Managing Downside Risk in Financial Markets (With- CD-ROM) (Quantitative Finance)

Book Description

Quantitative methods have revolutionized the area of trading, regulation, risk management, portfolio construction, asset pricing and treasury activities, and governmental activity such as central banking to name but some of the applications. Downside-risk, as a quantitative method, is an accurate measurement of investment risk, because it captures the risk of not accomplishing the investor's goal.

'Downside Risk in Financial Markets' demonstrates how downside-risk can produce better results in performance measurement and asset allocation than variance modelling. Theory, as well as the practical issues involved in its implementation, is covered and the arguments put forward emphatically show the superiority of downside risk models to variance models in terms of risk measurement and decision making. Variance considers all uncertainty to be risky. Downside-risk only considers returns below that needed to accomplish the investor's goal, to be risky.

Risk is one of the biggest issues facing the financial markets today. 'Downside Risk in Financial Markets' outlines the major issues for Investment Managers and focuses on "downside-risk" as a key activity in managing risk in investment/portfolio management. Managing risk is now THE paramount topic within the financial sector and recurring losses through the 1990s has shocked financial institutions into placing much greater emphasis on risk management and control.

Free Software Enclosed
To help you implement the knowledge you will gain from reading this book, a CD is enclosed that contains free software programs that were previously only available to institutional investors under special licensing agreement to The pension Research Institute. This is our contribution to the advancement of professionalism in portfolio management.

The Forsey-Sortino model is an executable program that:
1. Runs on any PC without the need of any additional software.
2. Uses the bootstrap procedure developed by Dr. Bradley Effron at Stanford University to uncover what could have happened, instead of relying only on what did happen in the past. This is the best procedure we know of for describing the nature of uncertainty in financial markets.
3. Fits a three parameter lognormal distribution to the bootstrapped data to allow downside risk to be calculated from a continuous distribution. This improves the efficacy of the downside risk estimates.
4. Calculates upside potential and downside risk from monthly returns on any portfolio manager.
5. Calculates upside potential and downside risk from any user defined distribution.

Forsey-Sortino Source Code:
1. The source code, written in Visual Basic 5.0, is provided for institutional investors who want to add these calculations to their existing financial services.
2. No royalties are required for this source code, providing institutions inform clients of the source of these calculations. A growing number of services are now calculating downside risk in a manner that we are not comfortable with. Therefore, we want investors to know when downside risk and upside potential are calculated in accordance with the methodology described in this book.

Riddles Spreadsheet:
1. Neil Riddles, former Senior Vice President and Director of Performance Analysis at Templeton Global Advisors, now COO at Hansberger Global Advisors Inc., offers a free spreadsheet in excel format.
2. The spreadsheet calculates downside risk and upside potential relative to the returns on an index

Brings together a range of relevant material, not currently available in a single volume source
Provides practical information on how financial organisations can use downside risk techniques and technological developments to effectively manage risk in their portfolio management
Provides a rigorous theoretical underpinning for the use of downside risk techniques. This is important for the long-run acceptance of the methodology, since such arguments justify consultant's recommendations to pension funds and other plan sponsors

Customer Reviews:

Good book but software demo needs improvement........2007-09-04

This book does a good job of describing the flaws with Modern Portfolio Theory (MPT) as well as the proposed solution resulting in Post-MPT (Ch 1 and 4). The Visual Basic software demonstrates Post-MPT risk analysis of a single asset. I would have rated it a 5 if the software had demonstrated Post-MPT asset allocation among multiple assets. As it stands I have a choice of EITHER reverse engineering the software/spreadsheet and adding multiple assets OR purchasing third party software.

