No comments about All About Futures: The Easy Way to Get Started (All About Series).

1 comments about American Foreclosure: Everything U Need to Know About Preventing and Buying (American Real Estate).

1. Just picked up a copy. Regardlesss of your personal interests or situation, it's imperative you start reading this book from the beginning. Don't jump in the middle (especially if you are a real estate investor). If you take the time to read from the introduction and move forward, you'll really appreciate the depth of this book. Chapter 5 has every state outlined (over 100 pages of the foreclosure process). If you need help saving your home, it will show you exactly what your options are and how to handle each type of situation. But remember, don't jump ahead. A great buy for both homeowners and investors.

5 comments about Timing the Market: How To Profit in the Stock Market Using the Yield Curve, Technical Analysis, and Cultural Indicators.

1. THIS BOOK IS GREAT ! NOT ONLY TELLS YOU WHY BUT ALSO GIVE THE FACTS AND SHOW TO YOU HOW YOU CAN READ THE MARKET AS THE PROFESSIONAL MONEY MANAGERS DO IT ALL THE TIME. YOU ALWAYS WANT TO BE IN THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE MARKET, THIS BOOK TEACHED ME HOW TO DO IT. THANK YOU DEBORAH !!!



2. I approached this book with an inclination to like it. I'm a firm believer in market timing, and I jumped at the chance to learn some new ideas about using the fixed-income markets to time the stock market. I have to say, though, that I came away from Timing the Market frustrated and disappointed. Here's why.
   
   Throughout the book, there is a chart detailing various buys and sells that one supposedly could have made using the author's timing system. However, rather than deriving these buy and sell points systematically, the author seems to arbitrarily choose buy and sell points that would have worked best in retrospect--regardless of whether they fit into a coherent, replicable system or not.
   
   For example, in chapter 7 the author adds buy points to her chart right after the waterfall declines in October 1987, September 1998 and September 2001. What is the rule that guides these choices? Apparently, it is that the Fed lowered the fed funds rate at least one-half of one percent after a crash of some kind. This rule is apparently a sufficient but not a necessary condition of buying because numerous other buy points on her chart don't involve this rule at all. So IF you hadn't already committed funds because of other rules, you MIGHT have been able to buy then.
   
   Later in the book, on the basis of a breadth-based rule about the Dow 30, the author erases the September 2001 buy signal and records a buy signal for her system on July 19, 2002, near the ultimate bottom of the bear market. This is based on the fact that all 30 Dow Jones Industrial Average stocks declined on the same day. I see IN RETROSPECT why she did this, but how would you have known in September 2001 to wait for the later buy signal? The author does not address these kinds of questions at all, as far as I can tell. As I said, frustrating and disappointing.
   
   There may be value in Ms. Weir's concepts, but she has far to go if her aim is to develop a rigorous market timing system, in my opinion.



3. I'm on my second reading and taking notes. This is the book you want if your interested in which market to be invested in and when. Inside information about the way fund managers think and act. Knowing when to be in stocks, bonds or gold is the most important information one can have when putting your money on the line....Deborah Weir's book,Timing the Market: How To Profit in the Stock Market Using the Yield Curve, Technical Analysis, and Cultural Indicators, does just that. My advice after being in the financial markets for over 45 years is...don't invest without this knowledge.



4. I bought this book awhile ago. Studied it. It all sounded so good. And then I tried to recreate the buy/sell signal data.... If you already own the book and are using it to make investment decisions, be sure to try this exercise and answer the question at the end.
   
   Go to Appendix 2.1 on page 333. Let's dig into the sell signal on "2000-08-01" as an example. First of all, as Weir explains in her book on page 15-16, the Treasury data is a monthly average. The Three-Month Bill entry is 6.09. That is an average of the 3-month yields from 8/1/2000 to 8/31/2000 (using the daily rates from H.15 3-month Treasury Bill secondary market rate data). Since that is an average, it is known on 8/31/2000 at the earliest. The same is true for the Ten-Year note and therefore the yield spread. Other than the misleading date name in the table (2000-08-01), so far so good.
   
