Book picks similar to
The Interpretation of Financial Statements: The Classic 1937 Edition by Benjamin Graham
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Quit Like a Millionaire: No Gimmicks, Luck, or Trust Fund Required
Kristy Shen - 2019
Learn how to cut down on spending without decreasing your quality of life, build a million-dollar portfolio, fortify your investments to survive bear markets and black-swan events, and use the 4 percent rule and the Yield Shield--so you can quit the rat race forever. Not everyone can become an entrepreneur or a real estate baron; the rest of us need Shen's mathematically proven approach to retire decades before sixty-five.
Financial Freedom: A Proven Path to All the Money You Will Ever Need
Grant Sabatier - 2019
Time is not. Become financially independent as fast as possible.In 2010, 24-year old Grant Sabatier woke up to find he had $2.26 in his bank account. Five years later, he had a net worth of over $1.25 million, and CNBC began calling him "the Millennial Millionaire." By age 30, he had reached financial independence. Along the way he uncovered that most of the accepted wisdom about money, work, and retirement is either incorrect, incomplete, or so old-school it's obsolete.Financial Freedom is a step-by-step path to make more money in less time, so you have more time for the things you love. It challenges the accepted narrative of spending decades working a traditional 9 to 5 job, pinching pennies, and finally earning the right to retirement at age 65, and instead offers readers an alternative: forget everything you've ever learned about money so that you can actually live the life you want.Sabatier offers surprising, counter-intuitive advice on topics such as how to:* Create profitable side hustles that you can turn into passive income streams or full-time businesses* Save money without giving up what makes you happy* Negotiate more out of your employer than you thought possible* Travel the world for less* Live for free--or better yet, make money on your living situation* Create a simple, money-making portfolio that only needs minor adjustments* Think creatively--there are so many ways to make money, but we don't see them.But most importantly, Sabatier highlights that, while one's ability to make money is limitless, one's time is not. There's also a limit to how much you can save, but not to how much money you can make. No one should spend precious years working at a job they dislike or worrying about how to make ends meet. Perhaps the biggest surprise: You need less money to "retire" at age 30 than you do at age 65.Financial Freedom is not merely a laundry list of advice to follow to get rich quick--it's a practical roadmap to living life on one's own terms, as soon as possible.
Set for Life: Dominate Life, Money, and the American Dream
Scott Trench - 2017
By layering philosophy with practical knowledge, Set for Life gives young professionals the fiscal confidence they need to conquer financial goals early in life. Accumulating a lifetime of wealth in a short period of time involves working harder and smarter than the average person, and Set for Life demonstrates how to do just that―from zero savings to five figures, then to six figures, and finally to the ultimate goal of financial freedom. Wealth isn’t just about a nest egg, setting aside money for a “rainy day,” or accumulating an emergency fund. True wealth is about building out a Financial Runway―creating enough readily accessible wealth that you can survive without work for a year. Then five years. Then for life. Readers will learn how to: • Save more income―50+ percent of it, while still having fun • Double or triple your income in three to five years • Secure “real” assets and avoid “false” ones that destroy wealth
Understanding Stocks
Michael Sincere - 2003
New chapters cover short selling, alternative investments such as commodities and bonds, and candlestick charting.Michael Sincere is a full-time columnist, writer, and author of nine books, including "The After-Hours Trader, Understanding Options," and "All About Market Indicators."
The Smartest Guys in the Room: The Amazing Rise and Scandalous Fall of Enron
Bethany McLean - 2003
And thirty years later, if you're going to read only one book on Watergate, that's still the one. Today, Enron is the biggest business story of our time, and Fortune senior writers Bethany McLean and Peter Elkind are the new Woodward and Bernstein.Remarkably, it was just two years ago that Enron was thought to epitomize a great New Economy company, with its skyrocketing profits and share price. But that was before Fortune published an article by McLean that asked a seemingly innocent question: How exactly does Enron make money? From that point on, Enron's house of cards began to crumble. Now, McLean and Elkind have investigated much deeper, to offer the definitive book about the Enron scandal and the fascinating people behind it.Meticulously researched and character driven, Smartest Guys in the Room takes the reader deep into Enron's past—and behind the closed doors of private meetings. Drawing on a wide range of unique sources, the book follows Enron's rise from obscurity to the top of the business world to its disastrous demise. It reveals as never before major characters such as Ken Lay, Jeff Skilling, and Andy Fastow, as well as lesser known players like Cliff Baxter and Rebecca Mark. Smartest Guys in the Room is a story of greed, arrogance, and deceit—a microcosm of all that is wrong with American business today. Above all, it's a fascinating human drama that will prove to be the authoritative account of the Enron scandal.
