Wiley-VCH - Finanz- und Anlagewesen

Extreme Weather and The Financial Markets

Oxley, Lawrence J. — 10 Feb 2012 08:18:41 +0100

The positive effects of climate change on the market Record-setting snowfall, cyclones in Australia, chronic drought in Russia, and other dramatic weather events are getting increased attention from scientists and the general public. The effects of climate change present challenges to many sectors, but also present major investing opportunities in the stock, bond, and futures markets. Extreme Weather and The Financial Markets looks at climate change from an investor's standpoint. The climate change debate is somewhat irrelevant to those in the financial industry, since we already live with more than enough extreme climate events to impact the financial markets. * To the extent that environmental scientists are correct and global climate change is real and getting worse, the more investment opportunities we have * The book presents investment ideas that will work under today's global climate condition and will become even more lucrative if global climate change continues * Written by Larry Oxley, an acclaimed author who has personally outperformed the index in the Basic Materials sectors (i.e. chemicals, metals, mining, and forest products) for each of the last five years--in both good and bad markets and throughout the global recession--in a portfolio of nearly $2 billion Focusing on the investment opportunities during dramatic weather events, Extreme Weather and The Financial Markets offers advice on how to capitalize on global climate change. [224 Seiten, Hardcover]

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Personal Finance Workbook For Dummies

Garrett, Sheryl — 10 Feb 2012 08:18:32 +0100

Hands-on tools and strategies to boost your financial fitness From analyzing assets to planning for retirement, this new edition of Personal Finance Workbook For Dummies gives you the information and resources you need to get your finances under control. Personal Finance Workbook For Dummies walks you through a private financial counseling session, using worksheets, checklists, and formulas for assessing financial health, providing for day-to-day financial management, making wise financial decisions, and investing for financial growth. * Addresses the latest changes in tax and credit laws and regulations * Strong focus on behavioral finance and how these issues impact decision-making with regard to personal money management * Tips to plan for big-ticket purchases * Expanded coverage on building and managing wealth * Information on how effective asset allocation can help reduce volatility and/or increase opportunity * Websites and ideas on how to get the most bang for your buck in everyday household expenditures From budgeting and cutting expenses to getting out of debt and planning for retirement, Personal Finance Workbook For Dummies is a solution for those looking to avoid bankruptcy as well as those looking for something to help them plan for a successful financial future. [312 Seiten, Softcover]

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The Zen of Steve Jobs

Melby, Caleb / Robinson, Michael — 1 Feb 2012 08:18:14 +0100

An illustrated depiction of Steve Jobs' friendship with Zen Buddhist Kobun Chino Otogawa and the impact it had on Jobs' career Apple cofounder Steve Jobs (1955-2011) had such an enormous impact on so many people that his life often took on aspects of myth. But much of his success was due to collaboration with designers, engineers and thinkers. The Zen of Steve Jobs tells the story of Jobs' relationship with one such person: Kobun Chino Otogawa. Kobun was a Zen Buddhist priest who emigrated to the U.S. from Japan in the early 1970s. He was an innovator, lacked appreciation for rules and was passionate about art and design. Kobun was to Buddhism as Jobs was to the computer business: a renegade and maverick. It wasn't long before the two became friends--a relationship that was not built to last. This graphic book is a reimagining of that friendship. The story moves back and forward in time, from the 1970s to 2011, but centers on the period after Jobs' exile from Apple in 1985 when he took up intensive study with Kobun. Their time together was integral to the big leaps that Apple took later on with its product design and business strategy. Told using stripped down dialogue and bold calligraphic panels, The Zen of Steve Jobs explores how Jobs might have honed his design aesthetic via Eastern religion before choosing to identify only what he needs and leave the rest behind. [80 Seiten, Softcover]

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Stochastic Methods for Pension Funds

De Volder, Pierre / Janssen, Jacques / Manca, Raimondo — 30 Jan 2012 08:18:34 +0100

The aim of this book is to fill this gap and to show how recent methods of stochastic finance can be useful for to the risk management of pension funds. Methods of optimal control will be especially developed and applied to fundamental problems such as the optimal asset allocation of the fund or the cost spreading of a pension scheme. In these various problems, financial as well as demographic risks will be addressed and modelled. [320 Seiten, Hardcover]

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Fischer Black and the Revolutionary Idea of Finance

Mehrling, Perry — 30 Jan 2012 08:18:29 +0100

The definitive story of Fischer Black, one of the greatest financial minds of all time Besides revolutionizing finance with the Black-Scholes option pricing model, Fischer Black forever changed Wall Street by developing what is now known as quantitative finance. Fischer Black and the Revolutionary Idea of Finance explores Black's intellectual journey from Harvard to the offices of ADL, from the University of Chicago to MIT, and then to Goldman Sachs. This poignant book tells the story of one man's intellectual adventure at the very center of modern finance, fully describing the birth of quantitative finance and financial engineering along the way. * Years of research and interviews with Black's business and academic associates, as well as family and friends, are distilled into a scholarly yet personal story of the formation and development of the extraordinary mind and unique character of this unassuming renegade * Black deciphered the universe of modern finance in ways that went underappreciated for many years and would have won the Nobel Prize in Economics, if not for his untimely death in 1995 * Author Perry Mehrling weaves Black's personal story with the birth of modern finance into a vignette-based business biography that captures the essence of this extraordinary man, explaining, for the first time, the ground-breaking impact Fischer Black had on the worlds of money and finance as well as world markets This compelling biography of the Einstein of Finance follows Fischer Black through his incredible career, from his transition from academia to one of the most elite of firms on Wall Street--Goldman Sachs--where he developed quantitative models that tens of thousands of professionals still use today. Fischer Black and the Revolutionary Idea of Finance demystifies this genius of finance and provides an engaging and entertaining look at a man whose life's work encapsulates modern financial theory. [400 Seiten, Softcover]

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Frontiers of Modern Asset Allocation

Kaplan, Paul D. — 30 Jan 2012 08:18:11 +0100

Innovative approaches to putting asset allocation into practice Building on more than 15 years of asset-allocation research, Paul D. Kaplan, who led the development of the methodologies behind the Morningstar Rating(TM) and the Morningstar Style Box(TM), tackles key challenges investor professionals face when putting asset-allocation theory into practice. This book addresses common issues such as: * How should asset classes be defined? * Should equities be divided into asset classes based on investment style, geography, or other factors? * Should asset classes be represented by market-cap-weighted indexes or should other principles, such as fundamental weights, be used? * How do actively managed funds fit into asset-class mixes? Kaplan also interviews industry luminaries who have greatly influenced the evolution of asset allocation, including Harry Markowitz, Roger Ibbotson, and the late Benoit Mandelbrot. Throughout the book, Kaplan explains allocation theory, creates new strategies, and corrects common misconceptions, offering original insights and analysis. He includes three appendices that put theory into action with technical details for new asset-allocation frameworks, including the next generation of portfolio construction tools, which Kaplan dubs Markowitz 2.0. [416 Seiten, Hardcover]

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Trading ETFs

Wagner, Deron — 30 Jan 2012 08:18:10 +0100

A comprehensive catalog of exchange-traded funds and insights into successful trading techniques This Second Edition of the bestselling Trading ETFs offers an updated version of the definitive guide to this vital part of the capital markets. It contains numerous new examples of the techniques that author Deron Wagner uses in selecting the most timely ETFs to trade and underscores the core insights of his trading discipline trade what you see, not what you think. Written for professionals who are using, or should be using, ETFs as an asset class within their portfolios, as well as the individual investor who wants exposure to wider sectors and geographical regions than those available elsewhere. * This revised edition of the classic resource focuses on the pros, cons, and potential pitfalls of trading the latest class of ETFs * Includes inversely correlated and leveraged ETFs and the dangers, risks, and benefits associated with each new class of ETF * Contains a refresher on the initial concept of ETF selection and new case studies on ideal entry and exit points as well as examples of real trades This thoroughly revised and updated edition offers a go-to reference for understanding exchange-traded funds. [224 Seiten, Hardcover]

