Product Description

“To buy when others are despondently selling and to sell when others are avidlybuying requires the greatest fortitude and pays the greatest ultimate rewards.”-Sir John Templeton

Called the “greatest stock picker of the century” by Money magazine, legendary fund manager Sir John Templeton is revered as one of the world's premiere value investors, widely known for pioneering global investing and out-performing the stock market over a five-decade span. Investing the Templeton Way provides a never-before-seen glimpse into Sir John's timeless principles and methods.

Beginning with a review of the methods behind Sir John's proven investment selection process, Investing the Templeton Way provides historical examples of his most successful trades and explains how today's investors can apply Sir John's winning approaches to their own portfolios. Detailing his most well-known principle investing at the point of maximum pessimism- this book outlines the techniques Sir John has used throughout his career to identify such points and capitalize on them.

Among the lessons to be learned:

• Discover how to keep a cool head when other investors overreact to bad news
• Become a bargain stock hunter like Sir John-buy the stocks emotional sellers wish to unload and sell them what they are desperate to buy
• Search worldwide to expand your bargain inventory
• Protect your portfolio from yourself through diversification
• Rely on quantitative versus qualitative reasoning when it comes to selecting stocks
• Adopt a virtuous investment strategy that will endure in all market conditions

Customer Reviews (14)

Great value
This book is easy read on one of the world's best stock pickers. Readers gain insight from Sir John Templeton's background.I really like the chapter on how he shorted the techonolgy bubble using an IPO lock up strategy.

An Expert's Account of a Successful Investing Career
"I'm approaching my 95th birthday," Sir John Templeton, the great old investor writes in the foreword to the new book about his methods put together by his great-niece (Investing the Templeton Way). The short foreword has some words of advice. One that stuck with me: "Throughout history, people have focused too little on the opportunities that problems present in investing and in life in general."

I find that the stories of great investors are like wells of inspiration. Anytime I'm feeling down or defeated, I read over the wisdom and experience of some great investor and my spirits lift. It works as well as two pints of beer.

If anyone knows about the relationship between trouble and profits, it's Templeton.

Templeton spent in his young adult years in the Great Depression, which surely left its marks on his psyche - as it did on many others'. Templeton, for instance, paid cash for his first house. He never had a mortgage and never borrowed money to buy a car. These thrifty attitudes carried over to his investing style. He gravitated toward cheap stocks. As a result, he was a buyer during the Great Depression, when most people wanted nothing to do with stocks.

Templeton picked up many steals. For instance, he bought shares of Missouri Pacific Railroad for 12.5 cents per share, selling them some years later for $5 per share. He had many other successes.

But out of all that, Templeton's fame may rest more on the fact that he was something of a pioneer when it came to investing overseas. The early success of his Templeton Growth Fund in the 1950s and later was, in part, due to his early identification of overseas opportunities.

Among those was Japan, a market he rode to great riches - and which he got out of before it all fell apart in the late 1980s. He first invested there after World War II.

Templeton liked to invest when there were few interested buyers, during times of "maximum pessimism," as he liked to say.

In his foreword, Templeton wrote, "The 21st century offers great hope and glorious promise, perhaps a new golden age of opportunity." He can say that because where he sees problems, he also sees opportunity. I see lots of problems today, too... and many opportunities. Japan's small-cap market is just one interesting possibility."

Review by a writer for Agora Financial, publisher of economic and financial analysis including Financial Reckoning Day Fallout: Surviving Today's Global Depression, The New Empire of Debt: The Rise and Fall of an Epic Financial Bubble, and I.O.U.S.A.: One Nation. Under Stress. In Debt.

How to stay in the will
This is the most vacuuous investment book I have read. The authors manage to pack about 4 pages of content into 240 pages of text. The remainder is tedious padding that reads as a ploy by the authors to curry favour with the book's subject. The constant reference to 'Uncle John' is but one, albeit the most egregious, example of the authors' desire to genuflect in front of the great man rather than analyse him. Advice such as when Uncle John recommends a stock you should buy it is hardly illuminating.

This is a great shame as his track-record is extraordinary and some attempt at insight would have been powerful. Templeton's core investment themes include being analytical, distancing yourself from emotion and seeking out value - apply those to the buy/don't-buy decision for this book and steer clear.

Had to work very hard to get through the writing
Good information about the forces which shaped a great investing mind, but I'll hazard a guess the writers could've shortened the book by 20% if they had tried using "him", "his" or "he" instead of "Uncle John". I had to grit my teeth through whole chapters to finish - seriously - read the first several pages and understand this style of tedium persists throughout the text.

The Investment Book for Our Time
The Money Magazine has called the late Sir John Templeton "the greatest stock picker of the century". Indeed, this is the investment book for our time, for 2009 and 2010 or possibly beyond just as long as we are in deep recession. Sir John's most well-known principle is "investing at the point of maximum pessimism", which is now. Sir John has had the most success when purchasing stocks priced far too low in relation to their intrinsic worth. As Sir John put it, "To buy when others are despondently selling and to sell when others are avidly buying requires the greatest fortitude and pays the greatest ultimate reward". Sir John also said that the best time to "buy is when there's blood in the street". Sir John was once asked how to identify the point of maximumm pessimism . His answer is that the point was reached when there were no more buyers left in the market, and the sellers were about to take control. That point was reached on 10 March 2000, when the NASDAC hits its all-time high of 5,132. In addition, throughout his career in investment, Sir John had searched the world over for the best bargain stocks available. Research shows that a stock portfolio with investments around the world is likely to yield, in the long run,a higher return at lower level of volatility than will a simple, diversified single-nation portfolio. Diversification should be the cornerstone of any investment program. In short, Sir John's approach is threefold: (1). Be price conscious - buy bargain; (2). Focus on the long term outlook and (3). Don't pay attention to the short term outlook knowing that most bargains are created when the near term outlookis poor to clouded. Digest this book and you will never again be afraid of recession. ... Read more

