined, vivid thriller about a man in the middle of treachery he can not fathom. Peter Neil becomes lured by, and then immersed in, the world of big time hedge fund trading. But as he gets caught up in a tangled web of lies and murder, he begins to become part of world he used to hate.
The book addresses intriguing questions: How can a man work in high stakes stock trading and maintain his integrity? How far will criminal elements in our society go in order to wash their money clean? And just how much of this activity is taking place in our society right now?

Morris writes about what he knows and makes the reader know and care about the world of hedge funds and stock manipulation. If you want a pulse-pounding thriller that is thoughtful and engaging, buy stock in this book.

As an investment banker I enjoy reading novels built around finance intrigue vs. lawyers, doctors or policemen. This is a very good book of a recent college grad who after the death of his mother is given an opportunity to be a hedge fund trader. In a year he goes from not wanting the job to being one of the top traders and all the internal office politics that develop.

But this is no ordinary job and he wasn't recruited based upon his intelligence. The novel starts with two deaths of people who do business with the hedge fund as well as the death of his mother. Morris weaves many different plot lines like the death of his mother, his family life and a relationship with the attorney of the hedge fund, his love life involving the daughter of the attorney, and his conflicted views of wealth.

Overlapping these story lines is a great "whodunit" as the new trader fights to learn a business and duck clues that may involve him in an elaborate scheme. I strongly recommend this book for anyone interested in a good murder mystery built around a financial world background.

Why wasn't "Money Doesn't Grow on Trees" around when I was growing up? Sure, I heard the expression plenty of times, but I didn't learn the practical values behind the words. Now thanks to Ellie Kay's wonderful new book, this fortysomething kid is finally learning the value of a buck! Although this book is geared to parents and kids, you don't have to be a parent OR a kid to glean valuable--and practical--monetary lessons from it. Thanks, Ellie, for showing me it's never too late (or too early) to learn how to handle money wisely. And thanks for making it so much fun in the process! Gotta run go set up my budget now...

Ellie Kay offers practical, creative ideas for building financial responsibility and generosity into kids. With topics like delayed gratification, discretion-building, choices and natural consequences, Money Doesn't Grow On Trees is a home-based Finance 101 course, taught the fun way! Jam packed with great quotes, age-appropriate guidelines for chores and choices, I highly recommend this book.

Brenda Waggoner, Licensed Professional Counselor

Ellie Kay has done it again. In this book Ellie lays everything out on the table when it comes to teaching your child about finances. Funny thing though, I learned a thing or two myself! Every aspect is broken down from age zero to eighteen and beyond!
I immediately applied what I had learned on my children and saw a dramatic change within one week. You must get this book along with her other books, "Shop, Save and Share" and "A Womans Guide to Family Finance". Your family will thank you later!

This well written biography of Warren Buffett is just that, a biography. Those readers seeking Mr. Buffett's investment advice need to look elsewhere. "The Warren Buffett Way" written by Hagstrom or Mr. Buffett's shareholder letter in Berkshire Hathaway's annual reports would be an excellent place to start. In this book Lowenstein descriptively documents the events that shaped Buffett's life beginning with childhood. The reader gains an in depth understanding and appreciation of Mr. Buffett's business acumen. Any disappointment that the reader encounters is probably a result of the fact that Mr. Buffett leads an exceptionally mundane life. As a result, the reader at times will feel compelled to put the book down. If you are fascinated with Mr. Buffett's ability to consistently outperform the market or are a Berkshire Hathaway shareholder this is a must read.

I honestly can't say what drove me to read this book: all I know is that at some point, I knew I had to read about Warren Buffett. So I picked this book up at a bookstore (I had not had the forethought to order it online) and was immediately thrown into the life of the Oracle.

I cannot imagine anyone reading this book and not immediately becoming a disciple of Warren Buffett. In a way, Lowenstein's biography reads like a legend - Buffett is the messiah of capitalism. Imagine having an average return on investments of 29% for one solitary year. Now imagine making that same average return for 40 years! Finally, throw out any notion that making such massive amounts of money was done deceitfully or immorally. Lowenstein helps us see Buffett not as somebody who has stolen wealth away from the masses (because if anything, he's created wealth for the masses), but as an investor - someone who recognizes value and buys into that value. It's what we do when we buy stocks or fall in love (is not love simply a statment of value?): we make investments.

Lowenstein's portrait shows us of a man who has made billions by making rational and morally correct decisions. Yes, it would seem that Buffett has an ingenious ability to understand the capital markets, but even excluding his knack for money, the bottom line which Lowenstein draws is that Warren Buffett is an avatar for human beings. This is not to say that Buffett is perfect, but we would be hardpressed to find such strength of chracter and mind in another human being. How many billionaires live in the same house they've lived in for 30 years? How many CEOs tell their shareholders that they get to decide where to the company should make its charitable donations?

Buffett stands very much as a symbol of Capitalism as an ideal, and Lowenstein paints a portrait of Buffett that beautifully illustrates a life lived under such righteous principal. As such, if you disagree with capitalistic ideals, DO NOT READ THIS BOOK!