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Trading Price Action Trading Ranges

Brooks, Al — 30 Jan 2012 08:18:03 +0100

The introduction to this book will be short and related only to this volume. The market is either trending or in a trading range and it is often transitioning from one to the other. When the market is transitioning from a trading range into a trend, it is breaking out. Since trends were just discussed in the first book, this second book begins with how trading ranges turn into trends, which are now familiar to the reader. It explains why breakouts form and why they end, which is always at some kind of support or resistance area. The market gets drawn quickly to these areas and because of this pull, I refer to them as magnets. As the breakout is unfolding, traders can use several mathematical techniques to measure where the trend will likely end and then begin to form a trading range, and these measured moves are discussed in detail. Once the market reaches a magnet, it then pauses and pulls back, and usually then resumes. Pullbacks are reliable setups and the book describes them and how to trade them in detail. If a pullback grows so large that it is uncertain if the trend will resume or reverse, it has become a trading range. Most markets are in trading ranges most of the time and therefore most trades that traders make are within trading ranges. Understanding them and how to trade them is critical to anyone trying to make a living as a trader. Traders need to know how to place orders to get into and out of trades and it is useful to know how to scale into and out of positions. Also, mathematics is the basis for all trading. Every trader asks himself, Will I make money if I take this trade? This means that the traders is making a statistical analysis of what he sees based on risk, reward, and probability, and understanding this math makes trading less stressful and more profitable. [624 Seiten, Hardcover]

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Behavioral Finance and Wealth Management

Pompian, Michael — 30 Jan 2012 08:17:56 +0100

The book that applies behavioral finance to the real world Understanding how to use behavioral finance theory in investing is a hot topic these days. Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman has described financial advising as a prescriptive activity whose main objective should be to guide investors to make decisions that serve their best interests. The reality? That's easier said than done. In the Second Edition of Behavioral Finance and Wealth Management, Michael Pompian takes a practical approach to the growing science of behavioral finance, and puts it to use for real investors. He applies knowledge of 20 of the most prominent individual investor biases into behaviorally-modified asset allocation decisions. Offering investors and financial advisors a self-help book, Pompian shows how to create investment strategies that leverage the latest cutting edge research into behavioral biases of individual investors. This book: * Shows investors and financial advisors how to either moderate or adapt to behavioral biases, in order to improve investment results and identifies the best practical allocation for investment portfolios. Using these two sound approaches for guiding investment decision-making, behavioral biases are incorporated into the portfolio management process * Uses updated cases studies to show investors and financial advisors how an investor's behavior can be modified to improve investment decision-making * Provides useable methods for creating behaviorally modified investment portfolios, which may help investors to reach their long term financial goals * Heightens awareness of biases so that financial decisions and resulting economic outcomes are improved * Offers advice on managing the effects of each bias in order to improve investment results This Second Edition illustrates investors' behavioral biases in detail and offers financial advisors and their clients practical advice about how to apply the science of behavioral finance to improve overall investment decision making. [352 Seiten, Hardcover]

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Risk Less and Prosper

Bodie, Zvi / Taqqu, Rachelle — 30 Jan 2012 08:17:54 +0100

A practical guide to getting personal investing right Somewhere along the way, something has gone very wrong with the way individuals save and invest. Too often, households are drawn in by promotional suggestions masquerading as impartial investment advice. Consumers get saddled with more risk than they realize. Authors Zvi Bodie and Rachelle Taqqu understand the dilemma that today's investors face, and with Risk Less and Prosper they will help you find your financial footing. Written in an accessible style, this practical guide skillfully explains why personal investing is all about you--your goals, your values and your career path. It shows how to understand investment risk and choose the particular blend of risk and safety that is right for you. And it lays out several simple yet powerful ways for small investors to cast a reliable safety net to achieve their financial goals and truly prosper. Coauthors Bodie and Taqqu challenge the myth that all investments require risk, then highlight some important risks that families often disregard when deciding where to put their money. Later, they connect the dots between investment and investor, showing us all how to grasp our own investment risk profiles and how we may use these insights to make more fitting investment choices. * Outlines a straightforward way to invest by aligning your investments with your goals and the risk levels you can bear * Provides basic investment abc's for readers who are otherwise literate * Lays out a simple, actionable plan for achieving your goals * Explains the role of risk-free assets and investment insurance in assuring that you reach your most essential goals Contrary to popular belief, investing doesn't have to be complicated. You can build wealth without taking great risks. Risk Less and Prosper will show you how to make investment decisions that will make your financial life less stressful and more profitable. [224 Seiten, Hardcover]

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Economic Warfare

Abdelnour, Ziad K. / Whittaker, Wesley A. — 25 Jan 2012 08:17:36 +0100

New insights for investors and business people looking to create wealth in the turbulent post-crisis world In a no holds barred exposé of the 2008 financial meltdown from the inside, Ziad K. Abdelnour argues that the political and financial elites have done nothing to fix the structural problems and instead have worsened the situation. But by creating more market bubbles, they are actually waging a war on the most productive members of society. For investors, business people, and entrepreneurs that need to navigate the troubled geopolitical waters of the post-crisis world, Abdelnour offers several solutions, including looking at the world anew and understanding that capital is coward. It is energy and seeks the path of least resistance, tending to flow toward stable countries that promote innovation, competition, and freer markets. * Written for investors that need to navigate the troubled geopolitical waters of the post-crisis world * Offers investment advice based on the principle that capital tends to flow to stable countries * Describes political solutions that anyone can engage in to restore freedom * The author is President and CEO of Blackhawk Partners, Inc., a private family office that has two major lines of business, private equity investments and advisory services, and physical commodities trading Compelling and persuasive, Economic Warfare reveals that wealth can be created in the new, post-crisis world, but investors need to understand that the rules of the game have changed. [256 Seiten, Hardcover]

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The Day After the Dollar Crashes

Vickers, Damon — 25 Jan 2012 08:17:35 +0100

How to profit from the events leading up to the likely collapse of the U.S. dollar Society is at a crossroads. Here at home and around the world, we are living in a manner that is absolutely, unconditionally, irrevocably unsustainable. The Day After the Dollar Crashes: A Survival Guide for the Rise of the New World Order outlines the kinds of events that could trigger a global economic collapse, describing in detail the events that are likely to occur just prior to, during, and immediately following such a total collapse. It also explains how investors can profit and support a sustainable future by anticipating social trends. * Describes what government can do now to soften the dollar's fall later * Details how to lead the charge to introduce innovations and solutions to meet the inevitable challenges of new kinds of economic forces * Reveals how to profit by changing expectations and taking action to align investments with reality The Day After the Dollar Crashes tears away the illusions generated by politicians, media, and the financial industry to show how investors can position themselves to survive and thrive in a New World Order. [208 Seiten, Softcover]

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Against the Herd

Cortes, Steve — 25 Jan 2012 08:17:33 +0100

CNBC's Fast Money Commentator Steve Cortes shows how to buck the trend and become a well-informed investor The public needs to think independently and not be duped, particularly because those who are selling their messages or promoting their ideas have a plethora of powerful media through which to do so. Against the Herd presents six contrarian views of major events that will shape the future. Steve Cortes of CNBC pulls no punches in explaining these trends. Many will find his views counterintuitive and even controversial. Some will find his forecasts alarming. But open-minded readers who are willing to heed his well-informed advice will find it illuminating, beneficial, and profitable. * Steve Cortes presents six contrarian views of major events that will shape the future for investors including the fall of China and the end of the golden era of free trade * The contrarian stances are presented because they are actionable * Reveals how these events will affect global markets and specific investments, and how and when to take advantage of these key moves Against the Herd shows you how to profit by bucking conventional wisdom and what to do to get ready when situations call for contrarian investing. [208 Seiten, Hardcover]