   Now we have a signal to Sell on 8/31/2000, right? The S&P 500 Index for 8/31/2000 is 1517.68. (Yahoo's daily historical Prices for S&P 500 INDEX,RTH (^GSPC)). The "2000-08-01" entry in the book shows 1430 which is what the S&P 500 Index was for 7/31/2000, a month earlier. The same is true for all the entries in appendix 2.1.
   
   So the question is: how is it that you can buy and sell an index based on signals you won't know until a month later?
   
   What a scam!!



5. I strongly recommend this book for every investor. It covers all the major market timing techniques and does a great job in explaining them. The book is comprehensive, well organized, and well explained. There is only one chapter that I really hated --chapter 16 which talks about the relation between trends in woman beauty and the market. This chapter should just be removed from the book; luckily it is only 10 pages long!

5 comments about The Compleat Guide to Day Trading Stocks.

1. The Compleat Guide to Day Trading Stocks is just that: one of the most complete and very best books ever written on the subject of day trading. Its highly regarded author, Jake Bernstein takes the reader from the very basics such as realistic risk/reward considerations, the essential mechanics of trend-following systems, fundamental vs. technical analysis, timing indicators, stochastics and charts, all the way to clear and precise systems and methods as well as the Psychology of Day Trading. He goes out of his way to make sure that the reader is absolutely aware of all aspects of day trading before making a commitment - including the long and painful learning curve that is inevitable - and clearly states who should not undertake day trading. Having said that, if the reader understands this, and is still firmly committed to making day trading a success, Mr. Bernstein gives his utmost support by going deeply into the nuts and bolts of the art by providing a solid foundation with proven strategies that can be thoroughly back-tested. This is really the most beneficial part of the book for the experienced investor, and is that which sets it apart from the many more general works on the subject. The reader is encouraged to learn and test these methods and systems and to incorporate the ones that are best suited to his/her own investment style. Pitfalls are clearly stated and the writing is extremely fluid and easy to understand. Best of all, the reader subconsciously develops the proper attitude that is so essential to succeed - that day trading should be treated as a serious business which can and will only be successful if done with the proper frame of mind, diligence, hard work, and risk management as well as a dedication to discipline. I highly recommend it!



2. Jake has writed no news about trading world, but all that the traders need is into this book. Sometimes we read a bit of trading system, a bit of psicological approach, etc. Jake said that the book is dedicated to day traders and aspiring day traders the world over. Doing day trading is arduous: the challenge immense. The promise of victory and lure of wealth inspire you daily to confront the odds of success. Jake give us this book in the hope that his efforts, research, suggestions, systems, and methods will help us achieve our goals.
   Great buy!



3. This is the second Jake book I had read up till now. The first one is "Investment Quotient" which I gave my highest rating. That does not lead to my negative comment on this one because of over expectation. It's just that the content and quality of this so named guide just cannot be described as compleat.

   In one single book of only 200 pages, Jake tried to discuss many important elements of day trading, including history, mechanism, player characteristics, market structure and even sophisticated technical tools like Stochastics, MACD, Momentum, various forms of Moving Average and even AI. The problem is: he tried to cover so many things that the whole book becomes very shallow and far from what is needed for this highly risky game.

   I dont understand why many reviewers gave this book such high ratings. I am afraid that many amateurs had already been lured to enter the game under the false illusion that they became better, if not well equipped, after reading this book, and had already fallen prey to the market crocs.




4. Although there is much informative basic material in this book, I cannot stand the fuzzy math this author uses. The percentage gains he reports in some of his examples are blatantly deceptive. An example is Fig. 5-10, where he shows the possible gains achievable using the "gap" method. He quotes a profit potential of $21062, which I dont dispute. However, there is no mention of the actual money necessary to make the trades shown, which is probably somewhere around $30,000 (minimum). This would yield a profit of around 67%. The figure, however, quotes a profit return of almost 700%!! Whether or not these figures are his, or if he borrowed them from another source does not matter. He should know better! This sort of misleading "fluff" does nothing but confuse the amatuer and leads to the expectation of gains much better than realistically possible with a small account balance. Throughout the book, math like this is used to over exagerate possible gains from day trading.



