1 comments about Trading Stategies for Capital Markets.

1. Benning assumes a mathematically sophisticated reader, who know little about how markets work. So he provides an education. Centred in no small way on the Efficient Market Hypothesis by Markowitz. This is the dominant theoretical framework for modelling financial markets, and whether you subscribe to it or not, you need to be well aware of it. The book suggests, based on plausible reasoning, that markets are weakly efficient. But that volatility can be greater than theoretically assumed.
   
   Another key portion of the book covers the Capital Asset Pricing Model.
   
   Black-Scholes option pricing is derived, showing the assumptions on which it was originally based. Other financial instruments are also covered. Like Collateralised Mortgage Obligation (CMO). Alas, no mention of its close relative, the Collateralised Debt Obligation, which has been much in the news in 2007. A curious omission. But the book is still well worth reading.

5 comments about Beating the Dow with Bonds: A High-Return, Low-Risk Strategy for Outperforming the Pros Even When Stocks Go South.

1. The book was not very well written, and why he felt the need to devote 70 pages describing in copious detail all 30 of the Dow stocks is beyond me. However, his 30 year zero-coupon analysis does have something going for it, and the inflation rate is a good predictor for a change in asset allocation.



2. This is one of the few stock market books from the 1990s that will be read and appreciated many years from now. While silly stuff like "Dow 36,000" & Harry Dent quickly withers away, O'Higgins advice gains credibility every day in this apparently multi-year bear market. Several web sites (beartopia dot com & others) mention this book. Perhaps the book's title should have substituted "zero coupon bonds" for the word "bonds." Do look up the authors corrected list of investment steps here at Amazon, however, do not let the slightly sloppy editing deter you from learning this powerful investment advice. The more knowledgable one is of the market, the more one appreciates O'Higgins and his two works. This book's advice works in bull and bear markets.



3. I agree with much of what has already been said as far as the amount of filler and the editorial glitches. And can anyone figure out the last chart -- table 11.1? These numbers make no sense and don't even correspond with the info on table 9.1. I began the book with some excitement but ended up feeling very uncertain about the method.



4. Having read many books on various financial subjects, this one is on my list as one of the top 10 wastes of time. In fact I am only writting this to hopefully save you time! Warning! When the reviews are from annonymous 'a reader' be suspicious!



5. Zero coupon bonds are the bonds spoken of in the book's title. Zero coupon bonds do well in falling interest rate and stable, low interest rate investing environments as we had 90% of the time from 1982 to 2004. Now is NOT the time to use this book's advice, wait until interest rates fall again (2010??).
   but it is true, by not owning any stocks O'Higgins outperformed the greatest -and longest- bull market in history.

4 comments about Becoming an Investor: Building Wealth by Investing in Stocks, Bonds, and Mutual Funds.

1. Becoming An Investor: Building Wealth By Investing In Stocks, Bonds, And Mutual Funds is a straightforward primer to the basics of conservative financial investment specifically written for the novice investor seeking to establish a profitable portfolio. From evaluating risks and ratios to diversifying to improve one's margin of safety, just about everything a beginning investor must know is included. For anyone considering putting their money to work for them, Becoming An Investor is urgently recommended, essential reading for participants in today's volatile stock and bond markets in order to help them to make the most of their risk-calculated investment activities.



2. Only available in paperback, no fancy artwork on the cover, no glowing reviews by a big time newspaper publisher, no forward by a prestigious luminary, even the editing is second rate. In a word, this is a rough book.

   However, when it comes to content, this book is loaded as the author does not include a lot of fluff or selfish stories about himself. However, the author is obviously very well read, because he includes numerous references to plently of other investing books. Some may conclude it's a value investing book, but growth investing is covered as well.

   So, what this book presents is a careful and comprehensive distillation of just about everything commonly available on the subject of investing. Also included are numerous clever stories which illustrate important investment truths and strategies and a recognition that a lot of what the mass media presents is almost worthless for somebody wishing to become an investor.




3. This excellent book is highly commended to anyone who is truly serious about investing. Peter Hupalo is a consultant and frequent columnist on money and entrepreneurship matters. With clear and convincing data to support him, Mr. Hupalo debunks many of the myths Wall Street pushes on the investing public. Author demonstrates the futility of trying to "beat the market", whether through stock picking and market timing or by following mutual funds that have shown high levels of performance in the past. After he makes a convincing case for trying to meet, rather than beat the market. Thus, Mr. Hupalo advocates investing in a diversified basket of mutual funds. The chapter on investing during retirement is particularly insightful.

   Whether or not one ultimately agrees with Mr. Hupalo's point of view, "Becoming An Investor: Building Wealth By Investing In Stocks, Bonds, And Mutual Funds" is a book, which deserves attention. Anyone wishing to base his/her investment decisions on solid methodology needs to read this book. You will have a much clearer understanding of markets, and your investment decisions will be firmly rooted in proven soil.

   I highly recommend this book for everyone.