Product Description
VALUABLE ADVICE FOR INVESTORS OF ALL TYPES FROM STANDARD & POOR'S, TODAY'S MOST TRUSTED RESOURCE FOR RELIABLE INVESTMENT INFORMATION

Standard & Poor's Press brings the impressive knowledge and resources of Standard & Poor's to some of today's most challenging financial issues. Covering subjects from saving for college to technical analysis to risk management, books in the series will give both independent and institutional investors the knowledge they need to dramatically improve their overall financial decisions.

Sensible, straightforward Standard & Poor's secrets for achieving worry-free investing success

Successful investing doesn't have to be a pressure-packed chore. The Standard & Poor's Guide to Profitable Long-Term Investing provides investors with commonsense rules and guidelines to take the pain out of investing and replace it with certainty and confidence. It unveils a simple approach, one that demystifies and simplifies the path to profitable investing without relying on buzzwords and confusing mathematics.

From knowing the best times to buy and sell to saving for education or retirement, this easy-to-follow book uses Standard & Poor's data, tables, charts, and graphs to illustrate and explain exactly how anyone can construct a sensible, low-maintenance portfolio.

Covering topics that books of its type often overlook, it discusses:

• Why stockbrokers and financial advisers can be hazardous to an investor's financial health
• Seven simple steps to follow to help ensure profitable investing
• How and when to buy a stock and--even more important--when to take profits

Customer Reviews (5)

Tigue Hits All The Right Notes
I picked up this book after reading another book by Mr. Tigue on dividend investing.Like the first book I read by Tigue, this book is simple, straightforward, and very well written.However, I have to admit that at some points it was slow going, but then much of the information is not new to me, so I believe that may explain it.

Tigue borrows a marketing ploy from the infamous Stephen Covey, and uses it to pass on some general, but very powerful ideas on long term investing.The first chapter talks about the various investment vehicles available to save and invest, either tax-deferred or tax-free.This chapter is probably the most important one of the book (apart from the chapter on keeping costs down), because it discusses the critical concept behind any successful long-term investing strategy: paying oneself first.Anyone that works for a living should get into the habit of setting aside a fixed percentage of their net (after-tax) income, and put it to work building capital.

The second chapter talks about diversification, and is probably a very good idea for the small investor.However, I felt this chapter was a bit under-done, because most small investors are of limited means, and to achieve adequate diversification, one would need a sizable bankroll (about fifty grand, minimum I would say). So, I believe most folks would be better off by automatically investing a fixed percentage of their net, after-tax income ina good, no-load, low cost stock mutual fund.Most index mutual funds allow you to participate with automatic contributions of a hundred bucks, and thus would be a good way to achieve diversification- if, of course, diversification is important to you.

The third chapter talks about holding stocks for the long term, and points out that over long periods of time, stocks have low volatility.'Tis the short term that causes ulcers.

The fourth chapter talks about doing those things you know and understand, avoiding the sophisticated and exotic, and most important, evaluating the business and not the stock.I felt Tigue could have said more on this, but this is a book for the beginner, so I will not mark him down for it.

The fifth and sixth chapters talk about when to buy in, and having done a fair of investing over the years, I feel that these chapters are potentially misleading.Serious investors buy businesses, and not stocks.

The seventh chapter talks about keeping costs down, and is probably the most important chapter for the seasoned small investor, but second in importance to the novice.Costs do matter because all the players know what you know, and most of you achieve the same results as most everyone else.By netting as much as the return as possible, you can very easily propel yourself far above average.However, I think for the novice the concept of paying oneself first, CONSISTENTLY, is the most important lesson to take away from the book.

Chapter eight talks about knowing when to sell, and is good background for the novice and the seasoned small investor.

Chapter nine talks about making investment decisions, and I have to commend Mr. Tigue for his inclusion of various sources information- websites, periodicals and books, in most chapters so that readers can glean further information.The chapter contains good information overall, and would be most helpful in developing a healthy skepticism among beginning investors.

Chapter ten talks about the various types of bonds one can buy.I found it quite peculiar, and very disturbing, that Mr. Tigue spent no time talking about inflation in this chapter.

Chapter eleven basically talks about the joys of compounding- if you have time on your side.I think he basically got it right, so I won't argue with him there.

So, in sum, this book is geared toward the beginner or novice investor.Seasoned investors would do very well to pay close attention to the chapters on cost containment and investment selection, but can otherwise comfortably skip the rest.If I were to run a short course on long-term investment for the beginner, this is the book that I would use as a teaching tool.

The Standard & Poor's Guide to Long-term Investing.
If you want to understand long term investing, this book is the key to grasping the fundamentals.

Great Book for beginninger!
Very useful if you are a beginninger in investing and know nothing about it.Explain in very simple term but at the same time, give quite a detail.I enjoy it.Of course, this book is not mean to make you rich in 24 hrs but does provide some tips on how we should manage our personal investment.