Not a book for the average Consumer .......2007-07-07

As a financial planner here in the midwest, I'm always looking to improve my business and the way I manage portfolios. For years I've always adhered to the capital asset pricing methods and Bill Sharpe's work in designing investment portfolios. So after looking for a better mousetrap, I found the Sortino Ratio. I was thinking this book -like many others in the investment realm- would be "dumbed-down" and written for a large scale audience----just the opposite. You better brush up on your math skills. It doesn't take you down a road of how to create/manage the risk in portfolios; it's really for large scale management. The formulas are on every other page. (I'm being facetious, but not too far fetched.) If you're a CFA or maybe a CIMA, you might want to have this on your shelf of reference materials; if you're the average planner dealing with mom and pop day-to-day issues, stick with Sharpe. (If you're a consumer looking to manage your portfolio using this book- you've got either way too much time on your hands or some real OCD issues.)(The CD included is somewhat worthless.) *I'm still going to try and develop portfolios using this method, but need a company like Morningstar to wrap it up in a software package.)

Doesnt Help Individual Investors.......2006-06-18

Like 99% of all books written on the stock market, this one does very little to help the efforts of individual investors. Rather, it is more applicable to funds and money managers, who have much different investment needs and styles. Individual investors need to understand how to determine business risk rather than liquidity risk or beta, which is usually the only kind of risk fund managers look at. Individual investors need to learn technical analysis (which fund managers do not look at typically) and they need to understand market sentiment. Finally, individual investors need to learn how to determine relative valuation--no not valuation methods that analysts go by--most of those are useless and they never consider downside risk. These are the keys to managing risk. I gave the book an average rating only because teaching risk management (and I mean practical risk management) is a very difficult task that I am not sure can be accomplished in a single book. It most certainly cannot be taught in a 270 page book. Most likely, the high price is a reflection of the audience---fund managers who pay for these expensive books with funds made by fund companies for doing nothing more than buy-and-hold.

Excellent Treatment of Risk/Return - A Must Read.......2002-12-05

Though the book is quite pricey, it delivers a wealth of information regarding various treatments of risk and return. This is not the stuff you find in most financial texts, such as outdated modern portfolio theory. In fact, the material is far beyond the old risk/return traditions of yore. Various authors each contribute a chapter including Sortino so one gets a wide range of views (I only found a few chapters irrelevant to my needs). However, the common theme throughout is, "It is high time to view risk/return in a more meaningful and practical light."

This text is not just for portfolio managers. Anyone involved in risk/return assessment will benefit from the material; though much of the book is intended for those with a mathematical slant. The material can easily be applied to discounted cash flow (DCF) financial modeling though this is not discussed in the text. In my opinion, it blows away VAR, Real Options, etc.

Book Description

Today s financial markets are characterised by a large number of participants, with different appetites for risk, different time horizons, different motivations and reactions to unexpected news. The mathematical techniques and models used in the forecasting of financial markets have therefore grown ever more sophisticated as traders, analysts and investors seek to gain an edge on their competitors. Written by leading international researchers and practitioners, this book focuses on three major themes of today s state of the art financial research: modelling with high frequency data, the information content of volatility markets, and applications of neural networks and genetic algorithms to financial time series. Forecasting Financial Markets includes empirical applications to present the very latest thinking on these complex techniques, including:

High frequency exchange rates
Intraday volatility
Autocorrelation and variance ratio tests
Conditional volatility
GARCH processes
Chaotic systems
Nonlinearity
Stochastic and EXPAR models
Artificial neural networks

Genetic algorithms

Quantitative Analysis in Financial Markets Volume I : Collected Papers of the New York University Mathematical Finance Seminar

Average customer rating:

Quantitative Analysis in Financial Markets Volume I : Collected Papers of the New York University Mathematical Finance Seminar
New York University Mathematical Finance Seminar (1995-1998)
Manufacturer: World Scientific Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Mathematics | Science | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Business & Investing | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Professional | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

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ASIN: 9810237898

Book Description

This invaluable book contains lectures presented at the Courant Institute's Mathematical Finance Seminar. The audience consisted of academics from New York University and other universities, as well as practitioners from investment banks, hedge funds and asset-management firms.