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Quantitative Credit Portfolio Management

Dynkin, Lev / Phelps, Bruce / Hyman, Jay / Arikan, Akin — 23 Jan 2012 08:18:17 +0100

An innovative approach to post-crash credit portfolio management Credit portfolio managers traditionally rely on fundamental research for decisions on issuer selection and sector rotation. Quantitative researchers tend to use more mathematical techniques for pricing models and to quantify credit risk and relative value. The information found here bridges these two approaches. In an intuitive and readable style, this book illustrates how quantitative techniques can help address specific questions facing today's credit managers and risk analysts. A targeted volume in the area of credit, this reliable resource contains some of the most recent and original research in this field, which addresses among other things important questions raised by the credit crisis of 2008-2009. Divided into two comprehensive parts, Quantitative Credit Portfolio Management offers essential insights into understanding the risks of corporate bonds--spread, liquidity, and Treasury yield curve risk--as well as managing corporate bond portfolios. * Presents comprehensive coverage of everything from duration time spread and liquidity cost scores to capturing the credit spread premium * Written by the number one ranked quantitative research group for four consecutive years by Institutional Investor * Provides practical answers to difficult question, including: What diversification guidelines should you adopt to protect portfolios from issuer-specific risk? Are you well-advised to sell securities downgraded below investment grade? Credit portfolio management continues to evolve, but with this book as your guide, you can gain a solid understanding of how to manage complex portfolios under dynamic events. [416 Seiten, Hardcover]

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Encyclopedia of Municipal Bonds

Mysak, Joe — 23 Jan 2012 08:17:59 +0100

An accessible reference that explores every aspect of the municipal bond market Until now, there has been no accessible encyclopedia, dictionary, nor guide to the world of municipal bonds. Comprehensive and objective, this groundbreaking volume covers the history and mechanics of the municipal market in clear and understandable terms. It covers all aspects of the market, including pricing, trading, taxation issues and yields, as well as topical events such as the financial crisis, hysteria about defaults and Chapter 9 municipal bankruptcy, fraud, and regulation. Encyclopedia of Municipal Bonds also contains entries on important historical events and provides much-needed context for this field. * Everything you ever wanted to know about municipal bonds in one comprehensive resource * Joe Mysak is the author of the Bloomberg bestseller Handbook for Muni Issuers * Demystifies the world of municipal bonds for both the novice and professional investor * Explores issues such as the Orange County bankruptcy, the Jefferson County default, the New York City financial crisis, and the surprisingly recent creation of the modern municipal market Encyclopedia of Municipal Bonds offers an essential reference guide for investors, professionals, regulators, insurers, and anyone else involved in the municipal bond market. [240 Seiten, Hardcover]

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The Handbook of Energy Trading

Fiorenzani, Stefano / Ravelli, Samuele / Edoli, Enrico — 16 Jan 2012 08:17:27 +0100

To thrive in today's booming energy trading market you need cutting-edge knowledge of the latest energy trading strategies, backed up by rigorous testing and practical application Unique in its practical approach, The Handbook of Energy Trading is your definitive guide. It provides a valuable insight into the latest strategies for trading energy--all tried and tested in maintaining a competitive advantage--illustrated with up-to-the-minute case studies from the energy sector. The handbook takes you through the key aspects of energy trading, from operational strategies and mathematical methods to practical techniques, with advice on structuring your energy trading business to optimise success in the energy market. * A unique integrated market approach by authors who combine academic theory with vast professional and practical experience * Guidance on the types of energy trading strategies and instruments and how they should be used Soaring prices and increasingly complex global markets have created an explosion in the need for robust technical knowledge in the field of energy trading, derivatives, and risk management. The Handbook of Energy Trading is essential reading for all energy trading professionals, energy traders, and risk managers, and in fact anyone who has ever asked: 'what is energy trading?' [224 Seiten, Hardcover]

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The Complete Guide to Portfolio Construction and Management

Snopek, Lukasz — 9 Jan 2012 08:18:51 +0100

In the wake of the recent financial crisis, many will agree that it is time for a fresh approach to portfolio management. The Complete Guide to Portfolio Construction and Management provides practical investment advice for building a robust, diversified portfolio. Written by a high-profile investment adviser, this book reveals a practical portfolio management framework and new approach to portfolio construction based on four key market forces: macro, fundamental, technical, and behavioural. It is an insight that takes the focus off numbers, looking instead at the role of risk and behavior in finance. As we have seen with the recent finance meltdown, traditional portfolio management techniques are flawed. Investors need to understand those flaws and learn how to incorporate risk management and behavioral finance into their asset management strategies. With a foreword by industry leader Francois-Serge L'habitant, this is your one-stop guide, with new ways for you to manage, grow and preserve your investment portfolio, even in uncertain markets. [310 Seiten, Hardcover]

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Exchange-Traded Funds For Dummies

Wild, Russell — 9 Jan 2012 08:18:35 +0100

The fast and easy way to get a handle on ETFs Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have a strong foothold in the marketplace, because they are less volatile than individual stocks, cheaper than most mutual funds, and subject to minimal taxation. But how do you use this financial product to diversify your investments in today's fast-growing and ever-changing market? Exchange-Traded Funds For Dummies shows you in plain English how to weigh your options and pick the exchange-traded fund that's right for you. It tells you everything you need to know about building a lean, mean portfolio and optimizing your profits. Plus, this updated edition covers all of the newest ETF products, providers, and strategies, as well as Commodity ETFs, Style ETFs, Country ETFs, and Inverse ETFs. * Create the stock (equity) side of your portfolio * Handle risk control, diversification, and modern portfolio theory * Manage small, large, sector, and international investments * Add bonds, REITs, and other ETFs * Invest smartly in precious metals * Work non-ETFs into your investment mix * Revamp your portfolio to fit life changes * Fund your retirement years Plus, you'll get answers to commonly asked questions about ETFs and advice on how to avoid mistakes that many investors--even the experienced ones--make. It provides forecasts of the future for ETFs and personal spending and also provides a complete list of ETFs and Web resources to assist your investment. With Exchange-Traded Funds For Dummies, you'll soon discover what makes ETFs the hottest investment on the market! [384 Seiten, Softcover]

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Handbook of Modeling High-Frequency Data in Finance

Viens, Frederi G. / Mariani, Maria C. / Florescu, Ionut — 9 Jan 2012 08:17:37 +0100

Written and edited by leading, international experts in the field, Handbook of Modeling High-Frequency Data in Finance presents cutting-edge developments in high frequency financial econometrics, spanning a diverse range of topics: stochastic modeling, statistical analysis of high-frequency data, models in econophysics, applications to the analysis of high-frequency data, and systems and complex adaptive systems in finance, among others. By using examples derived from consulting projects, current research, and course instruction, each chapter offers practitioners a systematic understanding of the recent advances in high-frequency modeling related to real-world situations. [456 Seiten, Hardcover]

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Living Thin

Magee, Antonia — 3 Jan 2012 08:18:47 +0100

Maggie Rose is 29, single and perpetually broke. With a weakness for this season's must-haves, good food and good wine, money is something that Maggie spends, not saves. But with mounting credit card debt, her job at the newspaper failing to support her lifestyle and the man of her dreams in love with someone else, Maggie finds herself desperate to tighten her belt and get a healthy relationship with her finances. With the support of her friends, some professional advice and a little thing called eBay, can Maggie change her ways and live thin? Living Thin is a funny and light-hearted tale that will help you learn how to budget, pay off debt and save money... and still have a life! [216 Seiten, Softcover]