5. I have recently read two other books on day trading and they were much better, so I think the only reason others gave this such a great rating is becaue they have never read anything else. I found this book to be vague, abstract and just a HORRIBLE book. He does go over many definitions of concepts, but then he alway says he will discuss which ones are important later. How am I supposed to know which concepts are important if you don't tell me which ones to keep in mind. He cites numerous books and authors to find more information, but the beginning day trader wants to be told what to do. If you are a day trader who is hears of a concept and want a quick overview of a concept this is the only time I would say I would open this book, although normally I just go online a financial dictionary. If you do read this book, skip the first 80 pages. Other books that are great and simple, and go over concepts over and over so there is no doubt you understand them include "A Beginners Guide to Day Trading Online" by Toni Turner.

5 comments about Global Convertible Investing: The Gabelli Way.

1. Hart Woodson has put together an easy to understand guide to convertibles. The book covers all aspects for hedge funds to outright purchasers of the product on a global basis. In depth enough for the seasoned professional and yet basic enough for those trying to understand convertibles for the first time.



2. This book is a fantastic resource for investors who are new to convertibles, convertible experts and everyone in between. It provides a great breadth of topics as well as a perfect amount of depth. It covers the full range of convertible products, the theory behind them and convertible investing strategies. I'll be keeping this book handy.



3. A must read for anyone interested in a clear and consise review of all the relevant information regarding this timely topic. Mr. Woodson demonstrates his precise and broad understanding of all the issues surrounding convertible investing, and presents such knowledge in a profounding easy to read fashion. This one shouldn't be missed. Clearly one of the authoritative sources out there!!



4. Quite a few books have been written about the specialized subject of convertible securities, but Hart Woodson has distinguished himself by writing a comprehensive book that includes all of the latest types of convertible securities as well as the latest strategies--in plain language that a beginner could comprehend, and with sophisticated equations included for the sophisticated quant. Better still, the book is not simply an ad for convertibles nor for his employer, Gabelli Asset Management. The pitfalls as well as the potentials are described. Hart can write. Hart has broad experience. He puts it all together in this practical book.



5. I am unsure what book the rest of the reviewers are reading; but it was not this one. The book is not only ambiguous, but poorly crafted with topical transitions sloppy. I can comfortably say that there is not a single section of the book that adequately unveils the dynamics of various convertible instruments or their pricing. Indeed, the book reads more like a glossary than an explanatory text and for persons new to converts, the spate of regurgitated pricing theories will likely do more harm then good. Perhaps the one strength of the text is that it serves as a broad reference for readers truly interested in converts to seek out more educative pieces. For more informed readers, modest incremental knowledge seems to be the only gain.

No comments about Option Trading Tactics with Oliver Velez Course Book with DVD (Trade Secrets Course Books).

5 comments about Cash for Life: Unlock the Incredible Monthly Cash Income in Your Stock Portfolio. Master the Art of Selling Covered Call and Naked Put Options At the Right Time on the Right Stocks.

1. Intersting style of writing as previouse reviewer indicated and at the same time obviouse he had no idea of what an option was. For anyone with the slightest knowlege of options it becomes apparent that the main purpose of this book is to get one to purchase Mr Groenke's option software. With out it which he constantly referes to, his formulia's would result in endless hours of tedious calculations. After spending $29 on this book and finding it is really a primar for his software would be disapointing to anyone trying to get a basic understanding of how selling options works. His software may be great and worth the money but its a little misleading to promote this book as a stand alone. I'm not a reviewer, just someone that buys and mostly sells options and can't figure how anyone could give this 5 stars, or buy this book without understanding you really need his software to get any benifit from the book. That of course assumes your not a proffeser sitting in an office somwhere as opposed to really utilizing options.



2. Mr. Groenke's book presents a very readable, step by step approach to learning about covered calls. He also provides some very good informaiton on how to pick the stocks that are good to hold while working with options. I recommend this book highly to those who are interested in adding wealth building potential without taking on additional risk.



3. This book is informative but you have to spend more money to use his software to be able to use his methods. At the end of it all you still have to know if a stock is going to go up or down in price. If anyone knew that then why complicated your investing with options and just buy the stock outright to make a profit. I also wonder why if this method is so good why would he want to share it and how does he have time for these seminars, software programming, etc? WOuldny he be busy selling options all day and making money? I assume he makes more money selling us his books, tools, and seminars.