High Returns from Low Risk: A Remarkable Stock Market Paradox
Pim Van Vliet - 2016
Investors traditionally view low-risk stocks as safe but unprofitable, but this old canard is based on a flawed premise; it fails to see beyond the monthly horizon, and ignores compounding returns. This book updates the thinking and brings reality to modelling to show how low-risk stocks actually outperform high-risk stocks by an order of magnitude. Easy to read and easy to implement, the plan presented here will help you construct a portfolio that delivers higher returns per unit of risk, and explains how to achieve excellent investment results over the long term.Do you still believe that investors are rewarded for bearing risk, and that the higher the risk, the greater the reward? That old axiom is holding you back, and it is time to start seeing the whole picture. This book shows you, through deep historical simulation, how to reap the rewards of smarter investing.Learn how and why low-risk, low-volatility stocks beat the market Discover the formula that outperforms Greenblatt's Construct your own low-risk portfolio Select the right ETF or low-risk fund to manage your money Great returns and lower risk sound like a winning combination -- what happens once everyone is doing it? The beauty of the low-risk strategy is that it continues to work even after the paradox is widely known; long-term investment success is possible for anyone who can shake off the entrenched wisdom and go low-risk. High Returns from Low Risk provides the proof, model and strategy to reign in your exposure while raking in the profit.
Confidence Game: How Hedge Fund Manager Bill Ackman Called Wall Street's Bluff
Christine S. Richard - 2010
history. Confidence Game: How a Hedge Fund Manager Called Wall Street's Bluff is the story of Bill Ackman's six-year campaign to warn that the $2.5 trillion bond insurance business was a catastrophe waiting to happen. Branded a fraud by the "Wall Street Journal" and "New York Times," and investigated by Eliot Spitzer and the Securities and Exchange Commission, Ackman later made his investors more than $1 billion when bond insurers kicked off the collapse of the credit markets.* Unravels the story of the credit crisis through an engaging and human drama* Draws on unprecedented access to one of Wall Street's best-known investors* Shows how excessive leverage, dangerous financial models, and a blind reliance on triple-A credit ratings sent Wall Street careening toward disasterConfidence Game is a real world "Emperor's New Clothes," a tale of widespread delusion, and one dissenting voice in the era leading up to the worst financial disaster since the Great Depression.
Tap Dancing to Work: Warren Buffett on Practically Everything, 1966-2012
Carol J. Loomis - 2011
As Buffett’s fortune and reputation grew over time, Loomis used her unique insight into Buffett’s thinking to chronicle his work for Fortune, writing and proposing scores of stories that tracked his many accomplishments—and also his occasional mistakes. Now Loomis has collected and updated the best Buffett articles Fortune published between 1966 and 2012, including thirteen cover stories and a dozen pieces authored by Buffett himself. Loomis has provided commentary about each major article that supplies context and her own informed point of view. Readers will gain fresh insights into Buffett’s investment strategies and his thinking on management, philanthropy, public policy, and even parenting. Some of the highlights include:The 1966 A. W. Jones story in which Fortune first mentioned Buffett. The first piece Buffett wrote for the magazine, 1977’s “How Inf lation Swindles the Equity Investor.” Andrew Tobias’s 1983 article “Letters from Chairman Buffett,” the first review of his Berkshire Hathaway shareholder letters. Buffett’s stunningly prescient 2003 piece about derivatives, “Avoiding a Mega-Catastrophe.” His unconventional thoughts on inheritance and philanthropy, including his intention to leave his kids “enough money so they would feel they could do anything, but not so much that they could do nothing.” Bill Gates’s 1996 article describing his early impressions of Buffett as they struck up their close friendship. Scores of Buffett books have been written, but none can claim this work’s combination of trust between two friends, the writer’s deep understanding of Buffett’s world, and a very long-term perspective.