Careers in Financial Markets (Your Guide to Finding a Job in Securities and Banking)

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Careers in Financial Markets (Your Guide to Finding a Job in Securities and Banking)

Manufacturer: eFinancial Careers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000PSA598

Product Description

Careers in Financial Markets gives you the competitive edge with: 1) Sector profiles that feature descriptive overviews and trends for 21 different career paths. 2) Career profiles of professionals working in various sectors with valuable advice. 3) Tips for finding a job that is tailored to life on The Street and how to get in. 4) Industry trends to allow you to gauge who are the big players and who's hiring and who's firing. 5) Glossary and resource guides to keep you on top of the latest lingo, and highlight key publications to read and organizations to join. 6) Employer profiles which provide a snapshot of who's hiring in what areas. Gaining an edge to secure that coveted position is crucial for developing a successful career in investment banking and related fields. The decisions you make before you even go on your first interview will shape your career path and determine your chances for success.

Housing, Financial Markets and the Wider Economy (Series in Financial Economics and Quantitative Analysis)

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Housing, Financial Markets and the Wider Economy (Series in Financial Economics and Quantitative Analysis)
David Miles
Manufacturer: John Wiley & Sons
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Macroeconomics | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

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Production & Operations | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0471952109

Average customer rating:

A classic

Healthy Work: Stress, Productivity, and the Reconstruction of Working Life
Robert A. Karasek , and Tores Theorell
Manufacturer: Basic Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Health & Stress | Business Life | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
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Management | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
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Similar Items:

Handbook of Occupational Health Psychology

The Truth About Burnout: How Organizations Cause Personal Stress and What to Do About It

Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers, Third Edition

A Primer in Positive Psychology

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Fifth Edition

ASIN: 0465028977

Book Description

"Provides compelling reasons for treating the American work force as a valuable resource . . . and for looking at occupational stress as a serious social problem."--New York Times Book Review

Customer Reviews:

A classic.......2000-10-21

Healthy Work is a classic--though currently under-appreciated--work on organizations. It is a book of great breadth and richness that deserves more than one reading. Healthy Work is a "must read" for those concerned with creating healthy organizations. It describes the demand-control model, which has had a huge influence on research on work and health. The model was prompted by Karasek's concern about the consequences of demand-control imbalances in the workplace. Karasek and Theorell provide a vision of humane organizations in which employees can master challenges and experience personal growth. Healthy Work is not an easy read, but it is a "must read" for OD practitioners, OB professors, and those concerned with improving life in organizations. It challenges us to improve the "psychic prisons" in which many employees--unfortunately--spend much of their waking hours.

Book Description

The Professional Services Firm Bible is a sophisticated and comprehensive guide to running a highly productive professional services organization. Top consultants John Baschab and Jon Piot provide specific and sharply defined policies, practices and tools for each important aspect of managing the professional services firm, allowing you to assess current operations and develop a step-by-step plan for realising measurable productivity improvements. Further, the book will help you improve financial performance by managing costs, getting the most from external vendors and improving revenues.

The Professional Services Firm Bible is full of best practices, proven advice and practical techniques and includes a CD-ROM with customizable tools every professional services firm can use to achieve improvements.

Please visit www.iig1.com and www.impactinsights.com for more information on the book and top consultants John Baschab and Jon Piot.

Download Description

Spanning everything from legal firms and architects to fundraisers and dentists, the professional services industry continues to experience spectacular growth yet remains largely undocumented in business literature. Until now. The Professional Services Firm Bible is a sophisticated and comprehensive guide to running a highly productive professional services organization. Top consultants John Baschab and Jon Piot provide specific and sharply defined policies, practices and tools for each important aspect of managing the professional services firm, allowing you to assess current operations and develop a step-by-step plan for realising measurable productivity improvements. Further, the book will help you improve financial performance by managing costs, getting the most from external vendors and improving revenues.

Customer Reviews:

content usefulness (hardcopy).......2005-08-17

I have been using this book mostly as a topic-by-topic reference. In most areas I have found it very useful in that many of these topics when addressed in other books do not apply to services organizations. The topic coverage in the book is very good. I'm ordering the e-book to make it easier to find specific information. The book does a good job of pointing to the reasons services businesses can be more complex to establish and run than other types of businesses. Good focus on people issues to be addressed. It seems highly unreasonable that it is called a "bible" -- it would have been better called a "reference" or "guidebook".