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Essential Mathematics for Market Risk Management

Hubbert, Simon — 3 Jan 2012 08:18:41 +0100

Everything you need to know in order to manage risk effectively within your organization You cannot afford to ignore the explosion in mathematical finance in your quest to remain competitive. This exciting branch of mathematics has very direct practical implications: when a new model is tested and implemented it can have an immediate impact on the financial environment. With risk management top of the agenda for many organizations, this book is essential reading for getting to grips with the mathematical story behind the subject of financial risk management. It will take you on a journey--from the early ideas of risk quantification up to today's sophisticated models and approaches to business risk management. To help you investigate the most up-to-date, pioneering developments in modern risk management, the book presents statistical theories and shows you how to put statistical tools into action to investigate areas such as the design of mathematical models for financial volatility or calculating the value at risk for an investment portfolio. * Respected academic author Simon Hubbert is the youngest director of a financial engineering program in the U.K. He brings his industry experience to his practical approach to risk analysis * Captures the essential mathematical tools needed to explore many common risk management problems * Website with model simulations and source code enables you to put models of risk management into practice * Plunges into the world of high-risk finance and examines the crucial relationship between the risk and the potential reward of holding a portfolio of risky financial assets This book is your one-stop-shop for effective risk management. [350 Seiten, Hardcover]

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Rigged Money

Munson, Lee — 3 Jan 2012 08:18:28 +0100

Today's financial landscape and what Wall Street doesn't want you to know Rigged Money is based on one simple truth: Wall Street needs money from Main Street, not the other way around. The financial industry has convinced the general public that investing across different asset classes is the only way to protect wealth, but this is an outdated rule that no longer applies. Since asset classes--small caps, large caps, international investments, gold, and bonds--now overlap when it comes to risk and volatility parameters, the diversification effect is gone. That's exactly what Wall Street doesn't want you to know--that the rules of the game have changed. * Risk Isn't Constant: Pie charts lie when it comes to accurately describing the risk of stocks and bonds * Dividends Are No Silver Bullet: They are designed to entice investors rather than to increase a company's value or your net worth * Buy and Hold is Dead: The financial world (and all the companies and securities in it) moves too quickly and is changing too often for this theory to hold true today * Gold Is Not an Investment: Gold is today's currency of fear, and this fear is driven by escalating government debt An unflinching look at this new financial world, Lee Munson's Rigged Money arms today's investors with the simple, smart, and clear advice needed to level the playing field. [224 Seiten, Hardcover]

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Trading Price Action Trends

Brooks, Al — 3 Jan 2012 08:18:19 +0100

A practical guide to profiting from institutional trading trends The key to being a successful trader is finding a system that works and sticking with it. Author Al Brooks has done just that. By simplifying his trading system and trading only 5-minute price charts he's found a way to capture profits regardless of market direction or economic climate. His first book, Reading Price Charts Bar by Bar, offered an informative examination of his system, but it didn't allow him to get into the real nuts and bolts of the approach. Now, with this new series of books, Brooks takes you step by step through the entire process. By breaking down his trading system into its simplest pieces: institutional piggybacking or trend trading (the topic of this particular book in the series), trading ranges, and transitions or reversals, this three book series offers access to Brooks' successful methodology. Price Action Trends Bar by Bar describes in detail what individual bars and combinations of bars can tell a trader about what institutions are doing. This is critical because the key to making money in trading is to piggyback institutions and you cannot do that unless you understand what the charts are telling you about their behavior. This book will allow you to see what type of trend is unfolding, so can use techniques that are specific to that type of trend to place the right trades. * Discusses how to profit from institutional trading trends using technical analysis * Outlines a detailed and original trading approach developed over the author's successful career as an independent trader * Other books in the series include Price Action Trading Ranges Bar by Bar and Price Action Reversals Bar by Bar If you're looking to make the most of your time in today's markets the trading insights found in Price Action Trends Bar by Bar will help you achieve this goal. [480 Seiten, Hardcover]

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Someday Rich

Noonan, Timothy / Smith, Matt — 3 Jan 2012 08:17:36 +0100

Practical insights that will help financial planners and investors work better together The best investment advice and portfolio strategies are a function of the advisor knowing what to say, as well as a private investor's receptiveness to the message. But the conversation between planner and investor is never an easy one. How to Build Wealth Zones seeks to bridge this gap by proposing a more intuitive approach to understanding how to structure investment portfolios to achieve better long-term financial security objectives. Along the way, author Timothy Noonan outlines a step-by-step approach to building personal pension plans using asset-liability matching strategies and other institutional investing approaches that defined benefit plans have historically used. * Makes complex financial concepts intuitively simple for financial planners and investors * Introduces wealth zones as a more natural way for advisors and clients to converse * Proposes architecture for building investment portfolios that can meet long-term lifestyle and retirement wealth objectives * Helps eliminate the disconnect between financial planners and investors, so that realistic goals can be set and achieved The concept of wealth zones and matching investment portfolios to meet an investor's objectives makes sense. This book will show you how to put this approach to work and make the best financial decisions possible. [320 Seiten, Hardcover]

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Long-Term Secrets to Short-Term Trading

Williams, Larry R. — 3 Jan 2012 08:17:35 +0100

Hugely popular market guru updates his popular trading strategy for a post-crisis world From Larry Williams--one of the most popular and respected technical analysts of the past four decades--Long-Term Secrets to Short-Term Trading, Second Edition provides the blueprint necessary for sound and profitable short-term trading in a post-market meltdown economy. In this updated edition of the evergreen trading book, Williams shares his years of experience as a highly successful short-term trader, while highlighting the advantages and disadvantages of what can be a very fruitful yet potentially dangerous endeavor. * Offers market wisdom on a wide range of topics, including chaos, speculation, volatility breakouts, and profit patterns * Explains fundamentals such as how the market moves, the three most dominant cycles, when to exit a trade, and how to hold on to winners * Includes in-depth analysis of the most effective short-term trading strategies, as well as the author's winning technical indicators Short-term trading offers tremendous upside. At the same time, the practice is also extremely risky. Minimize your risk and maximize your opportunities for success with Larry Williams's Long-Term Secrets to Short-Term Trading, Second Edition. [312 Seiten, Hardcover]

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The Fundamentals of Municipal Bonds

SIFMA Association — 3 Jan 2012 08:17:33 +0100

The definitive new edition of the most trusted book on municipal bonds As of the end of 1998, municipal bonds, issued by state or local governments to finance public works programs, such as the building of schools, streets, and electrical grids, totaled almost $1.5 trillion in outstanding debt, a number that has only increased over time. The market for these bonds is comprised of many types of professionals--investment bankers, underwriters, traders, analysts, attorneys, rating agencies, brokers, and regulators--who are paid interest and principal according to a fixed schedule. Intended for investment professionals interested in how US municipal bonds work, The Fundamentals of Municipal Bonds, Sixth Edition explains the bond contract and recent changes in this market, providing investors with the information and tools they need to make bonds reliable parts of their portfolios. * The market is very different from when the fifth edition was published more than ten years ago, and this revision reasserts Fundamentals of Municipal Bonds as the preeminent text in the field * Explores the basics of municipal securities, including the issuers, the primary market, and the secondary market * Key areas, such as investing in bonds, credit analysis, interest rates, and regulatory and disclosure requirements, are covered in detail * This revised edition includes appendixes, a glossary, and a list of financial products related to applying the fundamentals of municipal bonds * An official book of the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA) With today's financial market in recovery and still highly volatile, investors are looking for a safe and steady way to grow their money without having to invest in stocks. The bond market has always been a safe haven, although confusing new bonds and bond funds make it increasingly difficult for unfamiliar investors to decide on the most suitable fixed income investments. [320 Seiten, Hardcover]