Merely states the obvious.
This book is the most basic "investing book" I have ever read.Essentially, Tigue's guide states you should start investing now invest every month and but good divedends paying stock.Well that's great advice.Why didn't I think about that? (note sarcasm)The problem is that he doesn't really give you a lot of information on how to pick these stocks. The reader who apparently isn't smart enough to know he shouldn't waste money on lottery tickets (one of Tingues suggestions to save money) is somehow suppose to find great stocks that increasingly increase their dividends.He gives some suggestions, but most of these seem to be advancing Standard and Poor's research and other agendas.

Tingue does, however, have one good chapter.In it he explains the necessity of keeping down your costs.Once again this is obvious but he gives a pretty lucent description of fees associated with mutual funds and Direct Stock purchase plans.In the end, you should probably takes Tingues on advice and utilize the library rather than spend money on another investment book you don't need

Great Investment Book
This book explains, in simple terms, how to be a successful investor based on proven techniques.It covers almost all aspects of investments (stocks, bonds, funds, and more)

A great book. I changed my investment strategy because of this book. I am also going to keep in mind a lot of the tips that were covered in the book. Good job, Tigue. ... Read more

Product Description
Following the style of her bestselling book, "Saving on a Shoestring," Barbara O'Neill takes readers step-by-step through the process of putting together a healthy financial plan, focusing on a whole range of topics for shoestring investors, such as:

>investing with small dollar amounts
>choosing the right professional adviser
>understanding and using the power of compound interest
>building a strong investment portfolio
>mutual fund and indexed investment product basics
>the ins and outs of risk reduction and debt
>resources for shoestring investors ... Read more

Product Description
What, where, and how to buy!

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Real Estate Investing Basics presents the practical advice and knowledge readers need to get started in the residential real estate market. Based on the knowledge of an established expert, this guide teaches readers how to find properties that have the greatest investment potential, make offers and negotiate deals, locate great tenants, and re-sell properties for maximum profit.

• According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there were an estimated 123.3 million housing units in the U.S. in the first quarter 2005
• Residential real estate is always on the move
• Baby boomers are growing older, and many look at real estate investing as a safe way to assure their current standard of living ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The complete idiots guide to real estate basics
This book would be a good book to read as your first real estate book for anyone starting out in real estate investment. The book is very informative, and provides a nice overview of all aspects of real estate.It would help the beginning investor become familiarized with what certain real estate terms mean.The book is very clear and easy to understand.A good book to have as a reference guide. ... Read more

Product Description
How to analyze and understand investment opportunities in the resources market

Investing in resource markets is quite different from other sectors–extreme cyclicality; very long cycles; huge corrections; continual mergers and acquisitions; and, huge capital needs. Written by industry pioneer Adrian Day, Investing in Resources: How to Profit from the Outsized Potential and Avoid the Outsized Risks details the factors that affect investing in resource markets, and how, if an investor understands those factors, the resource market can be a great place to realize very strong gains. The book:

• Explains the major factors driving resource prices higher, including new demand from China and the difficulty in finding new economic resources
• Discusses how the resource industry is changing, and addresses where we are in the "Super Cycle"
• Details how to profit by investing in base metals, gold, silver, and agriculture, while explaining the peculiar political, environmental, and social risks inherent in resource markets

In recent years, deciding how to minimize the excessive risks of investing in resource markets has proven difficult for even the most experienced investors. Thanks to Investing in Resources, the task of how and where to invest in this lucrative market is made easier. ... Read more

Product Description
Everybody talks about it—how much you can save , and earn, when you start an online investment program. If you’ve decided you’re ready to find out what all the excitement’s about, you’re in luck. Investing Online For Dummies has been completely revised and updated with the latest tools, Web sites, rule changes, and tips that can make online investing easy and profitable.

To be a successful online investor, you need to know your way around the Web and you also need to understand something about investments. Investing Online For Dummies can help you make sound financial decisions by:

• Outlining basic investment fundamentals
• Explaining how stock options work and helping you determine the value of your employee stock option plan
• Pointing out costly traps and ways to avoid them
• Directing you to resources that provide information you need and helping you make sense of it
• Showing you how to use the Internet to become a savvy investor

This 5^th edition of Investing Online For Dummies provides clear instructions and ample illustrations, taking you from the basics of online investing to making your own online stock transactions to purchasing bonds online. A few of the things you’ll discover:

• What’s important in an online brokerage and how to locate one that meets your needs
• How to find Internet resources that help you select mutual funds
• How to use stock online screens to find investment candidates that will move you toward your financial goals
• Where to look for direct stock purchase and ShareBuilder plans that let you invest online for as little as $25 a month
• How Internet tools can help you analyze and choose stocks and bonds
• The secrets to paying the lowest commissions when trading online

There’s so much information available on the Internet that you can easily feel overwhelmed. Investing Online For Dummies leads you through that maze, showing you how to get started, what you really need to know, where to go online to find it, and how to get the process underway. When it comes to choosing which cruise to take to celebrate your success, however, you’re on your own!Amazon.com Review
Investing Online for Dummies is an invaluable resourcefor those who want to take advantage of the timely nature of theInternet for online investing. Author Kathleen Sindell covers all thebases for the online investor including setting up stock screens,selecting mutual funds, fishing for IPOs, and online banking andtrading. This book is loaded with links to investment resources on theInternet and also includes a CD-ROM with demos of various investmenttools and popular shareware programs. Highly recommended for onlineinvestors. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (30)

Great
This book was great and opened mind to a whole new world of investing.Thank you.