No the bible.......2005-07-02

Sorry, but this is not the bible of PS. It is too superficial and very basic. There are other books on the subject tha can claim the bible title, i. e. The Business of Advising, or Maister's books.

Review for the Professional Services Firm Bible.......2005-02-24

If you operate or work at a professional services firm, this book is invaluable. After reading the review by Steve Powers in the Dallas Morning News, my interest peaked. The book touches every aspect of operating a midsize firm-from sales management and business development to writing proposals and recruiting. There is also a great CD-ROM that features diagrams, spreadsheets, checklists, and other useful resources. It is a very useful reference tool for beginners and pros alike!

Book Description

Success -- and even simple survival -- in the corporate world requires understanding how the game is played. Unfortunately, there are different games and they can be combined to form mixed or variable games. The player needs information.

Street Smarts in Corporate Corridors lays out the rules for each of the four major games: Dog Eat Dog, Team Play Time, Cover Your Butt, and One Big Happy Family. The fifty-one rules are written out in plain direct English. There are also 66 communication principles, an average of sixteen per game. Using the rules and principles, the reader will be able to figure out which game (or games) is being played in her or his organization. And then he or she will have a guide on how to succeed or at least survive in that game. The book lists the goal of the players, the motto, and reward system for each game together with a set of rules and of communication principles.

A way of sorting out which games are being played in the organization is developed, and one section of the book provides a way for readers to assess their own preferences for the games. People work better and are more comfortable if their personal style matches the games rules being followed by co-workers and the boss.

Average customer rating:
Street Smarts in Corporate Corridors: A Survival & Success Manual for Employees, Middle Managers, & Professionals
Ernie Stech
Manufacturer: Chief Mountain Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Guides | Job Hunting & Careers | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0614296188

Average customer rating:

Great Inspiration!

Best of the Bunch - but needs better Critiques

Read it for the Courage

A book for college essays?

Typos?!? It's a great book!

Essays That Worked: 50 Essays from Successful Applications to the Nation's Top Colleges

Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Job Hunting & Careers | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
College Guides | Education | Reference | Subjects | Books
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Similar Items:

100 Successful College Application Essays (Second Edition)

50 Successful Harvard Application Essays, Second Edition: What Worked for Them Can Help You Get into the College of Your Choice, 2nd Edition

Best College Admission Essays (Peterson's Best College Admission Essays)

On Writing the College Application Essay: The Key to Acceptance and the College of your Choice

A Is for Admission: The Insider's Guide to Getting into the Ivy League and Other Top Colleges

ASIN: 0449905179
Release Date: 1990-08-18

Amazon.com

This terrific collection of college-application essays would be enough to scare anyone off. But it is just as likely to inspire greatness. These are essays that admissions officers of top schools read and loved. Forget your lofty plans to abolish world hunger or your deep and meaningful tour of Europe. These successful college applicants wrote about thumb sucking, inchworms, a recipe for cranberry bread, and arguing with Dad about what to write. "Some of the best essays are about seemingly trivial things," say the editors of Essays That Worked. "By finding the profound in the mundane, a writer can tell the admissions officer more about his personality than all the teacher references ever could." This book urges you to write something that couldn't possibly have been written by anyone else--something that will cause an admissions officer to say, as one does about a piece included here, "This essay blew me away, and it still does." And finally, don't fret about how fine these essays are. "We chose fifty essays from over one hundred thousand applications." say the editors. "You've got a much better chance of getting into Harvard than getting your essay into this book." --Jane Steinberg

Book Description

"Outstanding."
THE JOURNAL OF COLLEGE ADMISSIONS
Standing out from the crowd on college applications is vital. That is why the personal essay is so important. From the thousands submitted each year, the essays in this book were named the best by admissions officers at the naton's top colleges. Some of the pieces are sad, some are serious, some are off-beat, but every essay gives a special insight into the student's personality--an insight that grades and test scores don't reveal.