   Alexander Petrochenkov




4. Hupalo gives you simple (good) advice to manage your money.
   
   The book is very balanced and it is aimed mainly to the educated general public. You will need only some simple algebra to understand his few valuation formulas.
   
   He writes basically about common stocks and has a chapter discussing bonds. But do not expect market timing methods. It is more directed to Investing than to Trading.
   
   Conclusion: A good place to begin learning how to manage your money. To good sense people.

1 comments about Personal Finance 101 - A Beginner's Guide: What Every High School and University Student Needs to Know About Debt, Credit, and Money!.

1. This book is a great read! It lays out the rules for having credit cards and checking accounts that I wish I had when starting out with my personal finances. I finally found out how checks are used by banks and department stores. And I like the ways to protect myself from getting my personal information ripped off and my credit ruined. And the ways to get out of financial trouble if your in it are wonderful.
   
   This book also has many ways to get free money in the form of grants for college and starting a business that I find useful. Many foundations and the government have a lot of money they give away every year. There is a lot of free money out there that I didn't even know about, like credit cards and special financing deals for cars and furniture.
   
   I always thought that a budget was about counting pennies, but I was wrong. The way to create a budget in the book is easy and makes sense. And there is a lot of good information about easy investing for the future. I loved it!

No comments about Series 7 NASD Exam: STOCK & BONDS Audio Review (Series 7 NASD Exam, 1st).

5 comments about DayTrading into the Millennium.

1. This is a five star must read for people who have been actively trading for less than a year. It is a real blueprint for learning the dos and don'ts of this profession.

   There are other excellent books on the subject, but this one is the easiest to understand and absorb.




2. I will begin by saying that just a few days ago, I was sitting here reading these book reviews just like you. This book is hyped everywhere so I decided to buy it. Unfortunately, I thought that if it sells for $60+, there must be some kind of demand for it. Well I received the book today and I already finished reading the whole thing! The book is EXTREMELY short (the print is large too) and each chapter is about 3 pages long. I don't want to bash this book, because it is a good overview for an absolute beginner. However, if you're already a fairly experienced daytrader looking to learn more, this book is not for you. The book isn't even really for daytraders.. it is just a basic overview of trading stocks in general. If you just opened up a trading account yesterday, you might find the book useful, but I'm returning it.



3. IN MY OPINION, WHICH IS WORTH LITTLE MORE THAN THE SERVER THAT THIS MUMBO-JUMBO IS SAVED ON, THIS IS A FANTASTIC BOOK FOR BEGINNERS AND INTERMEDIATE TRADERS, AND A WASTE OF TIME FOR PEOPLE LIKE ME WHO DECIDED TO TAKE THE EASY ROUTE TO TRADING SUCCESS (WHICH IS TAKING A BASEBALL BAT UPSIDE THE HEAD ABOUT FIFTY TIMES BEFORE I FIGURED WHAT I WAS DOING RIGHT AND WRONG IN THE MARKETS.

   I HAVE BEEN TRADING FOR A WHILE, AND FOUND THAT MUCH OF THE INFO IN THIS BOOK I HAD ALREADY LEARNED BY LOSING MY *SS IN THE MARKET (OOPS)...BUT HEY, WHAT'S AN EXTRA SIXTY BUCKS FOR A BOOK AT THIS STAGE :-)

   IF I HAD READ THIS BOOK A YEAR AGO, I WOULD HAVE SAVED MYSELF A NEW BMW (AND UNFORTUNATELY FOR ME IT WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN A 318I, BUT RATHER THE BIG BOAT 735...YEAH, YOU KNOW THE ONE!)

   ANYHOW, I DIGRESS. THE POINT IS THAT THIS IS A VERY GOOD FIRST YEAR BOOK ON INVESTING AND ACTIVE TRADING, AND OF LITTLE USE FOR THE WAR-BATTERED TRADER.

   IF YOU NOT YET A SEASONED VETERAN, BUY THE BOOK AND READ IT TEN TIMES. IF YOU ARE ON YOUR SECOND TOUR, SKIP THIS ONE AND READ BOTH OF JACK SCHWAGER'S BOOKS.

   HOPE THESE WORDS FROM A SARCASTIC OLD PISSER LIKE ME HELPS.

   DFD

   PS- I'M UP FOR THE YEAR, SO DON'T THINK THAT THIS OLD CODGER DOESN'T KNOW A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE GAME!




4. I found this book to be extremely light on useful information. 230 very small pages with big margins, and very few pages per chapter to use up even more space. The author, many times, will start to talk about something that makes you think, "Now this should be interesting", only to change the subject just at the point where the information could get useful. Very frustrating. Before buying any book I would seek an independent review, where you can at least be sure that the reviewer is not the writer himself.



5. I found this book to be a great introductory book into the world of Daytrading. And that is probably all you will ever get out of any book on Daytrading, just a few bits and pieces of useful information that you can use. Unfortunately for us, like most trading books, especially Daytrading books, it is overpriced.