Investing Online for Dummies, 5th edition
The delivery was on time. The book is good for me

You don't have to buy this.
I came here to write a review for this book, and found that a reviewer below, "A reader", had already written what I was going to write.This book provides a reader with no information, but with long lists of websites to look at. You can access those websites most often just wasting time (like "A reader" already said).Using search engines like Google/Yahoo is much better than thumbing through this book.

Good Concise Overview to Get One Started
You can't watch television these days without getting bombarded with ads for on line brokerage companies. What's been missing has been a centralized source for information about the whole thing. This book provides that source. It's not complete - if it were it would be so big that you couldn't carry it around - but it's a great start.

You can read this book from cover to cover in just a few hours. That is, just a few hours if you don't take the time to go out on the web looking at the things she suggests. And that right there is the key to this book. Here is a good start that covers the whole field from A to Z, and at nearly each and every point along the way she points you to web sites for more information about specific points.

The problem with going to the web for more information, of course, is that web sites appear, go away, merge or whatever. She admits this, but accepts this risk and gives you multiple sites (you couldn't possibly visit all that she mentions) or suggests ways to find a missing or dead site.

This is a great way to get the basic information you need before getting started with selecting a broker and deciding what to buy.

Get Up To Speed With New Strategies, Tools and Resources
This newest edition of "Investing Online for Dummies" reflects the latest changes and improvements to online investing Web sites. Addresses building an online information system, setting up a basic investment strategy, determining how much to invest, selecting an online broker and trading online, finding the right investments, performing Internet transactions securely, saving on commissions, managing a portfolio, and much more.

... Read more

Product Description
This revised edition of the New York Times bestselling book on investment strategies for the '90s offers tips and suggestions to help every investor profit from today's stormy financial climate. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

As for Gold DRC is right twice a century
Casey's bent is toward natural resources which he gives much time in this as well as in the rest of his books. An interesting thinker and an effortless writer, Doug is alway provacative and occasionally right. I mean right in a big way. The problem is the many times he's wrong. It is crucial to be in the right sector with him and that usually means gold stocks. He's worth paying attention to for that alone. To give him his due, he was the first guy I heard talk about the no-fun 90's at the outset of the decade. He foresaw the politically correct movement with all of its ramifications before anyone else I know.

Top ten classic
This book pulled me back from the brink of socialist thinking.It is the quickest read to understand how the world economy and politics interact.For all you day traders who are getting crushed these days, read this for alittle long term philosophy! ... Read more

Product Description
The Retirement Revolution is an invaluable resource for anyone who is retiring, losing a job or investing retirement assets.Dan Flores brings over twenty years of experience guiding clients' investments to this in-depth look at the needs of individuals receiving a lump-sum distribution from a qualified retirement plan. In clear and easy-to-understand language, Flores analyzes the lump-sum alternatives and investment strategies necessary to become an informed investor, including: The rules and regulations of lump-sum distributions and IRA rollovers.The penalties and pitfalls of early retirement and how to avoid them.The differences between asset allocation and diversification. How to build an investment portfolio blueprint and monitor accounts. Understanding the importance of product selection: the advantages and disadvantages of individual securities, money managers, and packaged products such as mutual funds, index funds, unit trusts, and exchange traded funds.Strategies for taking income out of retirement plans.The Retirement Revolution is an especially useful resource for benefits and human resource directors to share with employees. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Highly Recommended!
This book gets the 5 star rating. It is clearly written and easy to understand. Not only does it cover the rules and regulations of lump-sum distributions, but it also clearly explains investment options and how to put together a portfolio. ... Read more

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Finally, a Simple Approach to Investing!

A Way to Wealth presents a simple and elegant method for investing in stocks and mutual funds. This book can help you better understand how:

Product Description
What makes a company worth investing in? Learning to make the right investments is both complicated and crucial, and author Russell Cleveland has developed a revolutionary and highly effective method for making the best possible picks. His secret: look at the leadership. This unique approach highlights the impact of an individual on a company's success--an excellent leader who believes in his or her organization, has a personal stake in the business, and possesses the abilities and vision the company's market demands--while grounding the strategy with quantifiable, comparable, and easily accessed measures to analyze the CEO and the company.Finding Midas: Investing in Entrepreneurial CEOs with the Golden Touch explains his CEO assessment strategy in a manner that is accessible to beginners while containing insights that can benefit the most experienced investor. Fleshing out his financial analyses with plenty of relevant anecdotes, Cleveland convincingly argues that the companies with the strongest and most involved leaders are the ones that bring in the biggest profits for their investors. ... Read more

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A detailed look at how Warren Buffett really invests

In this engaging new book, author Prem Jain extracts Warren Buffett's wisdom from his writings, Berkshire Hathaway financial statements, and his letters to shareholders and partners in his partnership firms-thousands of pages written over the last fifty years.Jain uncovers the key elements of Buffett's approach that every investor should be aware of.

With Buffett Beyond Value, you'll learn that, contrary to popular belief, Warren Buffett is not a pure value investor, but a unique thinker who combines the principles of both value and growth investing strategies. You'll also discover why understanding CEOs is more important than studying financial metrics; and why you need an appropriate psychological temperament to be a successful investor.