Customer Reviews:

Great Inspiration!.......2002-04-27

This book does not teach you how to write an "Essay That Works," but it provides 50 examples of the different categories, approaches and subject matters that can be used in order to write a personal statement. I am a high school junior, and the thought of writing an essay that was supposed to encompass my entire personality was making me nervous, so I bought this book to see what kind of essay I should be prepared to write... now, I feel a lot more at ease. This book doesn't offer much "critique" of the essays, but it does explain why a particular essay worked or why a certain approach was successful... it also shows that ANY subject can become the subject matter of an insightful personal statement (like eating Oreo cookies, babysitting or watching an Inchworm), and it helped me brainstorm a few ideas of my own. I also recommend Harry Bauld's "On Writing The College Application Essay" as an instructional book... otherwise, "50 Essays That Worked" is all you need in order to inspire you and get you motivated.

Best of the Bunch - but needs better Critiques.......2001-03-28

I purchased 3 College Essay books (100 Successful College Application Essays, 50 Successful Harvard Application Essays, and Essays That Worked), and have the following comments... I believe that the Harvard book has the best suggestions on how to write an essay, along with the best commentary/critique. However, the essays are a bit too polished. I think for 90% of prospective college students, their essays would be more like those in and patterned like those in Essays That Worked. For varied ideas on essays, the 100 Successful book gives some good ideas, but I believe many of the essays to be subpar. I did each book to have some interesting general reading, especially if one likes "short stories"... or if one is interested in 17 & 18 year olds, and what goes thru their minds.

Read it for the Courage.......2000-12-19

Look, don't read this book to find out "what works" or "what they want". Read it for the courage to write about what you want, and to know that what you have to say has value. You can't copy the essays, you can't even expect to emmulate them, but if you can find the spirit of these essays in yourself, you too will write a successful essay. I made my paresnt read this book so they would stop freaking out over my unusual choices in essays. This book gives you permission to be creative and be yourself when writing application essays.

A book for college essays?.......2000-12-04

This book is everything that is wrong with America today! I have a little surprise for everyone: the kids that wrote these essays DID NOT read a damn book about how to write college essays. If you think your child should go to one of the "Nation's Top Colleges" then you should really trust in their abilities and have them write exactly what it is that makes them so special. This book is 100% hype and totally unhelpful and perhaps both a hindrance and a huge amount of unwanted pressure on your child. DONT BUY IT.

Typos?!? It's a great book!.......2000-10-29

I loved this book! One reviewer here complained about typos -- but the typos are there for a reason, as the book explains. (The essays are reproduced VERBATIM.) There's a good reason this book has been so successful for so many years, and it's spawned so many pale imitators. 5 stars isn't enough!

Average customer rating:

Best Investing Book I have read so far!!!

Review of Revised Editon NLG to Stock Market Investing

EXCELLENT LITTLE BOOK!!!

Great Book for Market Begginers

Great Introduction to stock market investing!

The Neatest Little Guide to Stock Market Investing (Revised Edition) (Neatest Little Guide to Stock Market Investing)
Jason Kelly
Manufacturer: Plume
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Introduction | Investing | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Stocks | Investing | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Management | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Personal Finance | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

How To Make Money In Stocks: A Winning System in Good Times or Bad, 3rd Edition

Stock Investing For Dummies (For Dummies (Business & Personal Finance))

How I Made $2,000,000 In The Stock Market

One Up On Wall Street : How To Use What You Already Know To Make Money In The Market

Intelligent Investor: A Book of Practical Counsel

ASIN: 0452284732
Release Date: 2003-12-30

Book Description

From the time of its first publication five years ago, The Neatest Little Guide to Stock Market Investing has established itself as a clear, concise, and highly effective approach to stocks and investment strategy. Since the dot.com crash and ensuing bear market, significant changes have come about in the investing world, and The Neatest Little Guide takes this into account. In this revised edition, readers will learn:

€ Strategies on how to double the Dow with one simple investment and the latest products required for this approach

€ Methods investors can use to avoid disasters such as Enron and WorldCom

€ Thoroughly updated reference lists, including new websites, new software, new brokers, and new publications

With the right information for investors to keep pace, and rooted in the principles that made it invaluable from the start, The Neatest Little Guide to Stock Market Investing is a resource that no serious investor can be without.