Inside the House of Money: Top Hedge Fund Traders on Profiting in a Global Market
Steven Drobny - 2006
Author Steven Drobny demystifies how these star traders make billions for well-heeled investors, revealing their theories, strategies and approaches to markets. Drobny, cofounder of Drobny Global Advisors, an international macroeconomic research and advisory firm, has tapped into his network and beyond in order assemble this collection of thirteen interviews with the industry's best minds. Along the way, you'll get an inside look at firsthand trading experiences through some of the major world financial crises of the last few decades. Whether Russian bonds, Pakistani stocks, Southeast Asian currencies or stakes in African brewing companies, no market or instrument is out of bounds for these elite global macro hedge fund managers. Highly accessible and filled with in-depth expert opinion, Inside the House of Money is a must-read for financial professionals and anyone else interested in understanding the complexities at stake in world financial markets. "The ruminations of supposedly hush-hush hedge fund operators are richly illuminating." --New York Times
Tao of Charlie Munger: A Compilation of Quotes from Berkshire Hathaway's Vice Chairman on Life, Business, and the Pursuit of Wealth With Commentary by David Clark
David Clark - 2017
Today, Munger is one of America’s most successful investors, the Vice Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, and Warren Buffett’s business partner for almost forty years. Buffett says “Berkshire has been built to Charlie’s blueprint. My role has been that of general contractor.” Munger is an intelligent, opinionated businessman whose ideas can teach professional and amateur investors how to be successful in finance and life. Like The Tao of Warren Buffett and The Tao of Te Ching, The Tao of Charlie Munger is a compendium of pithy quotes including, “Knowing what you don’t know is more useful than being brilliant” and “In my whole life, I have known no wise people who didn’t read all the time—none, zero.” This collection, culled from interviews, speeches, and questions and answers at the Berkshire Hathaway and Wesco annual meetings, offers insights into Munger’s amazing financial success and life philosophies. Described by Business Insider as “sharp in his wit and investing wisdom,” Charlie Munger’s investment tips, business philosophy, and rules for living are as unique as his life story, intelligent as he clearly is, and as successful as he has been.
The Physics of Wall Street: A Brief History of Predicting the Unpredictable
James Owen Weatherall - 2013
While many of the mathematicians and software engineers on Wall Street failed when their abstractions turned ugly in practice, a special breed of physicists has a much deeper history of revolutionizing finance. Taking us from fin-de-siècle Paris to Rat Pack-era Las Vegas, from wartime government labs to Yippie communes on the Pacific coast, Weatherall shows how physicists successfully brought their science to bear on some of the thorniest problems in economics, from options pricing to bubbles.The crisis was partly a failure of mathematical modeling. But even more, it was a failure of some very sophisticated financial institutions to think like physicists. Models—whether in science or finance—have limitations; they break down under certain conditions. And in 2008, sophisticated models fell into the hands of people who didn’t understand their purpose, and didn’t care. It was a catastrophic misuse of science.The solution, however, is not to give up on models; it's to make them better. Weatherall reveals the people and ideas on the cusp of a new era in finance. We see a geophysicist use a model designed for earthquakes to predict a massive stock market crash. We discover a physicist-run hedge fund that earned 2,478.6% over the course of the 1990s. And we see how an obscure idea from quantum theory might soon be used to create a far more accurate Consumer Price Index.Both persuasive and accessible, The Physics of Wall Street is riveting history that will change how we think about our economic future.