• Reveals Buffett's multifaceted investment principles
• Discusses how Buffett thinks differently from others about portfolio diversification, market efficiency, and corporate governance
• Highlights how you can build a diverse and profitable investment portfolio

With this book as your guide, you'll learn how to successfully invest like Warren Buffett. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (37)

Buffett's Investment History
Prem Jain's work provides invaluable lessons on Buffett's investing strategies. Most of the recent writing on Buffett have focused on his personal life, so it was definitely helpful to see a book that focused more on Buffett's investments. For those who haven't read much on Buffett, this book absolutely a great starting point. Jain's approachable style of writing captures Buffett's strategies with relevant stories, making the ideas easily applicable to beginners to value investing. For others who already have some knowledge of Buffett, Jain's book is still compelling because of the way he clearly synthesizes lessons gleaned from Buffett's shareholder letters. This is a must read for anyone who is interested in Buffett, investing or business.

Lucid and elaborated , Buffett style of Investing Explained .
A must read for every Buffett fan .
This book is a comprehensive study of Buffett Style of Investing.
As an Author Prem C Jain has written a Gem of a piece, the book will go down to many generations of Investors. And as a great Handbook for all levels of Investors .

Lacking intellectual rigour
Considering this book was written by an academic, I am surprised by the lack of intellectual rigour.The most important part of investing is valuing the business.This section of the book leaves much to be desired.When calculating intrinsic value the author projects future growth rates by assuming they will be the same as recent past growth rates.This is a very dangerous assumption because the past does not predict the future and growth rates have a tendency to rapidly decay.The author bases his discount rate on the mortgage rate for his house.Again I feel this is flawed and the reasoning is not well explained by the author.

The rest of the book is largely a rehash of the annual reports and I think it is better to directly read the primary sources because this book misinterprets some of Buffett's writings.For example the author assumes Buffett pays a premium for a business because of "the potential growth".This is not true because Buffett in his reports makes it abundantly clear that if a business could grow by $1 but consumed $100 of capital in the process, this "growth" would be destructive for shareholder value.It may seem that I'm nitpicking here but anyone who reads Jain's book and runs out and start paying a premium simply for "growth" would risk doing great violence to their wealth. The book contains a number of these partial truths and inconsistencies.

Overall I would recommend skipping the book and directly reading shareholder letters.

Buffet: Beyond Active Trading
I have been an active trader for the past 15 years and I am now looking for a less neurotic way to been invested in the markets."Buffett Beyond Value" is a book that does more than review how one of theworld's richest men got that way.The book dissects exactly how America's most successful investor managed such a feat in a simple and concise manner.

Some accounting terms are used, but Prem Jain succeeds in keeping it to a minimum and presents only the most important measures that all investors should understand to make qualified decisions about investing.

This is not a get rich quick scheme.Rather it is a manual for a comfortable future.And the timing could not be better.After a financial disaster created by greed the financial markets are uniquely positioned for the use of some old fashioned wealth building based on value, growth and superior management.The book has been a pleasure to read and easy to understand with ideas helpful for new and experienced investors alike.

Comprehensive, elaborate, illustrative, and motivating - Best book ever on Buffett's Value Investing principles
This book is studded with numerous examples of Buffett's investments. It does not talk about Buffett's personal life, rather his investment decisions that have turned his company, Berkshire Hathaway, into a solid and resilient company ever. The book is fact based and is a consummation of years of research and analysis of Buffett's investment pattern. This book is a must read for all long-term investors.

The author brings in a new perspective on Buffett's investment style that combines intrinsic value with growth prospect. Value can be estimated objectively but growth potential can only be determined subjectively based on careful examination of capital utilization and management quality. Companies that fall into this narrow criterion are few and one needs to expend a lot of time and effort to find them.

The book touches on all aspects of Buffett-style investing: how Buffett uses insurance float (other people's money - OPM) to buy companies; how Buffett focuses on gauging the downside risk and margin of safety rather than fixating on upward stock price movement; how to invest in capital intensive businesses; how to time the investment; how to constantly seek the knowledge and interpret financial statements; and how to develop the mind-set to be greedy when the market is fearful.

The book has crisp bite-sized chapters and is easy to read. The author, although highly educated, hasn't used any financial jargon. Greatest book on Buffett-style investing so far.

... Read more

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DOING BUSINESS AND INVESTING IN SWEDEN GUIDE (World Business, Investment and Government Library) ... Read more

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Doing Business And Investing in Yugoslavia (World Business, Investment and Government Library) ... Read more

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Purchasing tax lien instruments from city, county, and municipal governments can provide you with very high and secure rates of return, in some cases as high as 12%, 18%, 24%, or even 1,000% or more per year. If performed correctly, investments in tax lien instruments will far outpace stock market performance, even traditional real estate investments. The key is to know how to perform this process correctly. Tax lien certificates and deeds are not purchased through a broker; you purchase these property tax liens directly from the state or county government (depending on the state). This type of investment was created by state law, and state law protects you as the investor. Investing in tax liens and deeds can be very rewarding. Tax liens can be tax deferred or even tax-free. You can purchase them in your self-directed IRA. Interest rates vary but average between 4% and 18%. The interest rates are fixed by local governments, essentially a government-guaranteed loan. Additionally, the investment is secured by real property (real estate). This sounds great, but what is the catch? There really is none, except you must know what you are doing! This groundbreaking and exhaustively researched new book will provide everything you need to know to get you started on generating high-investment returns with low risk, from start to finish. You will learn what property tax liens and tax lien certificates are; how to invest in tax lien certificates; how to buy tax lien certificates; insider secrets to help you double or even triple your investment, how to start with under $1,000; the risks, traps, and pitfalls to avoid; and a detailed directory of states that sell tax lien certificates with contact information. In addition, we spent thousands of hours interviewing, e-mailing, and communicating with hundreds of todayÂ’s most successful investors. This book is a compilation of their secrets and proven successful ideas. If you are interested in learning hundreds of hints, tricks, and secrets on how to purchase tax liens and deeds and earn enormous profits, then this book is for you. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

Good information about Real Estate Tax Liens
I found this book full of good practical advice.The writers show you how to start investing in real estate liens.After reading this book, using their techniques, I did buy one tax lien note.The writers have many years of practical experience.After reading each chapter, I then used the information to find local homes in my area. The writers show you how to do the figure out with simple math and practical means if this tax lien is a good buy. Since there are many foreclosures due to the declining economy in 2010, using the resources in this book, I was able to locate a tax lien note.For me, it was an good way to learn about and then actual investing in real estate liens.You will need to do lots of due diligence, inspections and paperwork in finding a good real estate tax lien investment.I made money investing in real estate tax liens from reading and then following the instructions in this book.

