This book foregoes the sensational, headline-grabbing stories about the few billionaire hedge fund managers to reach the top of the field. Instead, it focuses on the much more common travails of start-ups and small investment firms. The successes and failures of a talented group of competitive managers—all highly educated and well trained—show what it takes for managers and allocators to succeed. These accounts include lessons on funding, team development, strategy, performance, and allocation. The hedge fund industry is concentrated in the largest funds, and the big funds are getting bigger. In time, some of these funds will not survive their founders and large sums will get reallocated to a broader selection of different managers. This practical guide outlines the allocation process for fledgling funds, and demonstrates how allocators can avoid pitfalls in their investments. So You Want to Start a Hedge Fund also shows how to: Develop a sound strategy and raise the money you need Gain a real-world perspective about how allocators think and act Structure your team and investment process for success Recognize the patterns of successful start-ups The industry is approaching a significant crossroads. Aggregate growth is slowing and competition is shifting away from industry-wide growth, at the expense of traditional asset classes, to market share capture within the industry. So You Want to Start a Hedge Fund provides guidance for the little funds—the potential future leaders of the industry.

    A unifying framework uses a few core principles to organize readers' thinking then examines the models as real-world scenarios from a practitioner's perspective. By analyzing these applications, readers develop the critical-thinking and problem-solving skills necessary to respond to challenging situations in their future careers. Introduction: Why Study Financial Markets and Institutions?; Overview of the Financial System. Fundamentals of Financial Markets: What Do Interest Rates Mean and What Is Their Role in Valuation?; Why Do Interest Rates Change?; How Do Risk and Term Structure Affect Interest Rates?; Are Financial Markets Efficient? Central Banking and the Conduct of Monetary Policy: Structure of Central Banks and the Federal Reserve System; Conduct of Monetary Policy: Tools, Goals, Strategy, and Tactics. Financial Markets: The Money Markets; The Bond Market; The Stock Market; The Mortgage Markets; The Foreign Exchange Market; The International Financial System. Fundamentals of Financial Institutions: Why Do Financial Institutions Exist?; What Should Be Done About Conflicts of Interest? A Central Issue in Business Ethics. The Financial Institutions Industry: Banking and the Management of Financial Institutions; Commercial Banking Industry: Structure and Competition; Savings Associations and Credit Unions; Banking Regulation; The Mutual Fund Industry; Insurance Companies and Pension Funds; Investment Banks, Security Brokers and Dealers, and Venture Capital Firms. The Management of Financial Institutions: Risk Management in Financial Institutions; Hedging with Financial Derivatives. On the Web: Finance Companies. For all readers interested in financial markets and institutions.

    He explains how bankers worldwide created a secret trillion-dollar machine that delivered cheap mortgages to the masses and riches beyond dreams to the financial innovators.Fundamental to this saga is how “the people who hated to lose” were persuaded to accept risk by “the people who loved to win.” Why did people come to trust and respect arcane financial tools? Who were the bankers competing to assemble the basic components into increasingly intricate machines? How did this process achieve its own unstoppable momentum—ending in collapse, bailouts, and a public outcry against the giants of finance?Provocative and intriguing, The Devil’s Derivatives sheds much-needed light on the forces that fueled the most brutal economic downturn since the Great Depression.

    Calculating and assessing the overall financial health of the business is an important part of any managerial position. From reading and deciphering financial statements, to understanding net present value, to calculating return on investment, Finance for Managers provides the fundamentals of financial literacy. Easy to use and nontechnical, this helpful guide gives managers the smart advice they need to increase their impact on financial planning, budgeting, and forecasting.