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Global Housing Markets

Bardhan, Ashok / Edelstein, Robert / Kroll, Cynthia (eds.) — 21 Dec 2011 08:17:25 +0100

A global look at the reasons behind the recent economic collapse, and the responses to it The speculative bubble in the housing market began to burst in the United States in 2007, and has been followed by ruptures in virtually every asset market in almost every country in the world. Each country proposed a range of policy initiatives to deal with its crisis. Policies that focused upon stabilizing the housing market formed the cornerstone of many of these proposals. This internationally focused book evaluates the genesis of the housing market bubble, the global viral contagion of the crisis, and the policy initiatives undertaken in some of the major economies of the world to counteract its disastrous affects. Unlike other books on the global crisis, this guide deals with the housing sector in addition to the financial sector of individual economies. Countries in many parts of the world were players in either the financial bubble or the housing bubble, or both, but the degree of impact, outcome, and responses varied widely. This is an appropriate time to pull together the lessons from these various experiences. * Reveals the housing crisis in the United States as the core of the meltdown * Describes the evolution of housing markets and policies in the run-up to the crisis, their impacts, and the responses in European and Asian countries * Compares experiences and linkages across countries and points to policy implications and research lessons drawn from these experiences Filled with the insights of well-known contributors with strong contacts in practice and academia, this timely guide discusses the history and evolution of the recent crisis as local to each contributor's part of the world, and examines its distinctive and common features with that of the U.S., the trajectory of its evolution, and the similarities and differences in policy response. [564 Seiten, Hardcover]

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Survival Guide for Traders

McDowell, Bennett A. — 21 Dec 2011 08:17:14 +0100

The must-have guide for anyone considering entering the exciting world of trading from home The biggest stumbling block for people looking to launch their own trading businesses from home is a failure to understand the complexities of the back office operations needed to be successful. Survival Guide for Traders is here to help. Packed with strategies for building a successful home trading business, and featuring answers to questions most up-and-coming traders would never think to ask, Survival Guide for Traders is required reading for anyone who wants to start and sustain a trading business from home. * Explains how to create a trading business plan, set up an office, implement a trading system, use margin, deal with legal and financial issues, and keep appropriate records * Examines the opportunities and challenges of handling a home-based trading business * Details the process of setting up and organizing your trading business * Includes a comprehensive Trading Business Plan Template that you can customize * Written by Bennett McDowell, a highly regarded trader and trainer of traders The book for anyone even thinking about entering the exciting world of trading, the Survival Guide for Traders offers practical solutions that anyone can use in order to build a lasting, thriving home trading business. [324 Seiten, Hardcover]

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Simple Tools and Techniques for Enterprise Risk Management

Chapman, Robert J. — 19 Dec 2011 08:19:12 +0100

Your business reputation can take years to build--and mere minutes to destroy The range of business threats is evolving rapidly but your organization can thrive and gain a competitive advantage with your business vision for enterprise risk management. Trends affecting markets--events in the global financial markets, changing technologies, environmental priorities, dependency on intellectual property--all underline how important it is to keep up to speed on the latest financial risk management practices and procedures. This popular book on enterprise risk management has been expanded and updated to include new themes and current trends for today's risk practitioner. It features up-to-date materials on new threats, lessons from the recent financial crisis, and how businesses need to protect themselves in terms of business interruption, security, project and reputational risk management. Project risk management is now a mature discipline with an international standard for its implementation. This book reinforces that project risk management needs to be systematic, but also that it must be embedded to become part of an organization's DNA. This book promotes techniques that will help you implement a methodical and broad approach to risk management. * The author is a well-known expert and boasts a wealth of experience in project and enterprise risk management * Easy-to-navigate structure breaks down the risk management process into stages to aid implementation * Examines the external influences that bring sources of business risk that are beyond your control * Provides a handy chapter with tips for commissioning consultants for business risk management services It is a business imperative to have a clear vision for risk management. Simple Tools and Techniques for Enterprise Risk Management, Second Edition shows you the way. [676 Seiten, Hardcover]

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Crash Proof 2.0

Schiff, Peter D. / Downes, John — 19 Dec 2011 08:19:02 +0100

A fully updated follow-up to Peter Schiff's bestselling financial survival guide-Crash Proof, which described the economy as a house of cards on the verge of collapse, with over 80 pages of new material The economic and monetary disaster which seasoned prognosticator Peter Schiff predicted is no longer hypothetical-it is here today. And nobody understands what to do in this situation better than the man who saw it coming. For more than a decade, Schiff has not only observed the economy, but also helped his clients restructure their portfolios to reflect his outlook. What he sees today is a nation facing an economic storm brought on by growing federal, personal, and corporate debt; too little savings; and a declining dollar. Crash Proof 2.0 picks up right where the first edition-a bestselling book that predicted the current market mayhem-left off. This timely guide takes into account the dramatic economic shifts that are reshaping the world and provides you with the insights and information to navigate the dangerous terrain. Throughout the book, Schiff explains the factors that will affect your future financial stability and offers a specific three step plan to battle the current economic downturn. * Discusses the measures you can take to protect yourself-as well as profit-during these difficult times * Offers an insightful examination of the structural weaknesses underlying the economic meltdown * Outlines a plan that will allow you to preserve wealth and protect the purchasing power of your savings * Filled with in-depth insights and expert advice, Crash Proof 2.0 will help you survive and thrive during the coming years of economic uncertainty. [360 Seiten, Softcover]

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Stop the Investing Rip-off

Loeper, David B. — 19 Dec 2011 08:18:57 +0100

The questions every investor should ask before parting with their hard-earned cash This book serves as an advocate of the consumer and brings to light what insiders know about the side of the sales pitches that consumers don't, but need to hear. Stop the Investing Rip-Off reveals the questions every investor should ask during a financial sales pitch before they pull the trigger and buy the next mutual fund, stock, advisory service, or other investment product. Based on David Loeper's nearly twenty-five years of experience of seeing the inner workings of the industry, this updated edition of his classic book offers new strategies based on the performance of the stock market over the past two years. * Sheds light on the oft unseen deceit of the financial services industry * An updated and revised edition of the bestselling Stop the Investing Rip-Off * Written by David Loeper who is regularly quoted in Kiplinger's Money and Investment News and regularity contributes to Forbes Intelligent Investing Stop the Investing Rip-Off, Revised and Updated is filled with advice for investors who want to avoid becoming victims of smooth talking salespeople and the effective advertising and marketing campaigns designed to evade reality and prey on your emotional desires. [198 Seiten, Softcover]

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Stop the Retirement Rip-off

Loeper, David B. — 19 Dec 2011 08:18:56 +0100

A detailed guide for avoiding the pitfalls of retirement funding In Stop the Retirement Rip-Off, author David Loeper provides the necessary tools for investors to take action and make the most of their retirement plans. It offers a road map for employees to understand the fees and costs associated with their plans; document the excesses in a presentation to management; then organize themselves to protest and, if necessary, bring the documentation to the Labor Department in a complaint. Written in a straightforward and accessible style, this book is filled with sensible strategies for making the most of retirement funds and putting future retirees back on the right financial track. * Filled with strategies that can help employees stand up and secure their financial future * Addresses how to make the most of your money, and your life, after fixing your retirement plan * Outlines a practical approach to understanding your organization's retirement plan and overcoming its potential inefficiencies This important book contains the much-needed information that employees need to plan for retirement and ensure a secure financial future. [222 Seiten, Softcover]

