fainancial

Having been a financial advisor for more than 30 years, it is a refreshing relief to find a book that does not focus on the monetary issues of retirement. As principal of a company that helps people "design the best years of their life" this book is an excellent primer that is also entertaining. Contrary to the sub-title there is a slowly increasing number of advisors who have an equal focus on retirement lifestyle planning as they do on pure financial planning. The style of read is "appealing." This book will encourage the baby boom generation to explore what is possible for them in retirement, to be more and to contribute more to their communities. Life Planning Matters distributes this book to its clients - it makes a great gift!

Ernie Zelinski's newest publication, entitled HOW TO RETIRE HAPPY, WILD, AND FREE (Ten Speed Press, 2004), is intended for pre-planners, retirees, and those who dream about leaving the restrictions of the daily grind. His often whimsical, yet essentially practical ideas are meant to assist in our making the best of life's pleasures. Like his very successful THE JOY OF NOT WORKING (Ten Speed Press, 2003), HOW TO RETIRE HAPPY, WILD, AND FREE is well thought out, upbeat, and a delight to read. Anyone contemplating retirement -- and I guess that means all of us -- could take a page from Zelinski's book about lifestyle considerations to make the daily activities in our new "life after work" not only full of purpose, but also full of enjoyment. This book is a primer on how the many opportunities found in retirement can help each of us be the person we always knew we were but were too busy to realize.

For some time I have been recommending THE JOY OF NOT WORKING to participants in my retirement course and attendees at my seminar, KEEP YOUR CHINS UP IN RETIREMENT: PRACTICAL WAYS TO PRE-PLAN RETIRING. To that recommendation I have now added the inspirational HOW TO RETIRE HAPPY, WILD, AND FREE.

I'd like to use the expression "right on the money" to characterize Zelinksi's suggestions, but after completing this book or any of his others, readers will know that money is not the touchstone for a comparison. As Zelinski himself tells us: "the biggest mistake you can make with your retirement planning is to concentrate only on the financial aspects" (p.2). Instead, this must-read text provides a host of realistic tips to "involve yourself in something that is vital and purposeful. Retiring happy, wild, and free means being engaged to the full level of your mental and physical ability" (p.228). Zelinksi is methodical in revealing ways for us to be so engaged.

I highly recommend that you purchase and read HOW TO RETIRE HAPPY, WILD, AND FREE. This is one book that will prepare you to keep smiling.

Anyone thinking of taking that leap into the unknown arena of being your own boss in your own business can gain a solid reality check by making an investment in Fallek's 2-volume small business ownership guide.

Like learning howto pilot an aircraft, Fallek has written this planning guide in a logically-ordered step-by-step format. The writing, using many visual aids, is clear, with simple terms that develop into action steps to make real the business principles and practices of getting into, operating, and succeeding in a small business enterprise.

This is an exceptional guide to starting up a small business. The two volumes are broken down into easy reference chapters. Within these pages are simply worded examples on everything from procedures for incorporation(general info) to tax benefits of using an accelerated depreciation schedule for business plant assets (specific info). All this range of information and links to real people and places. Buy the June 1999 Revision.

this is a neat deal! I realized that Amazon's price works to about half that of Border's for this bundle.. The only downside is that the quicken book might be of no use to someone who does not use it (like me). But, hey if you get it for free, who's complaining!

Goo

Something every parent should read. I teach at a University and this book is very helpful at reminding parents what it's like to go off to college for the first time. After reading the book parents usually feel more empowered to help their children. A perfect accompaniment to this book is Major in Success by Patrick Combs. It changes lives.

This book gives advice that will save you money, time and heartache. The book has a healthy mix of practical advice and amusing anecdotes. It will broaden your perspective, and allow you to better manage your expectations as you send your child to college

As co-founder of Human Capital Technology Inc. and active in the area of Knowledge Management, this book provides an essential history of information and knowledge management. By providing an historical perspective, the book clearly and simply explains the relationships between those who have information and those who want information and how that relationship has and continues change.