No comments about Investing in Bankruptcies and Turnarounds: Spotting Investment Values in Distressed Businesses.

4 comments about Savings Bonds: When to Hold, When to Fold and Everything In-Between.

1. This is a completly thorough book on every type of US Savings Bonds with good advice on how to purchase them, when to purchase them, and when to redeem them as well as how to redeem them. It has good structural content, with easy to follow guidelines. It also contains addresses to send to for more information. Like any book in this field, by the time an author has it published, it has some obsolete material, but I must say I still found it very useful. The reason for my most current purchase is that I have purchesed two other copies and have given them each away as gifts.



2. This book contains more in-depth information than theinformation available from government publications or the website. Use that information and thatwebsite, but also get this book. I use the free downloadable SavingsBond Wizard from the government website, and also set up an Excelspreadsheet to keep up bond statements as outlined in this book--whichis a more effective statement to aid decision-making. Some of theissues covered in this book: don't trust your bank to know whatthey're doing / understanding interest rates / timing issues re:redemption and maturity / organizing your bonds and keeping records /recovering lost bonds / tracking your investment (using the wizardand/or a statement you develop yourself or purchase from a service) /deciding to hold or fold -- evaluating performance of your bonds /comparing savings bonds to other investment options / taxation issuesinluding estate/gift/inheritance tax issues / using savings bonds forretirement / exchanging for HH current-income bonds / purchasing /reissuing / redeeming / tax-free for higher education feature / bondsas gifts / the new I bond / forms of ownership / bonds for minors /resources. Highly recommend. END



3. Surprisingly,this book is enjoyable and easy to read. It contains information, I have not found anywhere else, that is vital to know before investing in savings bonds. If you already own savings bonds, you will benefit from reading this book before you sell them. Savings bonds are not the simple investment most people believe they are. I checked this book out from the library, but found it so valuable I am purchasing a copy for myself.



4. This book should not be sold any longer. Since it was published back in 1999 - and is now close to 5 years old - it contains a lot of mis-information. The U S Treasury Department has changed many of the rules and regulations concerning savings bonds - most notably over the past 18 months. A person purchasing this book to learn more about U S Savings Bonds will get good information, and bad information. The problem is that he/she will not know what information is good, and what information is bad. Thus, by not buying the book, the savings bond owner is probably better off. I do not challenge the idea that it is important for savings bond owners to learn all about their own collection of savings bonds. They need to know the rules and regulations, so that they can make informed, intelligent decisions about keeping or cashing in bonds - and the proper time to do it. But any printed book is not the place to find it: the information becomes obsolete too quickly. The internet is the place to find accurate, up-to-date information about savings bonds. Because any web site can be updated quickly and easily, the information presented there is more likely to be current. Because it takes the author so long to prepare the book, and then the time it takes to get it printed (published) and then put into the distribution piepline, I suggest that any book about savings bonds is already obsolete the day it becomes available for sale to the public. Furthermore, according to reliable sources who work for the Savings Bond Division of the U S Treasury Department, numerous additional changes will be forthcoming during the next 2 years. For my money, the internet is the ONLY place to find all the information that you could possibly need to know about U S Savings Bonds. Just type in "savings bonds" in any search engine.

No comments about Keys to Investing in Municipal Bonds (Barron's Business Keys).

5 comments about David Scott's Guide to Investing in Bonds (David Scott's Guide).

1. A good overview of bonds. I have been dabbling in stocks for several years but avoided bonds because I really didn't understand them. This book provides a concise and easy-to-understand description of bond investments. Even better, it is one of the least expensive books available.



2. I have read a few books in the David Scott's Guides series and find them to be very well written, with understandable terminology and examples. He's a very good teacher and doesn't assume you know all the jargon of investing. In this book he builds a solid foundation for what the various kinds of bonds are, why they are issued, how to value them, etc. All your questions are answered clearly and he includes several Web sites to visit to get more information. Buy it, keep it handy, and enjoy the overlooked (by me, anyway) world of investing in bonds.



3. I found this book an easy read and quite informative for someone who is not well versed in bonds. I had often considered bonds to be a part of my portfolio but I didn't know enough about them to make an intelligent decision. This book helped me decide how best to purchase bonds (mutual funds, closed-end investment companies, individual bonds) and what things to consider. I highly recommend the book for someone thinking about adding bonds to their investment portfolio



4. This book is written in clear, understandable English and no technical jargon. Where terms need definition or explanation, they're kept simple and concise. Where appropriate, simple examples are given.
   
   If you want to have a better understanding of bonds, the bond market and how the bond market works, this is the book!



5. There are much better choices for learning about investing in bonds. Reasonable explanations of the concepts that are covered, but some important concepts aren't included, and, ultimately, there is not enough advice contained to act upon. Disappointing.
   Data is old (e.g., federal tax rates from 2003).
   No information on bond ladders (how they work, how to build one).
   Sections on treasuries and inflation risk contain no information on, nor references to inflation protected bonds (TIPS).