Buy it! Great Info!
This book will help you identify if you want to get involved in tax Lien Investing. I loved it!

Great Intro to Tax Liens
This book is a fantastic start to investing in tax liens.Multiple editing errors were somewhat annoying but the information is great.

Clear read with good information.
This book is well-organized and provides clear and straight-forward information on bidding for and owning tax deeds and tax lien certificates.I live in Florida, so bidding on tax lien certificates is my main area of interest.I particularly like the state-by-state charts included at the back of the book.

An excellent overview and a great place to start!
Recently, I finished reading this book and found that it was reasonably easy to read and understand. This is the first book that I have read cover to cover on this seemingly complicated subject. This book is well written and flows as well or better than a text book, however may lack the personal style or past experiences, many like myself may be seeking to hand hold or walk the reader closer to their goals.

In my opinion, this book is an excellent place to start since it seems very thorough, well researched and appears to offer an excellent overview of tax lien investing. In addition, the author shared the potential for success and/or loss, however does not give much in the way of personal opinions or what some may suggest would be fluff or an overly positive sell on the appeal of this type of investing. Therefore, the points made seem to be based on objective research rather than biased hype through personal opinion.

The author explains generally much of what needs to be done in order to invest in this type of investment, however does not go into great detail or depth on what specific steps need to be taken to actually get there. My gut feeling is that it usually takes reading a few books on the subject or taking a comprehensive course to gain a well rounded level of knowledge on most subjects. Also, most tax lien states have their similarities, but also have distinct differences which may be a complicated task to achieve, in a book of this size.

Although there are very good general suggestions and guidance on how to get started and what needs to be done to be successful, as well as how to minimize the chance for loss, it seems that the author does not go as deep as some other authors on this subject. It is not clear how much personal experience the author has had in the area of tax lien investment, since I do not rememeber personal experiences being shared or much in the way of tips for success from experience.

That tempered with the fact that the author has consulted with other investors for their input and contribution and appears to have done a great deal of research, based upon the bibliography in the book suggests that the author did their professional homework. Additionally, following a review of other books written by the author, it is apparent they have had success in writing on other relatedsubjects such as investment, real estate and business. Therefore in my opinion the author has created a very useful tool to begin building a foundation of knowledge, on the subject.

As prior reviewers have mentioned, this area of investment takes a certain amount of knowledge and experience in order to be successful, therefore one should not expect that reading one book on the subject will prepare the reader to do so without further education and experience. As others have mentioned doing, I too have purchased another book or two on the subject to gain a deeper and more well rounded education, on the subject.

In conclusion, I feel confident in recommending this book as a good source of general information in order to begin the education process of building a foundation, in this area of investment. However, as mentioned earlier, as with most books on investment a reader will likely need to read a few books or more in order to have a well rounded knowledge, on this somewhat complicated subject. ... Read more

Product Description
The author illustrates a revolutionary formula for intuitively outwitting the stock market. He couples age-old oracles of prediction with the very best Wall Street has to offer, using numerology, tarot, the pendulum and astrology to gain wealth.' ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Very disappointed
Don't waste your money like I did. I was expecting something completely different.It is tarot, astrology, numerology, divination, magic and feng-shui techniques and 3 chaptors on stock market information.I would have given it 1 star except I don't like the word "hate" so 2 stars is dislike.

It would be great for a joke!

10 Years ahead of it's time.
Spirituality is a way of life to the people of my new home here in Thailand. They've been channeling the powers of Buddhism and the supernatural for many centuries, and I find it entertaining that magickalthinking -- with the help of Mr. Goodwin's book -- is only now gettingaround to infiltrating heartland America. Why is this resource such ashocking revelation? That using the psychic powers of the mind, body, andspirit can be used to create wealth via the stock market? Seemed obvious tome. And I was quite pleased that someone finally sat down and put it intowords.

I'm a veteran player in the market. I've been doing it for morethan 6-years now, and it is now my exclusive source of income. I only buystocks at certain times of the year, and I found the information in thisbook was right on the money. I recommend that anyone whom invests in themarkets read it, and, anyone who is considering jumping into the market,sit down and read it too.

Holy Cow!
Reading a book on investing doesn't sound like the most exciting way to spend an afternoon.I bought this book because I wanted to invest some money I've just come across but didn't want to enter that evil world of brokers and end up losing everything.This book was PERFECT because itexplains the fundamentals of investing which beginners like myself need,yet it also goes into very deep and interesting places about psychicabilities that I think even veteran investors and brokers will find useful. And above that, it is even ENTERTAINING!Goodwin's commentary on New YorkCity and the stories he tells are very funny and enlightening.

Whimsical
I wonder if the SEC and NASD know about this book? I sure hope not. Because it's to good to be true.