Otherwise, maybe you'll be like me and find in Buffett an unlikely hero.

This is a superbly interesting look into the life of Mr. Buffett. In my opinion, the most fascinating reading involves Warren's early years, as he learns to craft his genius and begin his life as an allocater of capital.

It's especially puzzling that despite being a nerd, Buffett easily charms many of his class mates and others with whom he interacts. These skills were wildly successful as he went out seeking capital to launch his partnership.

I have read this book a few times, and recently took to underlining the most interesting anecdotes passages and Buffettisms. After recently finishing the book, I realized that I had practically highlighted each sentence. There are many gems within to be comptemplated

If you REALLY want to understand Buffett, ignore the "Invest Like Buffett" books out there (and there are a bunch). It is a lot more worthwhile to learn about the man, and especially his principles. This book in conjunction with his annual letters to his partners / shareholders is the best method by which a student can truly learn from the Oracle of Omaha.

I enjoyed reading this book. Ellie Kay has a unique sense of humor. Wacky, might be a good word. (She calls herself the Coupon Queen and even has a nice tiara to wear.) She stresses coupons highly, so if you live in a rural area or hate coupons, then you might want another book. She tells A LOT of humorous type stories, mostly about her family. Her lovey nicknames for her husband Bob might be irritating if you're single or just want a less nonsense- more tips type approach. She does have a lot of references towards Christianity, although I didn't find it objectionable. I was impressed with the gardening section, and the holiday section. (Christmas is about Christ anyway, so the religious overtone feels like it "belongs" there.)The book was entertaining, and could be helpful, particularly if you need help with coupons and meal planning. The last self-serving chapter, (fan letters) was odd I thought. Overall it was a good read.

With four children 10 and under, I am always trying to find ways to save money. I have just recently bought both of Ellie Kay's books and enjoy both of them tremendously! I can't wait to share what I've learned with my family and friends. I am going to recommend to everyone I know to go out and get these books. These suggestions will help out so much, especially with only one income( my husband is a SGT in the US Army) and seven people in our house. Ellie, thank you so much for sharing with others what you know about saving money!

Once again, Ellie Kay helps us learn the art of saving money. She is a
master at it! Thankfully, she helps us thru the tricks of saving money and
having fun at the same time! Her tried and true cost saving methods make
saving cash fun for all involved. You'll want to ready this book again and
again--and share it with your family and friends alike!

I bought this book because of the high ratings in Amazon. I must say that I fail to see why it deserves such high ratings.

The book introduced one central theme - look for a big volume jump when the price crosses the 150-day moving average - and was repetitive after that. The book tried to discuss chart patterns (e.g. head-shoulders) but was pretty lame. The book did not mention anything about other market indicators such as MACD, RSI, etc. Were these indicators unimportant? Were these indicators not in fashion back in 1990? I was perplexed.

If you are looking for an introduction to technical analysis, there are better tutorials out on the web than this book (just google "technical analysis"). Save your money for your next investment.

In the past 6 months, I have bought and read over 15 books on trading and investment (Van Tharp, LeBeau, Nison, Oz, O'Neill, Murphy) and this is by far one of the best books out there. At first, I was reluctant to purchase this book based on the date of publication (Pre 1990). But, as other great trading books, this one is a classic that should be in every library of technical investors/traders at an extremely affordable price.

Key points:
- Very practical, systematic and clear. Excellent communication. You don't get bored reading it.
- Sound trading system.
- Stan's stage analysis is a tremendous help to separate the stock price movement in stages. Very valuable insight.
- His stop loss explanation on both and long are extremely valuable and clear. He explained it in a step-by-step fashion. This alone can save you $$$ by locking-in your profit.
- Other excellent explanation: important chart patterns to be considered (he only selects the best ones), volume analysis, importance of Relative Strength and moving averages. What to buy, When to Buy, When to Sell, How to Short....And he separated those key processes between Traders and Investors. So, you will have a clear understanding of what to do. A step by step explanation on how you can find the A+ stocks using his "Forest to Trees" approach.
- Excellent Quiz & Answers and the end of each chapter that tremendously re-test you understanding of the important concepts.

If you're a beginner or intermediate, this book will certainly give you a huge boost in mastering chart reading as well as execution. Unlike any books that sort of short in explaining one critical area, I find Stan's book very clear and entertaining as well. It opens your eyes on what to look for in a chart.

Highly recommended!

To anyone who wants to beat the market and improve their success rate by learning and using Technical Analysis this book is a gauranteed way to get started. Its written in simple terms, has excelent examples and offers advice based on time-proven methods. Compared to other similar tomes on this subject it uses no math or formulas but relies on actual charts of stocks. The method teaches how to view price, volume and trend data so that stock picks yield winners 60 to 80% of the time and with gains (for me) 2x to 10x! It also provides lessons on the how to cut losses and how to learn the discipline of selling for maximum profit. This is a book which can (and must) be reread over and over as one gains expertise at Technical Analysis. The methods learned provide logical procedures which eliminate the hype of the stock market and turns the hype into profits. Weinstein's motto of the "Tape Tells All" is the foundation for success because it places stock action as the primary source of information over OPINION.