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Leverage

Denninger, Karl — 19 Dec 2011 08:18:53 +0100

How the wealthy and powerful abuse finance to skim immense profits Debasement of the dollar as a result of ill-use of leverage is destroying the global economy, and in Leverage, well known market commentator Karl Denninger follows the path of money throughout history to prove that currencies are debased when moneyed and powerful interests pull the levers of government and policy to enrich themselves at the expense of the masses. The result is ugly: the value of everything--including gold--falls, and even personal safety is at risk in a world where there is limited money even for essentials like food and fuel. History is littered with the collapse of monetary and economic systems from Rome to Germany to Zimbabwe. * Presents an inside look at how moneyed and powerful interests debase the dollar through the willful and intentional failure to honestly represent short and long-term mathematical truths that underlie all economic systems * Shows how, if imbalances are not corrected, financial crises will reoccur again and again * Authored by Karl Denninger, who has been running the popular website The Market Ticker since 2007 [206 Seiten, Hardcover]

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How to Speak Money

Velshi, Ali / Romans, Christine — 19 Dec 2011 08:18:51 +0100

Do you speak money? You should. It is the world's most important language. It's spoken everywhere. Speaking--or at least understanding--this language allows you to follow the real conversations in politics, business, and at work. Understanding money and speaking the language fluently is critical to preparing for a comfortable retirement, building a small business, planning for college and a career for your children. Everyone speaks it differently, with different dialects. Some are riskier than others. Some want to save their money; others want to see it grow. There is no one accent, but understanding the differences will make couples, business partners, and coworkers happier--and wealthier. Authors and CNN financial experts Ali Velshi and Christine Romans speak the global language of money and translate it every day for hundreds of thousands of viewers. And they are here to teach you, too. It's easier to learn than you might think. Speaking money affects every area of your life. It's more than simply your savings or the investments you may have. It involves the way you think about money, the way you teach your children about it, and the way you were taught about it yourself. It's about the way you spend it, save it, invest it, use it, need it and want it. The book will: * Shed light on the male and female spending and investing disparity * Discuss emerging international economies * Weigh the financial hurdle of student debt culminating in a successful job * Explain how to budget wisely and build wealth * Show how to plan appropriately for retirement How to Speak Money is an easy-to-read, practical book that helps readers become fluent in the world's most universal language. [190 Seiten, Hardcover]

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Commodity Trader's Almanac 2012

Hirsch, Jeffrey A. / Person, John L. — 19 Dec 2011 08:18:36 +0100

An indispensable resource for today's active commodity, currency, futures, and ETF trader In the 2012 Edition of the Commodity Trader's Almanac, Jeffrey Hirsch once again teams up with veteran trader John Person to create an essential tool for both professional traders and those just getting started, to help them understand the complex and exciting world of alternatives. Created in a similar fashion to the Stock Trader's Almanac--trusted for over 40 years--the Commodity Trader's Almanac is a comprehensive guide featuring monthly strategies, patterns, trends, and trading techniques geared towards the major commodities and currencies, as well as ETFs, futures, and options. It also contains in-depth insights on various topics of interest to the active trader and investing public; as well as market highlights that cover key supply, demand, and seasonal tendencies on markets including crude oil, ethanol, and precious metals; critical agricultural products such as corn, wheat, and cattle; and foreign currencies like the British pound and the Euro. The Commodity Trader's Almanac also describes how investors can utilize futures, options, and ETFs in their endeavors. * Helps you understand how commodity pricing works and offers great insight into investing in them * Alerts you to little-known market patterns and tendencies to help forecast commodity market trends with accuracy and confidence * Contains expanded coverage on timing tools with tips on utilizing candlesticks and pivot points to better time seasonal trades, and more * Includes business cycle analysis and trading tips for the current climate Intended for active traders and investors interested in making the most out of today's commodity, ETF, futures, options, and currencies markets, this guide will make you a better trade in the search for greater profits. [192 Seiten, Hardcover]

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Trading Binary Options

Cofnas, Abe — 19 Dec 2011 08:17:50 +0100

An essential guide to the fast growing area of binary options Long the province of professional traders, binary options are now offered to retail investors through the North American Derivative Exchange (Nadex) and a growing group of online brokerages. Now, with this new book, author Abe Cofnas explains how independent traders and investors can use binary options to speculate on price movements and global events. The great appeal of binary options is that they are less complex than conventional options and provide a simple method to trade based on an opinion of where the market is headed over a certain period of time. Engaging and informative, this reliable guide reveals how binary options work, what are the best binary options trading strategies, and when to use them. * Identifies the various markets in which binaries are available * Offers insights on how binary options allow for opportunities to speculate on the direction of a market and receive a substantial payout * Provides suggestions as to which markets provide the best liquidity and lowest trade execution expenses As the first book solely devoted to this topic, Binary Options will provide retail traders with an authoritative guide to trading this exciting new market. [256 Seiten, Hardcover]

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Fixed Income Securities

Tuckman, Bruce — 19 Dec 2011 08:17:42 +0100

Newly created fixed income securities and traditional ones alike are topics of concern for students looking towards a career in finance. This fully updated and revised University Edition of Fixed Income Securities provides the most advanced thinking in this field and comprehensively shows how to value the complete universe of fixed income securities. Readers will come away with invaluable knowledge of this topic after using Fixed Income Securities, Third Edition as their learning tool. [634 Seiten, Softcover]

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The Little Book of Stock Market Profits

Zacks, Mitch — 19 Dec 2011 08:17:40 +0100

A timely guide to making the best investment strategies even better A wide variety of strategies have been identified over the years, which purportedly outperform the stock market. Some of these include buying undervalued stocks while others rely on technical analysis techniques. It's fair to say no one method is fool proof and most go through both up and down periods. The challenge for an investor is picking the right method at the right time. The Little Book of Stock Market Profits shows you how to achieve this elusive goal and make the most of your time in today's markets. Written by Mitch Zacks, Senior Portfolio Manager of Zacks Investment Management, this latest title in the Little Book series reveals stock market strategies that really work and then shows you how they can be made even better. It skillfully highlights earnings-based investing strategies, the hallmark of the Zacks process, but it also identifies strategies based on valuations, seasonal patterns and price momentum. Specifically, the book: * Identifies stock market investment strategies that work, those that don't, and what it takes for an individual investor to truly succeed in today's dynamic market * Discusses how the performance of each strategy examined can be improved by combining into them into a multifactor approach * Gives investors a clear path to integrating the best investment strategies of all time into their own personal portfolio By following the investment wisdom described here, you'll quickly discover how to consistently capture extraordinary investment results as you outperform the overall stock market by wide margins. [204 Seiten, Hardcover]

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The Investment Checklist

Shearn, Michael — 19 Dec 2011 08:17:39 +0100

A practical guide to making more informed investment decisions Investors often buy or sell stocks too quickly. When you base your purchase decisions on isolated facts and don't take the time to thoroughly understand the businesses you are buying, stock-price swings and third-party opinion can lead to costly investment mistakes. Your decision making at this point becomes dangerous because it is dominated by emotions. The Investment Checklist has been designed to help you develop an in-depth research process, from generating and researching investment ideas to assessing the quality of a business and its management team. The purpose of The Investment Checklist is to help you implement a principled investing strategy through a series of checklists. In it, a thorough and comprehensive research process is made simpler through the use of straightforward checklists that will allow you to identify quality investment opportunities. Each chapter contains detailed demonstrations of how and where to find the information necessary to answer fundamental questions about investment opportunities. Real-world examples of how investment managers and CEOs apply these universal principles are also included and help bring the concepts to life. These checklists will help you consider a fuller range of possibilities in your investment strategy, enhance your ability to value your investments by giving you a holistic view of the business and each of its moving parts, identify the risks you are taking, and much more. * Offers valuable insights into one of the most important aspects of successful investing, in-depth research * Written in an accessible style that allows aspiring investors to easily understand and apply the concepts covered * Discusses how to think through your investment decisions more carefully With The Investment Checklist, you'll quickly be able to ascertain how well you understand your investments by the questions you are able to answer, or not answer, without making the costly mistakes that usually hinder other investors. [364 Seiten, Hardcover]