Accounting Game: Basic Accounting Fresh from the Lemonade Stand
Darrell Mullis - 1998
But, more often than not, there's no way to avoid it--even non-financial jobs venture into financial jargon and concepts. For those trying to get more done at the office, organize the dollars and cents in a small business or just in need of a refresher, there's no reason to turn to the average number-crunching class again. The Accounting Game presents financial information in a format so simple and so unlike a common accounting textbook, you may forget you're learning key skills that will help you get ahead! This book uses the world of a kid's lemonade stand to teach the basics of financial language and records. You'll run your own lemonade stand and make it grow by creating signs to advertise it, borrowing money from Mom, buying lemons and sugar and selling to the whole neighborhood. As you run your stand, you'll begin to understand and apply financial terms and concepts like assets, liabilities, earnings, inventory and notes payable, plus: --Know the difference between accrual vs. cash accounting methods--Create and understand an income statement and balance sheet--Track inventory using LIFO and FIFO--Create cash statements and understand cash flow and liquidity--Apply your new knowledge to real-life situations The revolutionary approach of The Accounting Game takes the typically mundane subjects of accounting and business finance and makes them something you can easily learn, understand, remember and use! The Accounting Game is produced by Educational Discoveries, the training industry's leader in accelerative learning technology. More than 70,000 peoplehave graduated from The Accounting Game, the world's most successful one-day financial seminar.
The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It
Michael E. Gerber - 1985
500 CEOs.An instant classic, this revised and updated edition of the phenomenal bestseller dispels the myths about starting your own business. Small business consultant and author Michael E. Gerber, with sharp insight gained from years of experience, points out how common assumptions, expectations, and even technical expertise can get in the way of running a successful business.Gerber walks you through the steps in the life of a business—from entrepreneurial infancy through adolescent growing pains to the mature entrepreneurial perspective: the guiding light of all businesses that succeed—and shows how to apply the lessons of franchising to any business, whether or not it is a franchise. Most importantly, Gerber draws the vital, often overlooked distinction between working on your business and working in your business.The E-Myth Revisited will help you grow your business in a productive, assured way.
The Psychology of Trading
Brett N. Steenbarger - 2002
In addition to providing modern, scientific knowledge about psychology, this book provides a mirror into the mind and wide breadth of knowledge of one of the leading practitioners of brief and effectual cures. Will help to cure your trading and your life. -Victor Niederhoffer, Chief Speculator, Manchester Investments Author, The Education of a Speculator and Practical Speculation How refreshing! A book that rises above the old NLP model of the 80's and provides insights on how our relationship with the market is indeed a very personal one. Not only has Steenbarger provided some fantastic tools for the trader to transform his mindset, but he has contributed unique trading ideas as well. Brilliant! -Linda Raschke, President, LBRGroup, Inc. 'Investigate, before you invest' was for many years the slogan of the New York Stock Exchange. I always thought a better one would be, 'Investigate YOURSELF, before you invest.' The Psychology of Trading should help you increase your annual investment rate of return. Mandatory reading for anyone intending to earn a livelihood through trading. -Yale Hirsch, The Hirsch Organization Inc., Editor, The Stock Trader's Almanac This highly readable, highly educational, and highly entertaining book will teach you as much about yourself as about trading. It's Oliver Sacks meets Mr. Market-extraordinary tales of ordinary professionals and individuals with investment disorders, and how they successfully overcame them. It is a must-read both for private investors who have been shell-shocked in the bear market and want to learn how to start again, as well as for pros who seek an extra edge from extra inner knowledge. Steenbarger's personal voyage into the mind of the market is destined to become a classic. -Jon Markman, Managing Editor, CNBC on MSN Money Author, Online Investing and Swing Trading Dr. Steenbarger's fascinating, highly readable blend of practical insights from his dual careers as a brilliant psychologist and trader will benefit every investor; knowing oneself is as important as knowing the market. -Laurel Kenner, CNBC.com Columnist, Author, Practical Speculation
Think, Act, and Invest Like Warren Buffett: The Winning Strategy to Help You Achieve Your Financial and Life Goals
Larry E. Swedroe - 2012