Gag gift? Hardly.
I wanted to hate this guy, and his book, but I just can't. My girl friend bought it for me as a gift, and I laughed at her. I thought it was just a joke. I said to her, "What the hell is this?" And there it sat onmy desk unopened for about a week before a broker friend asked me the samedamn question," What the hell is this," he said. "I don'tknow" I replied, "but by the way we're getting slammed in themarket this month, I think we should both go read it." And then Istarted reading it first for a laugh and it reminded me of that MichaelLewis book, Liars Poker. Funny stuff. A lot of the Stock market coverage inthis book I found a little elementary, but the psychic stuff is pretty deepand interesting. And who could argue with results? I like what he had tosay about intuition being so critical in the investment game. Very true. ... Read more

Product Description
VALUABLE ADVICE FOR INVESTORS OF ALL TYPES FROM STANDARD & POOR'S, TODAY'S MOST TRUSTED RESOURCE FOR RELIABLE INVESTMENT INFORMATION

Standard & Poor's Press brings the impressive knowledge and resources of Standard & Poor's to some of today's most challenging financial issues. Covering subjects from saving for college to technical analysis to risk management, books in the series will give both independent and institutional investors the knowledge they need to dramatically improve their overall financial decisions.

Proven strategies parents can use to save for their children's education without going bankrupt

Just about all families, regardless of their financial status, are daunted by the prospect of paying for their children's college years.

The Standard & Poor's Guide to Saving and Investing for College helps parents determine how much they need to save, understand the least costly payment methods, know where to look for student loans and scholarships, and more. Bringing the full resources of Standard & Poor's to the table, this all-in-one, authoritative guide covers:

• Tax tips for taking full advantage of college saving and costs
• How students can best position themselves for available grant packages
• Pros and cons of popular funding programs, including the popular 529 plan

Customer Reviews (7)

Not worth the money
I purchased this book and the "Dummies Guide to 529." I thought this book would be more informative given its Standard & Poor's association. Instead, much of the book was filled with lists of merchants (for upromise) and specific examples that did not pertain to me. I did not find any basic, straightforward information about 529's. I found better information using the internet! I wish this book had explained what to consider when selecting a 529 in checklist form. I wish I had not purchased this book.

Invesment strategies for college galore
Successfully finding a book regarding how to save for college depends heavily on the background of the reader.I am mathematically adept (majored in economics) and not a novice regarding buying and selling securities (but I don't go short or do derivatives directly).I needed a book that contains strategies that incorporate the current version of the tax code and investment basics.After some false starts (see some of my other reviews for these), I found this book to be a delight.Finally, somewhat unusual for me, I am keeping this book for future reference even after reading it.

Good book for 529 infomation, but go with 529 for Dummies
After my baby was born, I knew I wanted to save for her college. I read this book and another 529 book. This book was ok. I got more information from the 529 for Dummies book. It walked me through the college savings process, explained how to get college financing, and listed all the 529 companies to go with for each state. It decussed tax issues as well. This is not an easy read for someone that does not have a clue about 529's (Me).

Very informative guide for understanding all the nuances.
I own and run a small investment firm and this book is what we give our clients to read. We also train our brokers and advisors with this book (among others). Of course, plans and details change constantly, but we feel this is a more than adequate book that's pretty straight and to the point on information for the average person.

I get the feeling they were trying to be "politically correct" in mentioning a lot of plans and ideas on how to save without trying to piss of mutual funds and other managers though. So many states have weird plans that allow little choice to the consumer besides 3 choices. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I wish they didn't pull punches and really reviewed and said what they really thought sometimes :-)

One of *the* books on paying for a college degree!
David Braverman, a senior director at Standard & Poor's, looks at how financial aid can be part of your savings plan, how to use 529 and Coverdell plans effectively, and the new tax benefits available. For people who are serious about preparing for one of the major expenditures of their entire lives, this is one of the books you need to read early on. Definitely worth a read.

Tom Nixon
Cheap College Degrees website
http://www.cheapdegrees.com ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (5)

Ehhh...Some of the stuff he predicted is right..sorta...
I read this book to see how "accurate" Casey was with regards to the Crisis of 2008..he was about 25% right....some of the predictions were spot on...like the bailouts....most of the book hinges on a linear growth of inflation..by Casey's "projections", we should be at about 50% inflation!!! This is a decent book to read in hindsight..nothing groundbreaking..I like the way he recommends CUSTOM KNIVES as an investment!! Casey was a visionary in that sense..I guess this is an ok book if you are into all the economic doomsday, hyerinflation, gold standard, credit collapse stuff....

Timeless But Something Is Missing...
Doug Casey offers timeless information in this book...even if some of it is a bit dated today. Still, the general principles offered in the book could be applied to the current economic environment to make just about anyone successful.

A few things seem to be missing though from Casey's book. Precious metals take a front seat and everything tied to the U.S. dollar is shunned (most of the time), but Casey ignores the fact that Gold hasn't always been a superstar. Timing matters...which is a point he makes but doesn't stress hard enough in my opinion.

There is a time to hold cash and a time to diversify out of it. Still...all in all, it is absolutely worth the read, even today.

Solid Knowledge
Mr. Casey writes in a concise, well thought out manner and I recommend this book.To give a perspective on the content versus time, I purchased the 70's edition during the summer of 2007.Gold, as well as housing, stocks, and other commodities, have gone through several cyclical phases during this time.The only thing that has been steady is devaluation of the american dollar due to inflation and Mr. Casey explains why.