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Fixed Income Securities

Tuckman, Bruce / Serrat, Angel — 19 Dec 2011 08:17:38 +0100

Fixed income practitioners need to understand the conceptual frameworks of their field; to master its quantitative tool-kit; and to be well-versed in its cash-flow and pricing conventions. Fixed Income Securities, Third Edition by Bruce Tuckman and Angel Serrat is designed to balance these three objectives. The book presents theory without unnecessary abstraction; quantitative techniques with a minimum of mathematics; and conventions at a useful level of detail. The book begins with an overview of global fixed income markets and continues with the fundamentals, namely, arbitrage pricing, interest rates, risk metrics, and term structure models to price contingent claims. Subsequent chapters cover individual markets and securities: repo, rate and bond forwards and futures, interest rate and basis swaps, credit markets, fixed income options, and mortgage-backed-securities. Fixed Income Securities, Third Edition is full of examples, applications, and case studies. Practically every quantitative concept is illustrated through real market data. This practice-oriented approach makes the book particularly useful for the working professional. This third edition is a considerable revision and expansion of the second. Most examples have been updated. The chapters on fixed income options and mortgage-backed securities have been considerably expanded to include a broader range of securities and valuation methodologies. Also, three new chapters have been added: the global overview of fixed income markets; a chapter on corporate bonds and credit default swaps; and a chapter on discounting with bases, which is the foundation for the relatively recent practice of discounting swap cash flows with curves based on money market rates. [FOR THE UNIVERSITY EDITION] This university edition includes problems which students can use to test and enhance their understanding of the text. [620 Seiten, Hardcover]

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Institutional Money Management

Shawky, Hany A. / Smith, David M. — 19 Dec 2011 08:17:26 +0100

An informative look at institutional investment management methods and practice The policies, practices, and decisions of institutional investment managers worldwide affect the economic health of not only the institutions themselves, but of countless individual clients as well. Overall, this area of finance has great impact on the capital markets. Filled with in-depth insights and practical advice, Institutional Money Management is an important basis of knowledge regarding both the theory and practice of this ever-evolving area of finance. Part of the Robert W. Kolb Series in Finance, this book on institutional investment management showcases contributed chapters from professional and academic experts in banking, insurance companies, mutual funds, pension funds, and endowments. It brings together luminaries such as Martin Leibowitz, Steven Schoenfeld, Jonathan Stokes, and Don Chance, among many others. Along the way, issues covered included everything from the role of institutional investors within the financial system and the structures that have emerged and evolved to industry standards of ethical practice and investment performance presentation. * Provides a detailed examination of the objectives, constraints, methods, and stakeholders for the dominant types of institutional investors * Focuses on the portfolio management strategies and techniques used by institutional investors * Contains contributed chapters from numerous thought-leaders in the field of finance The practice of institutional investment management presents a diverse set of challenges. But with this book as your guide, you'll gain a better understanding of how you can overcome these challenges and manage your portfolio more effectively. [416 Seiten, Hardcover]

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The Number That Killed Us

Triana, Pablo — 19 Dec 2011 08:17:19 +0100

A critical look at the risk measurement tool that has repeatedly hurt the financial world The Number That Killed Us finally tells the greatest story never told: how a mysterious financial risk measurement model has ruled the world for the past two decades and how it has repeatedly, and severely, caused market, economic, and social turmoil. This model was the key factor behind the unleashing of the cataclysmic credit crisis that erupted in 2007 and which the effects are still being felt around the world. The Number That Killed Us is the first and only book to thoroughly explain this hitherto-uncovered phenomenon, making it the key reference for truly understanding why the malaise took place. The very number financial institutions and regulators use to measure risk (Vale at Risk/VaR) has masked it, allowing firms to leverage up their speculative bets to unimaginable levels. VaR sanctioned and allowed the monstrously geared toxic punts that sank Wall Street, and the world, during the latest crisis. We can confidently say that VaR was the culprit. In The Number That Killed Us, derivatives expert Pablo Triana takes you through the development of VaR and shows how its inevitable structural flaws allowed banks to take on even greater risks. The precise role of VaR in igniting the latest crisis is thoroughly covered, including in-depth analysis of how and why regulators, by falling in love with the tool, condemned us to chaos. Uncritically embraced worldwide for way too long, VaR is, in the face of such destruction, just starting to be examined as problematic, and in this book Triana (long an open critic of the tool's role in encouraging mayhem) uncovers exactly why it makes our financial world a more dangerous place. If we care for our safety, we should let VaR go. * Contains controversial analysis of the hotly debated risk metric Value at Risk (VaR) and its central role in the credit crisis * Denounces the role of regulators and academics in forcing the presence of the inevitably malfunctioning in financeland * Describes how bonus-hungry traders can use VaR as an alibi to take on the most reckless of bets * Reveals how the most recent financial crisis will simply repeat itself if the problems behind VaR are not unmasked * Pablo Triana is also the author of Lecturing Birds on Flying The very risk measurement tool that was intended to contain risk allowed financial firms to blindly take on more. The model that was supposed to save us condemned us to misery. The Number That Killed Us reveals how this has happened and what needs to be done to correct the situation. [304 Seiten, Hardcover]

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Understanding Oil Prices

Carollo, Salvatore — 12 Dec 2011 08:18:28 +0100

Oil prices have seen massive fluctuation over the past 10 years, with price per barrel growing from $9 to $140. More recently, we have seen fluctuation from $140 to $37/barrel, and back up to $120 - all in a matter of months. But why? It is still a popular belief that OPEC can affect the price of oil by regulating the volume of production and using this key raw material for their political aims, but the reality is quite different. In the last decade, despite a constant potential surplus of crude in the markets, we have seen the prices fluctuating dramatically with no apparent logic. Starting from the Chernobyl accident and the Clean Air Act implementation in the US, structural changes within the oil industry have modified the dynamics of oil prices. The existing technological refining system is no longer adequate to transform, with the necessary continuity, the crude oils into the high-quality finished products demanded by the market. Furthermore, from the beginning of the year 2000, the oil futures market detached itself almost completely from its original nature (the barrel of oil), becoming a purely financial market, but still able to heavily affect the real oil prices. More sophisticated models are needed to understand this new scenario. This book thoroughly demystifies the oil market, showing readers what really moves the price of oil today. It provides a comprehensive analysis of the industry fundamentals and the role of financial speculation, illustrating the complexity of the relationship of three different markets that regulate the oil sector: the crude oil market (raw material), the finished products market (gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, fuel oil, chemical feedstocks, lubricants), and the financial market (futures). It will provide an excellent grounding in the topic for anyone involved or interested in the oil markets, including financial analysts, traders, investors and energy market participants. [200 Seiten, Hardcover]

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J.K. Lasser's Your Income Tax 2012

J. K. Lasser — 9 Dec 2011 08:17:23 +0100

America's number one bestselling tax guide offers the best balance of thoroughness, organization, and usability For over half a century, more than 39 million Americans have turned to J.K. Lasser for easy-to-follow, expert advice and guidance on planning and filing their taxes. Written by a team of tax specialists, J.K. Lasser's Your Income Tax 2012 includes all the outstanding features that have made this book the nation's all-time top-selling tax guide. It covers some of the most important topics associated with your taxes, from what must you report as income and strategies that will save you on taxes to how much tax you actually owe and what deductions can you claim. As an added value, you can gain direct access to bonus materials through jklasser.com, including links to the latest tax forms from the IRS, up-to-the-minute tax law changes, small business help, and much more. Filled with in-depth insights and timely advice, this is the guide of choice for today's serious taxpayer. * Contains over 2,500 easy-to-use tax planning tips and strategies and easy-to-understand coverage of the year's tax law changes * Includes filing tips and instructions to help you prepare your 2011 return * Comprised of a quick reference section that highlights what's new for 2011 as well as a topic index to help pinpoint the biggest money-saving deductions * Offers instruction for customers who use software or CPAs to file their taxes Filled with practical tax guidance you can't find anywhere else, J.K. Lasser's Your Income Tax 2012 will help you plan and file your 2011 tax return in the most efficient way possible. [848 Seiten, Softcover]