Customer Reviews:

Best Investing Book I have read so far!!!.......2007-10-15

AS I was looking for another book, someone left a book saying,"... if your a beginner at investing check out The Neatest Little Guide to Stock Market Investing." I am so thankful to that person, best decision of my life. If you know nothing about investing this book is for you. If your an investor and want to add a different strategy to your porfolio, check this book out.

Out of the several books I have read on the subject of investing this was not boring at all. At times, the author throws humor into this book. I love this book and can't wait to get the 2008 edition.

Review of Revised Editon NLG to Stock Market Investing.......2007-10-14

I am constantly on the lookout for books that I am comfortable sending my children to educate them about investing. Particularly with respect to managing your own portfolio rather than settling for the SP500 with mutual funds (or chasing it depending on your funds). This book is a good introduction to the language of the stock market, develops a model for stock picking, and a system to manage stocks currently invested and stocks under consideration for investing. This lays the groundwork for investing in a non-emotional way.

I can only add; I purchased a second copy for my daughter after passing on the first copy to my son with my recommendation.

EXCELLENT LITTLE BOOK!!!.......2007-10-02

If you are looking for simple and direct answers on how to invest in the stock market, then this book is for you. I also would recommend this book for anyone who wants to learn the basics but does not have the technical background needed to go deeper in financial analysis. Great book!!!

Great Book for Market Begginers.......2007-08-28

I found this book a great starting point in my investment journey. There are lots of great basioc information, yet i found the book a joy to read.

Great Introduction to stock market investing!.......2007-08-28

An easy to read introduction to stock investing! I have not yet finish it (since I just got it recently) but what I have seen so far could get someone from having no real knowledge to having a kick start about stock market investing. The great thing about the book is that the end of the book is not really the end, as there is the website, which provides even more useful articles on investing and personal finance. For those who are really interested in investing could also subscribe to the news letter that the author has put out, which has a small subscription fee but it is really nothing compared to other sites that offer similar services.

The Neatest Little Guide to Mutual Fund Investing

Average customer rating:

Simple and yet comprehensive
Gotta read this one!
This book deserves not 5 but 6 stars
It is informative, concise, and motivating.

The Neatest Little Guide to Mutual Fund Investing
Jason Kelly
Manufacturer: Plume
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Public Finance | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Mutual Funds | Investing | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0452277094

Amazon.com

The world of mutual funds can be bewildering, but finding one's way in it has become a little easier in the past few years, with the arrival of books such as Mutual Funds for Dummies . Yet even this Dummies guide, weighing in at 406 pages, can be a little intimidating. Someone should write a smaller book, readable in an hour or so, with just the basic information on how mutual funds work and how to identify and evaluate the appropriate ones.

Which is exactly what Jason Kelly has done. The Neatest Little Guide to Mutual Fund Investing is admirably brief at 131 pages. It could be used as a textbook example of how to render a complex subject in the simplest and clearest way possible. Yet nothing essential has been left out, and even experienced fund investors could benefit from this quick read. How many investors fully grasp, for example, the various measurements of a fund's riskiness? Kelly explains what to make of a fund's alpha, beta, and standard deviation, and he does it in a way that anyone can understand and use. --Barry Mitzman

Customer Reviews:

Simple and yet comprehensive.......2001-06-03

I have been reading quite a few introductory books in Mutual Fund Investing, and I found this book gave the most comprehensive coverage with minimum reading. Besides, it also gave a lot of good tips and useful references (books, magazines and web sites). If you want to get a good overview on mutual fund investment, then this book is certainly a good start.

Gotta read this one!.......1999-11-25

this book has to be the simplest and easiest to read investing book ever written. Because of its brevity and straightforward manner, it can be read by any neophyte investor in a short period of time. GOOD LUCK!

This book deserves not 5 but 6 stars.......1998-08-01

Reading this book is the easiest and most time-saving way to learn about mutual funds. If you want a quick introduction to mutual funds which is funny and to the point this book is definitely for you.