    A prominent bank CEO seems on the verge of a nervous breakdown.In Washington D.C., a former Wall Street regulator checks into a hotel using the name of a hedge fund manager for an illicit meeting with a prostitute. In a D.C. suburb, the CFO of a beleaguered mortgage giant chooses a drastic personal end to “relentless pressure”.In a picturesque suburb of Zug, Switzerland, the CFO of a major insurance company decides to end his life. In London, a financier kills himself in a way he once said he never would.In her new memoir, Janet Tavakoli shines a bright light on the money-driven culture of Wall Street and Washington, and the life and death consequences of our decisions that put profit above all.Approximately 16,000 words of text (not including front and back matter and references. 105 total pages)Praise for Decisions"Tavakoli takes us on a scenic tour of the recent lowlights of Wall Street and Washington...demystified and rendered tragically human. It's a compelling tale.” Jake Bernstein, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting "Merrill Debauchery Only Begins This Woman's Tale... 'Neither Bill nor I believed Calvi committed suicide,' Tavakoli writes. 'Bill joked that he'd never hang himself. It was too gruesome.'"Bloomberg News "Janet Tavakoli is a born storyteller with an incredible tale to tell. She takes us on a br /isk journey from the depravity of 1980s Wall Street to the systemic recklessness that crushed the global economy.”Nomi Prins, author of All the Presidents' Bankers “An authority on credit derivatives, has written a reflective memoir about life in the world of finance. Tavakoli is not a woman who employs words carelessly, and when she says fraud she means ... fraud.” All About Alpha Praise for Janet M. Tavakoli“She knows her stuff, has strong opinions, and turns a colourful quote.” Financial Times “Janet Tavakoli knows more about the inside of the financial world than nearly anyone else!”Jim Rogers, Author of Street Smarts - Adventures on the Road and in the Markets“Intelligent analyst whose command of the arcane world...mixed with a brutally honest analytical framework makes it a pleasure to read her work.” Asia Times Online

    Well, here's some great news: amazing opportunities exist in the Canadian real estate market for investors who understand how big-picture economic fundamentals can be combined with sound property analysis to create exceptional wealth. Your key to success is to learn the powerful techniques that have helped thousands of others to make money and accomplish their lifestyle dreams through intelligent real estate investing.In Real Estate Investing in Canada, you'll discover the breakthrough Authentic Canadian Real Estate (ACRE) system, a step-by-step program designed to unlock the secrets behind profitable real estate investing. Developed by Canadians for Canadians, savvy investors have already used this ACRE approach to purchase nearly $1 billion in property. You can learn how the ACRE system can help you cut through real estate market hype to get honest answers about critical investment questions.In Real Estate Investing in Canada, you'll learn:how to spot a market that is over-priced or, better yet, under-priced how to know if a town will boom or bust--before it happens how to accurately analyze any property--even if you're a novice investor decide, within 30 seconds, whether a property has profit potential or not the 18 secrets to street-smart negotiations--how to use them to get the deal you want the 7 proven strategies that will get the bank to say yes to your deals how to get your offer accepted, even in a competitive market the single most important step for an overachieving real estate investor (it's not what you think!) The fundamentals of the real estate market have changed dramatically over the past few years, and investors need to know how to read the signs so they get in and--just as importantly--out of the market at the right time.So, if you're serious about informed investing, read Real Estate Investing in Canada, learn the ACRE system, and join the ranks fo Canada's top real estate investors.********************************************************Canadians are looking to real estate investing to build wealth given the unpredictable nature of the stock market. The Authentic Canadian Real Estate (ACRE) System is the first of its kind to show ordinary Canadians how to profit from investing in residential real estate. In Real Estate Investing in Canada, readers will discover how to cut through the hype and emotion of a real estate market and assess the inherent risks and rewards. Whether buying a first property or the 100th, this book gives every investor new-found tools, strategies and confidence to achieve their investment goals.What Canadian real estate investors are saying about the ACRE System and Don R. Campbell: "This is a great book. One strategy alone saved me over $28,000 in the last nine months!" -- Michael Millenaar"Full of practical Canadian content and presented in an organized and respectful system. It directly addresses how you get the money and financing you need to purchase enough real estate to achieve your goals." -- Tamara MacLaren"One of Don Campbell's great gifts is his near-genius ability to take something that appears complex and break it down into a simple step-by-step system that anyone can follow. I am convinced that everyone will thoroughly enjoy, and more important, benefit financially, by reading this book." -- Russell Westcott"The power of Real Estate Investing in Canada lies in the super simple, street-proven systems that it offers you. It makes real estate dreams possible and reachable for any Canadian. If you are serious about learning the truth, cutting through all the hype and being successful, this is your real estate bible!"-- Valden Palm, Misterrrsp.com A portion of the proceeds from this book will be donated to Habitat for Humanity Canada.Special BonusThe markets across the country are continually shifting and you must keep on top of the latest information. So, as a bonus, every registered reader of Real Estate Investing in Canada will have proprietary access to critical forms and ongoing market research at www.reincanada.com.