Speculation is not a given and thankfully many of Mr. Casey's predictions have not come into fruition to the extent he described.But looking at what did happen between the time of the original printing and now, he has been more right than wrong.More importantly, Mr. Casey provides rational thoughts on why.

Mr. Casey's views should not be one of surprise if one understands the schools of economic thought.Mr. Casey's views indicate he is in the Austrian camp.Anyone who is interested in Austrian thinking, which is NOT anarchy based, should look up the Mises Organization as well as Murray Rothbard.

There are 82 used copies available at $.50, why?
Rarely in the annals of investing has advice so sincerely rendered had such a terrible effect on the financial health of so many of its acolytes.Millions of dollars have been lost by thousands of investors who have had the misfortune to heed this now stale dogma i.e. in real dollars gold is off 95% over the last 20 years.

This book, written by a most public persona from the temple of gold-bug mania, one who has endured as a perma-bear over the last 30 years, should be a required afternoon's reading entertainment for those novice, hopeful, knock-a-homa, Joe-six-pack investors everywhere, who would entertain the acquisition of gold as a portfolio hedge or as a road to riches. Like the failed perfidies of socialism this errant advice is still proffered in the 21st century, and who is to say that the author might not ultimately by given his due?However, the repetitive spins of culture have a way of casting before us the prevailing evidence of continued farce so evident in so many facets of human behavior; why not once again?

To fully follow Doug's logic one would have to go to the nub of his theories and test for validity, something he has never done. In fact, if his blandishments were correct in 1975, when he first began writing on subjects as all-encompassing as "the bankruptcy of the world's financial systems",and on the idea that "gold will continue to be the lynchpin of modern economics",then a back casting of his theories, from 2002 to 1975, should serve as a way to test the confirmation of his continuing advocacy? Or is there no other way save wait out the seasons of financial chicanery of criminal and dictatorial elite's as they plunder national treasuries about the globe?In this sense it would be necessary to examine the author's predictions and advocacy of anarchy as a way to govern the affairs of society, against the backdrop of history.

The fact that his book sells for $.50 as a relic of the seventies gives one an indication of the verdict of history as rendered by thousands of readers and investors.By heeding, and worshipping only at the altar of the school of rational calculation, Doug has failed to fully comprehend human nature and its various cultures. This is why backcasting his theories over history has ended with them being relegated to the far, far fringes of public policy.While Doug is a facile and entertaining writer, gifted with an ability to multi-task in a way that most mortals could only dream of, his historic revelations belong in the same dustbin of history with Marx and Malthus as regards his forecasting with predictive accuracy. The reason? His basic set of premises are fatally flawed.

If one reads the most recent of this trilogy,"Crisis Investing", published roughly circa1980; "Strategic Investing" - 1983, and "Crisis Investing for the rest of the 90's" - 1993, one can only marvel at the missing chapters on the rise of the micro-chip revolution, and its effects on gold as a final currency. Beyond that one can continue to be aghast at the author's reasoning as to the way society might be ordered; Ayn Rand's Galt's Gulch being a fantasy of the first order. Anarchy? Show me a successful historical example?

The prime underpinning of Doug's theory is that government is unnecessary. This makes anarchy a possibility for comprising a heaven on earth community.A cursory reading of "the military 100" would disabuse the average person, but not so with our intrepid visionary. He airily dismisses such objections with a cursory "all those guys just......", and then trails off into the intellectual arena of God knows where.

Doug believes that if we don't bother them they won't bother us. He believes that mercenaries and bounty hunters can be hired to fend off the i.e. al-quaeda.That this analysis is totally at odds with history does not seem to phase Doug, intrepid analyst that he is.Just like our socialist brethren, who have been responsible for so much human misery, Doug treads into intellectual quicksand by averring that "just because it hasn't happened yet does not mean that it cannot happen in the future". By this I mean Libertarianism.If you believe it will work then I have a bridge to sell you.And, you're going to lose your shirt investing in the next run-up in the prices of gold stocks. To repeat myself, rarely have so many lost so much by following the advice of so few.

The theme of this book, and indeed of all three of his books, is that:
1 -mankind cannot devise a government worth having.
2- that any government will eventually debase the currency making gold the only solution for those who wish to conduct commerce, and.....
3 - that the masses of humanity, so ignorant and incapable of learning from historical mistakes, will only be a burden on the "producers", as articulated in Rand's "Atlas Shrugged".

From this societal malady, only one solution can be rendered; that is to nsulate oneself from the onion breathed multitude through isolation in a Switzerland-style redoubt in i.e. the rocky mountains, in a modern day "Galt's Gulch".It is there that our modern day "dogs of war" will protect our producers from those who would steal their possessions.

For contrast on Doug's theories please read "the Twilight of Sovereignty" by Walter Wriston - circa 1992, or "the Vandals' Crown" by Millman, circa 1995.These books will explain how the micro-chip has made gold a 3rd rate currency hedge and no longer the final solution for national monetary systems.Read "the Military 100", about the most influential military leaders in history.In order to augment your understanding of the need for government pay particular attention to Machiavelli, Jomini, Sun Tsu and Clausewitz.Compare and contrast what you learn with Doug's advice.

Read the trilogy, Doug is a very bright and an interesting guy. The exercise will make you think and that, in and of itself, is a good thing. I've learned much while listening to him, you could also.

My first investing book
While time has passed since this book came out, some of the information is valuable to the new investor and the experienced one. The info on gold, real estate are indipensible. Buy It! ... Read more