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The Little Book of Big Profits from Small Stocks + Website

Kramer, Hilary — 7 Dec 2011 08:17:42 +0100

The key to building wealth the low-priced stock way Low-priced gems, or what author Hilary Kramer calls breakout stocks come in all kinds of shapes and sizes but they all have three things in common: (1) they are mostly under $10; (2) they are undervalued; and (3) they have specific catalysts in the near future that put them on the threshold of breaking out to much higher prices. In The Little Book of Big Profits from Small Stocks, small stock expert Hilary Kramer looks for stocks with fifty to two hundred percent upside potential! From drug stocks that may have been punished because an FDA approval failed to materialize when Wall Street expected it to, to the overly zealous selling off of Ford, there are many great low-priced stock opportunities. In this Little Book you'll learn: * How to identify the low cost stocks that have the potential to yield big profits * The most important secret to making money in stock investing * Plus, you'll gain instant access to a website with educational videos, interactive tools and stock recommendations The Little Book of Big Profits from Small Stocks explains Kramer's methodology and gives you the ability to analyze the opportunities to pick your own winners. [146 Seiten, Hardcover]

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Fundamentals of Corporate Finance

Parrino, Robert / Kidwell, David S. / Bates, Thomas — 7 Dec 2011 08:17:28 +0100

Fundamentals of Corporate Finance, 2nd Edition offers an innovative integration of conceptual understanding and problem-solving... of intuition and decision-making... of the authors' industry and classroom/research experience...with current real-world examples and online practice. Authors Robert Parrino, David Kidwell, and Thomas Bates believe that students who understand the intuition underlying the basic concepts of finance are better able to develop the critical judgments necessary to apply financial tools in real decision- making situations. Their text develops intuitive thinking while simultaneously helping students develop problem solving and computational skills. It then shows students how to apply intuition and analytical skills to decision making while integrating it all with valuation and building shareholder value. [784 Seiten, Hardcover]

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Pension Finance

Waring, M. Barton — 5 Dec 2011 08:18:57 +0100

Pension plans around the world are in a state of crisis. U.S. plans alone are facing a total accrued liability funding deficit of almost $4 trillion (of the same order of magnitude as the federal debt), a potential financial catastrophe that ranks among the largest ever seen. It has become clear that many government, corporate, and multi-employer pension sponsors will not be able to cope with this crippling debt and may default on promised benefits. And many of those sponsors that might be able to cope are exasperated by continuous, ongoing negative surprises-large unexpected deficits and higher-than-expected required contributions and pension expense-and are choosing to terminate their plans. But it need not be so. Pension Finance: Putting the Risks and Costs of Defined Benefit Plans Back under Your Control walks the reader through the conventional actuarial and accounting approaches to financing pension benefits and investing plan assets, showing that the problems described happen as a natural consequence of the dated methods still in use. It shows in detail how modern methods based on market value will easily minimize these risks: Pension plans can in fact be comfortable for employers to sponsor and safe for employees to contribute todepend on for their retirement needs. This book is must-read for defined benefit pension plan sponsors and employee representatives, plan executives, board members, accountants, fund managers, consultants, and regulators., Research sponsored by the CFA Institute, this book demystifies pension finance, previously accessible only to actuaries. It teaches the topic in lay terms by drawing complete analogies to ordinary transactions such as paying off a mortgage or saving for college. Armed with this book, anyone comfortable with finance and investments in any other context can be comfortable with pension finance and pension investment policy. And further armed with a handheld financial calculator, any layperson can quickly estimate the contributions needed to keep a given plan comfortably solvent, giving them a powerful tool for oversight. [298 Seiten, Hardcover]

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Budgeting Basics and Beyond

Shim, Jae K. / Siegel, Joel G. / Shim, Allison I. — 5 Dec 2011 08:18:56 +0100

A convenient and up-to-date reference tool for today's financial and nonfinancial managers in public practice and private industry If the very thought of budgets pushes your sanity over the limit, then this practical, easy-to-use guide is just what you need. Budgeting Basics and Beyond, Fourth Edition equips you with an all-in-one resource guaranteed to make the budgeting process easier, less stressful, and more effective. The new edition covers rolling budgets (forecasts), activity-based budgeting, life-cycle budgeting. Cloud computing, Balanced Scorecard, budgeting for nonprofit organizations, business simulations for executive and management training, and much more! * Includes several new software packages, computer-based models and spreadsheet applications, including Value Chain Management software, Financial Planning and Performance software, Web 2.0, Cloud computing, and capital budgeting software * Features case studies, illustrations, exhibits, forms, checklists, graphs, samples, and worked-out solutions to a wide variety of budgeting, planning, and control problems * Offers financial planning and new types of financial modeling, variance analysis, Web-based budgeting, active budgeting illuminating what-if analyses throughout, spreadsheet applications, break-even analysis, project analysis, and capital budgeting Budgeting Basics and Beyond, Fourth Edition is a practical, easy-to-use problem-solver and up-to-date reference tool for today's financial and nonfinancial managers in public practice and private industry. [544 Seiten, Hardcover]

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Handbook of Integrated Risk Management in Global Supply Chains

Kouvelis, Panos / Dong, Lingxiu / Boyabatli, Onur / Li, Rong — 5 Dec 2011 08:18:03 +0100

Risk-control practices are often carried out by the finance function of a corporation without much input from other functional areas and lack of analysis on their impact of the supply chain and operational decisions. This book aims to bridge the gap in the literature by providing an unified approach to integrated risk management in finance and operations by identifying potential sources of risk to risk-control practices in supply chain and operational decisions. Current challenges in practice are discussed from a managerial and business research perspective [624 Seiten, Hardcover]

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Zombie Banks

Onaran, Yalman — 28 Nov 2011 08:18:22 +0100

An in-depth look at the essential issues surrounding zombie institutions and their effect on the global economy Zombie banking has become standard operating procedure for big debtor nations. They prop up failing institutions, print money, and avoid financial corrections. But in an attempt to prolong the inevitable, bigger problems are created. The approach used now has not, and will not, work. This timely book reveals why. Zombie Banking tells the story of how debtor nations and failing institutions are damaging the long-term prospects of the global economy. Author Yalman Onaran, a veteran Bloomberg News reporter and financial banking sector expert, examines exactly what a zombie bank is and why they are kept alive. He also discusses how they hurt economic recovery and what needs to be done in order to restore stability. Along the way, Onaran takes an honest look at how we arrived at this point and details the harsh realities that must be faced, and the serious steps that must be taken, in order to get things headed in the right direction. * Puts insolvent banks and debtor nations in the spotlight and examines how they are crippling the global economy * On the record sources include Paul Volcker, Joseph Stiglitz, Sheila Bair, and many more bank executives, regulators, politicians, and policymakers in the United States and abroad * Takes the complexity of the current situation and translates it in a way that makes it understandable While the short-term measures taken to stave off depression and rejuvenate economic growth may offer hope, they are unsustainable over the long term. Get a better look at what really lies ahead, and what it will take to improve our economic situation, with this book. [208 Seiten, Hardcover]

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