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    After winning the highest award in his field, Vincent was offered a 3 percent raise. He knew at that moment he needed a monumental change. One month away from their baby being born, Vincent and Elizabeth started a side photography business out of desperation. In less than four years, they grew their business to pay off all of their debt, including their home, and left their jobs for a life of freedom. With the world moving rapidly towards a freelance model, Freelance to Freedom is not only timely and necessary, but it’s also entertaining, engaging and paints a picture for anyone looking for a life of freedom with money, time and location.

    The Great Inflation, argues award-winning columnist Robert J. Samuelson in this provocative book, was the worst domestic policy blunder of the postwar era and played a crucial role in transforming American politics, economy, and everyday life-and yet its story is hardly remembered or appreciated. In these uncertain economic times, it is more imperative than ever that we understand what happened in the 1960s and 1970s, lest we be doomed to repeat our mistakes. From 1960 to 1979, inflation rose from barely more than 1 percent to nearly 14 percent. It was the greatest peacetime inflationary spike in this nation's history, and it had massive repercussions in every area of our lives. The direct consequences included Ronald Reagan's election to the presidency in 1980, stagnation in living standards, and a growing belief-both in America and abroad-that the great-power status of the United States was ending." The Great Inflation and Its Aftermath" traces the origins and rise of double-digit inflation and its fall in the brutal 1981-82 recession, engineered by the Federal Reserve under then-chairman Paul Volcker and with the staunch backing of Reagan. But that is only half the story. The end of high inflation triggered economic and social changes that are still with us. The stock market and housing booms were both direct outcomes; American business became more productive-and also much less protective of workers; and globalization was encouraged. We cannot understand today's world, Samuelson contends, without understanding the Great Inflation and its aftermath. Nor can we prepare for the future unless we heed its lessons. This incisive and enlightening book will stand as the authoritative account of a watershed event of our times. Praise for "The Great Inflation and Its Aftermath"""Newsweek" and "Washington Post" columnist Samuelson is one of the rare journalists who debates politics and economics with a healthy skepticism toward conventional wisdom. Politicians would do well to study [the errors] the past that teach that choosing quick fixes only delays and worsens the inevitable.""- Booklist" "If you want to understand the economic events of the last half century, you should read. . . Robert Samuelson's The Great Inflation and Its Aftermath: --U.S News & World Report.

    Implementing these Five Secrets in your life could radically change not only your current financial situation, but the financial future of your children and grandchildren.

    In The Value of Debt in Building Wealth, bestselling author Thomas J. Anderson encourages you to rethink that. You'll walk away from this book with an understanding of how you can use debt wisely to secure the financial future you envision for yourself and your family. Student loans, mortgages, lines of credit, and other forms of debt are all discussed in detail, with a focus on smart planning for those who are accumulating assets--and debt--now.Should you rent or buy? How important is liquidity? What is good versus bad debt? How much debt should you have? What debt-to-income and debt-to-asset ratios should you aim for? Fixed debt or floating debt? What's the best way of saving for college and retirement? These are big questions that deserve thorough answers because the choices you make now could influence the course of your life. This thought-provoking book will open your eyes to savvy financial strategies for achieving your goals faster and with healthier bank accounts.Explore strategies for smart debt management, explained by one of the nation's top financial advisors Gain an understanding of investment basics and key financial concepts you'll need to achieve your long-term goals Understand the risks of having debt and the potential risks of being debt-free Make financial decisions now that will maximize your wealth, freedom, and opportunity later This book is not about buying things you cannot afford. It is about liquidity, flexibility and optimizing your personal balance sheet. The Value of Debt in Building Wealth is full of ideas you can apply to your own situation--no matter what your current asset level. Read this book today and thank yourself later.