While the authors use the Investment Banking industry to make their point, the information is applicable to all areas of business. A must read for those who are concerned with the acquisition of information and the management of corporate knowledge.

Excellent book that describes the fundamental structure of the securities industry then overlays practical (and readily observable) elements of intellectual property/capital. One of the few intellectual capital books I have ever read that includes detailed analysis on J.P. Morgan, one of the all-time titans of capital.

Do not be turned off by the greek (mathematical) equations in the chapter about IPO allocations.

The authors have a very strong framework that holds up well in the real world, even in the post internet bubble world.

I especially enjoyed the chapter about the Goldman Sachs IPO and ECNs.

A must read - will leave you speechless and much wiser.

This is a tragic story of the looting of hundreds of billions of dollars of taxpayers money, money that could've gone for needed social services or other things. The government let it happen and this book tells you how.

The book was one of the best books I used throughtout my career, it's good for economist, finance people, and anybody who is in the international field in general.

This is a good study guide accompanied to the hardcopy of thetextbook Each chapter begins with specific objectives and an chapteroutline. Then all the definitiional, true and false and MC questions with easy access answers are presented. Readers can therefore quickly identify topics that are unfamilar to them and refer to the textbook for going into details.

Good for both students and busy professionals. END

This book explains and illustrates (with real world examples) how to estimate the value of financial instruments that are traded on listed securitues exchanges, as well as some that are not actively traded. The book provides valuable demonstrations of how wide range practical sources of information can be used to compute prices for commercial mortgages, private-placement bonds, mortgage-backed securities, derivatives, joint ventures, and other financial instruments. Casabona and Traficanti also provide 340 slides that expedite learning...

A useful guide for both the accounting and financial professionals who must tackle valuation on a regular basis. Casabona and Traficanti explain the basics of pricing various types of fixed income securities, equity securities, and the whole gamut of derivatives. I was particularly impressed by the fact that Casabona and Traficanti do not limit themselves to publicly traded instruments; instead, they consider both the public and the nonpublic (i.e., private) markets for securities. The book is well thought out, well organized, and easy to follow . . . I can easily see it becoming a primary resource for the accounting profession and for Boards of Directors of both issuing institutions and of the investment companies that represent the target investment market for many of the instruments discussed.

THE KISS GUIDE TO ONLINE INVESTING
By Theresa W. Carey
Reviewed by Jay Palmer

This is not a recycled collection of Theresa W. Carey's "Electronic Investor" columns for Barron's; it's a book chock-a-block with material to help novice investors morph into seasoned experts who can run their own portfolios on a home computer with confidence.

Comprehensive, copiously illustrated, and featuring an introduction penned by our own Edwin A. Finn Jr., the Kiss Guide is a road map to valuable investment know-how.

This review appeared in the December 3, 2001 issue of Barron's, and was written by Jay Palmer:

This is not a recycled collection of Theresa W. Carey's "Electronic Investor" columns for Barron's; it's a book chock-a-block with material to help novice investors morph into seasoned experts who can run their own portfolios on a home computer with confidence.

Comprehensive, copiously illustrated, and featuring an introduction penned by our own Edwin A. Finn Jr., the Kiss Guide is a road map to valuable investment know-how.

This book is an excellent learning tool for test preparation!I took a $230 course and failed the exam. I read this book andcompleted all the work in the book and passed the test easily and confidently! buy it!

Before getting this book I knew absolutely nothing about life or health insurance. After studying for 1 WEEK, I took the test and passed it. Of course I studied on average for about 7-8 hours a day and took over 100 pages of notes during that week but I was told that it would be impossible to learn all that material and pass the test in that amount of time. This book covers every detail and leaves nothing to chance. After every chapter, there is a mini-exam based on all the important information covered in that chapter, and the questions were exactly like those on the actual exam. There is even a final exam at the end of the book. Studying this book carefully, regardless of how fast or slow you want to do it, will make you 100% prepared for the exam.