4. Appears selling calls may have been to slow for the author. He's figured out that he can make more money and faster by selling books and software subscriptions. And, even more money selling the same book to you twice. "Cash for Life" is a ripoff of his previous work "Covered Calls and Naked Puts". With the exception of his "Visions" methodology, it is literally word for word. Is it ethical to plagiarize your own work? It's like a student turning in the same work to two different teachers. While he may have updated his options trading examples and added a new methodology, this "new book" (to use the term loosely) should have been released as an updated edition to the earlier book. At the least, it should have been disclosed in the book's promotion and on his website. Could he have possibly given a discount to a buyer that had also purchased "Covered Calls and Naked Puts"?
   
   His earlier book, "Covered Calls and Naked Puts", was a fair primer in selling covered calls. So, why didn't the author take this opportunity to introduce his "Visions" in a more advanced book with a new storyline. It would have been nice to see deeper discussions his investment reasonings rather than just rely upon his mathematical models. Here are some ideas. A chapter on "alternatives to letting yourself get assigned" (ie. covering the call; rolling forward, upward or downward; or buying it back when it premium is well below its initial sale and there is still significant time left til expiration) would be worthwhile even if this isn't the author's trading style. Also, a chapter on the "tax implications of options" should be included since there are some pretty obscure tax rules out there; they have their own variations of what is considered short-term and long-term transactions. And, what about the "wash-sale rule"? Is this something the options investor/trader needs to consider? I'll let you field that one Ronald.



5. A creative way in introducing options trading and specifically covered call writing.
   There are many plugs throught the book for the software and seminars as well as personal recomendations wherever the publisher decided to put them but I found those humorous. I was amused at the portrayal of a former stock brokers disdainful attitude to his fomer clients and their money - how true, where are the client's Rolls Royces?
   The author does not peddle a get rich quick approach but rather emphasizes the opposite - a slow and steady approach to profit taking is the key to cash flow.
   The author shares with the reader a formula in determining an entry level for stock purchasing that can be worked out without the software, though I am sure the software would make it easier (I have not purchased the software).
   The novice and the expert, I think, can glean some sparkling gems from this book.

4 comments about Technician's Guide to Day and Swing Trading.

1. Whatever one thinks of technical analysis, even a died-in-the-wool fundamental and value investor trembles at the thought of going against the famous "head-and-shoulders" pattern. This book will give you an excellent background in the basics without overwhelming you with a lot of technical detail. The book discusses everything from moving averages and Bollinger Bands to oscillators such as relative strength, MACD (moving average convergence-divergence), ROC (rate of change), the parabolic indicator, and Pring's own proprietary KST indicator, and so on. Also, the included CD contains a four-hour video presentation on the most important topics. Pring says in the introduction that, in contrast to most CDs in books, which are throw-aways, the CD is actually the most important thing and the book is the "throw-away." In any case, there is a lot of value and information here between the book and the CD and overall this is a fine book to get you to the next level in terms of your trading expertise.



2. The "Technician's Guide To Day & Swing Trading" by Martin J. Pring has a great CD presentation. The CD presentation covers the same information in the book chapter by chapter. I found the CD presentation much easier to understand than reading the book.

   The book combines technical indicators with tips for day and swing trading under different market conditions. Overall, I would highly recommend this combination book and CD to anyone that wants to make money in the stock market. From my own experience, the material sets reasonable expectations and does not make false claims on making easy money in the stock market over a sustained period of time.




3. Over the years, his name has become synonymous with technical analysis, and this book is not a disappointment. I put Mr. Pring up there in the same category as Larry Connors ("How Markets Really Work") and William O'Neil ("How to Make Money in Stocks").



4. It still amazes me that people like Pring can sell books and seminars to so many gullibles, given these "experts" probably never made a penny from actual trading.

3 comments about The Complete Idiot's Guide to Options and Futures, 2nd Edition (Complete Idiot's Guide to).

1. This book reads like the first draft of something better that will arrive in a future (no pun intended) edition. Despite the title, the book is really solely about futures; options are discussed only insofar as they pertain to futures, so the book does not really cover much about, say, options on stock or on financial derivatives (other than futures). The book is riddled with typos and errors, both mathematical and grammatical, making it difficult to follow what is happening, and it reads as if it were hastily written and sloppily edited, with frequent repeats and occasional poor organization. There are some bright moments -- occasionally the book has a really insightful definition or a clear, carefully worded example. Overall, though, you are probably better off trying a different book, especially if you want to understand options really well.