    Or it can be a way to lose your shirt. What determines whether you get rich or go broke can often be a tiny detail here, a missed opportunity there. The margin for error is slim. Heck, it’s non-existent. Fortunes are amassed by experienced options traders who know how to use this strategy THE RIGHT WAY. And financial lives are destroyed by those who don’t. This book will catapult you into that first category. Without all the fluff and B.S. that you don’t need. The Bullsh*t Free Guide to Iron Condors is a TRUE no-nonsense guide to the Iron Condor strategy, written by an experienced trader who lives (or dies) by working it every day. It’s designed as a real-life, step-by-step guide for experienced options traders who want to use this strategy the RIGHT WAY -- which means the CONSISTENTLY PROFITABLE way. In the book you’ll discover: * 6 little-known techniques for adjusting trades that go bad (most experienced traders don’t even know these) * How to create a trading journal and trading log, and why it’s CRUCIAL that you do. (Note: the book includes downloadable examples you can use yourself.) * The 3 ways the world’s top Iron Condor traders manage risk, including detailed examples so you can trade “like the big boys.” * How to save yourself thousands of dollars when entering live trades (this information is closely guarded by many trading “gurus”). * Which option broker is the best for trading Iron Condors. (This is one of the most important decisions you’ll make, so choose wisely.) * How to set up a trading plan that actually works. (We include a sample trading plan to get you started.) * Why weekly options are not as amazing as they sound (and are, in fact, often a HUGE mistake). * How to incorporate volatility into your trading. (You will come to LOVE huge volatility moves after reading this!) * How to eliminate the risk of early assignment. * How to avoid being caught with your pants down on settlement day. (Make this mistake and you can kiss your profits goodbye.)

    According to author and acquisitions editor W. Terry Whalin, this approach is backwards. About 80% to 90% of nonfiction books are sold from a book proposal. This mysterious document called a proposal contains many elements that will never appear in a manuscript―yet these details are critical to publishing executives who make the decision about publishing or rejecting an author’s project. In Book Proposals That Sell, Terry reveals 21 secrets to creating a book proposal that every author needs in order to create one that sells.

    Now, with Getting Started in Value Investing, Mizrahi breaks down this successful strategy so that anyone can learn how to use it in his or her own investment endeavors. Written in a straightforward and accessible style, this book helps readers gain an overall understanding of the value approach to investing and presents statistics that reveal the overwhelming success of this approach through a variety of markets. Engaging and informative, Getting Started in Value Investing skillfully shows readers how to look for undervalued companies and provides them with the tools they need to succeed in today's markets.Charles S. Mizrahi (Brooklyn, NY) is Managing Partner of CGM Partners Fund LP. He is also editor of Hidden Values Alert, a monthly newsletter focused on value investing. Mizrahi has more than 25 years of investment experience and is frequently quoted in the press. Many of his articles appear online at gurufocus.com as well as on other financial sites.

    Tharp is an internationally recognized expert at helping others become the best traders they can be. In Trading Beyond the Matrix: The Red Pill for Traders and Investors, Tharp leads readers to dramatically improve their trading results and financial life by looking within. He takes the reader by the hand through the steps of self-transformation, from incorporating Tharp Think--ideas drawn from his modeling work with great traders--making changes in yourself so that you can adopt the beliefs and attitudes necessary to win when you stop making mistakes and avoid methods that don't work. You'll change your level of consciousness so that you can avoiding trading out of fear and greed and move toward higher levels such as acceptance or joy.A leading trader offers unique learning strategies for turning yourself into a great trader Goes beyond trading systems to help readers develop more effective trading psychology Trains the reader to overcome self-sabotage that obstructs trading success Presented through real transformations made by other traders Advocating an unconventional approach to evaluating trading systems and beliefs, trading expert Van K. Tharp has produced a powerful manual every trader can use to make the best trades and optimize their success.