It is informative, concise, and motivating........1997-06-12

I had read many investment books prior to Mr. Kelly's and only gained a modicum of diverse knowledge regarding the structure and function of mutual funds. Because of his suggestions, I literally fired my broker--I know as much as the broker does regarding betas, alphas, deviations, etc. Indeed, a scary feeling. For those whose broker is making the profits, I highly recommend this book

The Neatest Little Guide to Do-It-Yourself Investing

Average customer rating:

Good info on resources, not so good advice
Informative for the beginners
Easy to Understand
Reasonably informed 30something investor
The Neatest Little Guide to Do-It-Yourself Investing

The Neatest Little Guide to Do-It-Yourself Investing
Jason Kelly
Manufacturer: Plume
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Investing | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Introduction | Investing | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Management | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Personal Finance | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0452282845

Book Description

Written with the trademark flair and financial expertise that have made his guides to Stock Market Investing and Mutual Funds so invaluable, Jason Kelly's The Neatest Little Guide to Do-It-Yourself Investing uses real-life success stories to show how individual investors can reduce risk and make money in any market. From thinking like an investor to creating a profitable portfolio, readers will learn everything they need to know about:

* How to cut costs by being your own full-service broker
* How consistent investing offsets the risk of roller-coaster markets
* How Behavioral Finance can keep Dr. Greed and Mr. Fear at bay
* The importance of dollar-cost investing
* The pitfalls of investment software

Plus:

* Top 7 recovery portfolio picks
* 401(k) advisor
* "Investor Tools" sections in each chapter

Featuring an in-depth look at stock market facts, fallacies, and financial faux pas, this eye-opening handbook is filled with invaluable resources to help readers overcome risk and create and maintain personal finance security.

Customer Reviews:

Good info on resources, not so good advice.......2007-10-11

Jason Kelly provides some great resources for do-it-yourself investing, in particular Investor's Business Daily and other publications. He is rightly harsh on analysts and economists, who are notoriously wrong in their predictions on the direction the market will take. However, I think some of his advice can be very harmful for your portfolio. In particular, I'm thinking of averaging down and buy and hold. If you learn just a little bit about technical analysis and trend following, which is not too difficult, you will learn how to spot trends. When a stock is trending down, why would you put more money into it? On the hope that it will go back up eventually? It may indeed go back up, but not for a long time. There are lots of examples of stocks, including IBM, GM, and many others, that lose 75% of their value and stay way down for a very long time. You need to set a sell-stop to protect your capital. Also related to the cyclicality of the market in general and individual stocks in particular, every stock goes through cycles. Again, using basic tools of technical analysis you can learn to spot trends and close your position in a stock that is trending down.

I have read several books lately about learning how to build your own trading system and investing in general, and the best ones always stress the importance of having an exit strategy, knowing when to sell. Even Warren Buffet occasionally closes a position, like his current unloading of Petro China and his dumping of his silver a few years back. Don't just blindly buy and hold. That's a losing strategy.

Give "Stan Weinstein's Secrets For Profiting in Bull and Bear Markets" a try.

Informative for the beginners.......2004-10-28

When I picked up this book and began reading, I fast realized that I already knew what Mr. Kelly was delivering. The URL's for many websites are helpful. In a nutshell, if you need help to understand dollar cost averaging, then this is the book for you. Jason also provides varying suggestions on where to come up with funds to invest in the market. This is an informative read for stock market starters.

Easy to Understand.......2002-05-25

This book is written in a way that is easy to understand for someone who is new to investing. For those familar with investing it gives some great ideas to try. Kelly resources that he recommends are all excellent. ...This book is well worth the read, I highly recommend it.

Reasonably informed 30something investor.......2002-04-08

I've read several of Jason Kelly's other titles prior to this DIY title. I have also worked in the Wall Street community as a low level hack, perhaps, but I had access to 'big gun' reports ala big name firms. Jason's writing style is head and shoulders above the rest. He grabs your interest and keeps the interest flowing from start to finish, and that's not an easy feat for someone like myself, who had been used to very dry and somewhat esoteric texts with the kind of writing one reads to fall asleep. That is definitely not the case here. I like the fact that his books are full of clear, concise and useful hints, AND there is very very little, if any, overlap from his other books. Some authors sometimes take bits and pieces from prior books to fill gaps or holes, but frankly, and I've read the Personal Investing and Stock Market books several times over, there is none of that here. I tip my hat to Jason for great style, wit and depth of information. Really quite remarkable.