2. Let me start by stating that Scott Barrie does a great job converting the subject matter in this book to something that a casual, perhaps even disinterested party, can understand. I have never read any of the other Complete Idiot's Guides, but if this is how they deal with the incredibly complex subject of Commodities Trading, I wont be buying any of them again for other subjects. This was the third book in my commodities trading education. After book's one and two, this book taught me nothing. Not one thing. It does not provide enough depth on any of the multitude of subject matters that are required knowledge of the trader. However, it does touch on nearly every matter that a trader should be deeply knowledgeable about. This book was so short on details that if you were to read this book and then attempt to trade even a single transaction, it is my opinion that you would have NO IDEA what you were doing. If you are interested in Trading, a better first book is Futures 101. That will give you a better understanding if you know nothing. This book really is for people who know nothing about trading. And dont have an interest in trading either, but are interested in the subject as hobby of sorts.



3. The information in this book is worthy of 3-4 stars for a novice investor if it had been presented in a coherent, accurate manner. As it is published, the mis-worded sentences and mistakes have the reader constantly going "huh?" Given that the premise of the book is an introduction to basic concepts, I'd say that the blatant mistakes in the book might really confuse anyone who needs this level of information, and if you have the level of basic understanding that allows you to sort through what's stated correctly and what isn't, you probably are ready for a more advanced book. Example mistakes are using the word "sell" where the word "buy" was clearly intended (and vice versa - oops don't make that mistake with real money!), and redundant inconsistent units ( "$X.YY cents" is a confusing expression used repeatedly throughout the book). The sloppy editing aside, if you know very little about options and futures but are literate, trust your own common sense, and realize that there are "silly" mistakes which you must correct in your head or with a pen/pencil as you go along, you can probably sort things out and benefit from this book.

5 comments about Fundamentals of the Futures Market.

1. If you are new to trading, or are interested in learning about the futures markets, then you will not be disappointed with this book. I was definitely impressed with the amount of market information that it covered. The History of the Futures markets, fundamental & technical analysis, mechanics of the trading floor, margins, interpretation of news, are all explained. In addition, it contains a great section on trading techniques for each specific commodity market. This would make a great reference textbook for seasoned traders and brokers as well. I would definitely recommend this book.



2. Most "investment advice" books suffer from poor editing, both of the 'grammar & syntax' variety, and, more distressingly for this genre, flat-out incorrect information. Klines's book is no exception- the grammar & syntax are fine, but her book is replete with factual errors and misstatements. For example, on page 207, she defines a synthetic long futures as "sell a call option, buy a put option." Wrong. That is a synthetic short position. Similar errors pervade the book.
   One useful feature is chapter 3, which presents futures contract specifications. However, even here, some of the information is occasionally confusing or misleading.
   This book is published by McGraw-Hill, a highly reputable house. My surmise is that McGraw-Hill has no financial experts on its editorial staff; otherwise, it wouldn't tolerate the publication of such a sloppily-edited piece. Disappointing!



3. This is a very good book if you are looking for a career in futures. Whether you will be a trader or a broker, there is a ton of helpful information inside that you can't find anywhere else. There is an entire chapter called 'Tips of the Trade' that walks you through some of the nuances and quirks of markets like soybeans and the E-mini S&P. The book explains how to determine the future expectation of interest rates by using the Fed Fund futures. There is information on how margins work and an entire section on options. The part that I found to be most unique is the discussion of order placement - where mistakes often occur and how to prevent them. I recommend this book to anyone who is getting started in the futures industry.



4. I am new to futures trading and I found this book to be very helpful and easy to understand. It is well written and covers a wide variety of trading terms and techniques. I did notice a typo or two, but they are obvious and do not detract from the message of the text.



5. Not so well written, a little manual-like and hard to read.
   Written for the beginner it tries to cover too much but misses out some important basic information.
   Have read many books on trading and had hoped to fill-in the details on the futures area fundamentals. Have to look for another book now though.