The Neatest Little Guide to Do-It-Yourself Investing.......2002-04-05

Being new to the world of investing, one of the first things I bought for reference was this book. Not really knowing what to expect, I was very impressed with the wealth of information that streamed from it. As others have said, it is very easy to read, objective and entertaining. I have passed the book on to my sister who also has just begun investing on her own. I can't wait to read the next Do-It-Yourself guide from Jason.
I truly can't say enough about this great publication nor can I thank Jason enough for the skillful advice he's rendered by writing it.

Thanks,
Nolan

Average customer rating:

Very Similar

Probably the best book out there for most intermediates.

Good insurance listing

Superficial advice, save your money

Great for the financially fearful

The Neatest Little Guide to Personal Finance
Jason Kelly
Manufacturer: Plume
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Public Finance | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Financial Planning | Personal Finance | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Personal Finance | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Neatest Little Guide to Mutual Fund Investing

The Neatest Little Guide to Do-It-Yourself Investing

The Neatest Little Guide to Stock Market Investing (Revised Edition) (Neatest Little Guide to Stock Market Investing)

The Neatest Little Guide to Making Money Online (Neatest Little Guide Series)

How To Make Money In Stocks: A Winning System in Good Times or Bad, 3rd Edition

ASIN: 0452280613

Book Description

Jason Kelly's two previous books demonstrated his talent for translating the complicated jargon of Wall Street into a common language the financially fearful could understand. Now Kelly's tactics will reach an even wider audience with The Neatest Little Guide To Personal Finance. Combining friendly advice with solid expertise, Kelly's newest book provides guidance on how to figure your net worth, get out of debt, maximize your income and plan an investment strategy for retirement. He includes lessons on how to borrow money wisely, choose an IRA, and manage student loans while offering hints on selecting insurance plans, filing tax returns and financing a home. With Jason Kelly's trademark flair, The Neatest Little Guide To Personal Finance shows how sensible saving and spending can lead to peace of mind and a profitable future.

Customer Reviews:

Very Similar.......2006-10-04

His book was all to similar to another book I had read right before "Guide to Personal Finance in your 20's and 30's". The Kelly guide was almost the same, plus he made what seemed to be personal judgements about people's financial situations, whereas the other aforementioned book did not. I am young and have college loans- so what? Plus, he plugges his other books too much, which is not flattering. In any case, since I decided to keep only one finance book that I have read so far, I kept "...in your 20's and 30's" because it just stated some information without the snide remarks.

Probably the best book out there for most intermediates........2006-01-27

If you are decently knowlegeable about how to manage your money, then you probably won't need this book. If you are also totally dumb about your money, this book might be too advanced for you. This is a good book for someone who's been surviving on their money management system, but doesn't know if they know enough, like me. There are also just some very good tips in here about what types of policies are scams. The tips on how to reduce your interest rates and the statistics he presents on what ends up costing so much more is very good. This book helped me learn a lot; it might or might not do the same for you. The used book price is really cheap, so you might as well give it a try.

Good insurance listing.......1999-11-09

I was able to lower my car insurance by a few hundred dollars by calling Amica, the company recommended in this book. The other information about credit cards and bank loans made sense to me too, but will take longer to achieve a benefit. The car insurance savings were immediate, though.

Superficial advice, save your money.......1999-11-01

This book was a big waste of money. The information is so basic only a real novice would learn anything. And don't believe the positive reviews you read for Kelly's books. It's obvious he wrote them himself, since no one with a brain would praise the kind of junk he puts out.

Great for the financially fearful.......1999-03-27

I know Jason Kelly's stock book gets all the attention, but this little book about personal money and saving and stuff is really good too. I liked the stock book, but I'm so darned far in debt that I can't use it yet. So I've found this money book better for me. Maybe when I'm done paying off my debt I will be able to use his other books about investing. He's a good writer and funny too.

Book Description

There is a constant need for associations to market memberships in order to grow and to better serve their constituency.

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