If you planned to become a great golfer, you might look to Arnold Palmer or Jack Nicklaus.So, if your goals are to outperform other investors and achieve your life's financial goals, what should you do?Think, act, and invest like the best investor out there: Warren Buffett. While you can't invest exactly like he does, Think, Act, and Invest Like Warren Buffett provides a solid, sensible investing approach based on Buffett's advice regarding investment strategies.When it comes to investing, Director of Research for the BAM Alliance and CBS News blogger Larry Swedroe has pretty much seen it all--and he's come to the conclusion that simple is better, that adopting basic investing principles always increases an investor's chance of success, and that Buffett is an excellent model for such investing.In Think, Act, and Invest Like Warren Buffett, Swedroe provides the foundational knowledge you need to:Develop a financial plan to help you make rational decisions on a consistent basisDetermine the level of risk that's right for you, and allocate your assets accordinglyBuild a low-cost, tax-efficient, globally diversified portfolioManage your portfolio by rebalancing periodically to maintain proper risk levelsThe beauty of the Buffett approach is its profound simplicity: follow the basics, keep your cool, and have a sense of humor and humility.The market volatility of recent years has ushered in armies of economists, forecasters, and other so-called experts whose job it is to explain how everything works. Somehow, they have managed to muddy the waters even more.The truth is, investing is easier than you think--even in today's economy. Complex problems can have simple solutions, Swedroe writes. Think, Act, and Invest Like Warren Buffett helps you go back to the basics--so you can leap in front of the investing pack.Praise for Think, Act, and Invest Like Warren Buffett A valuable addition to the growing library of books for investors wanting to successfully launch their own portfolio. Sticking to the core principles of this book will go a long way in preparing investors for their eventual retirement years. -- SeekingAlpha.com"A book that offers excellent pointers on planning for retirement, creating a disciplined investment strategy, and constructing a portfolio." -- Barron'sIf you've been wondering why you've had such a hard time investing well, Think, Act, and Invest Like Warren Buffett will diagnose your ills and treat them in this delightful short book. -- William Bernstein, Author, A Splendid Exchange and The Investor's ManifestoFollow the investment strategy advocated by Larry Swedroe, and free yourself to spend your time on life's treasures--like your family and friends! -- William Reichenstein, Professor, Baylor UniversityLarry Swedroe is the undisputed expert in helping investors manage portfolios the smart way. His new book, Think, Act, and Invest Like Warren Buffett, combines all facets of wealth management in an inspiring and powerful manner. -- Bill Schultheis, Author, The New Coffeehouse Investor"This book, which covers the whys and hows of successful investing, was written for those investors who just can't (or won't) read a 300-page investing book. Swedroe's set of 30 rules is an education in itself. It's a small book with a big message." -- Mel Lindauer, Forbes.com columnist and co-author, The Bogleheads' Guide to Investing and The Bogleheads' Guide to Retirement Planning"You could not spend a more profitable hour than reading Larry Swedroe's wise and lucid hundred page investment guide." -- Burton G. Malkiel, Author of A Random Walk Down Wall Street"Larry Swedroe is the Mark Twain of the investment aphorism. This concise book builds to a conclusion that features thirty of his pithy truths. My favorites include: 'Never work with a commission-based advisor.' 'If it sounds too good to be true, it is.' 'The more complex the investment, the faster you should run away.'" -- Ed Tower, Professor of Economics at Duke University"Larry's book is about how to be successful in investing and in life. But, who would believe this involves understanding 'Big Rocks'? I now understand their importance and so should you! -- John A. Haslem, Professor Emeritus of Finance, University of Maryland, and author of Mutual Funds"Larry Swedroe's latest book shows you how to succeed at investing with simple yet powerful guidance that's backed by the financial sciences. Add it to your 'must-read' list." -- Steve Vernon, author of Money for Life: Turn Your IRA and 401(k) Into a Lifetime Retirement Paycheck"This book is a quick and thorough read of the passive approach to investing in as few pages as possible. As someone who teaches a college investments course that deals extensively with this topic, I would not have thought it possible to do what he has done in such a short concise book. Kudos to Larry for continuing in his quest to educate investors and save them as Larry says 'one investor at a time' from a financial services industry whose primary goal is largely to enrich themselves." -- Edward R. Wolfe, Professor of Finance, Western Kentucky University"Because common sense isn't so common, thank goodness Larry Swedroe provides his readers with this magnificent book. With well-founded actionable advice, his readers can insure that they enrich their lives not Wall Street's bank accounts." -- Harold Evensky, President, Evensky & Katz"Larry doesn't tell you how to do what Warren Buffett does as much as avoid what Warren Buffett avoids, which turns out to be exceptionally important and doable for any investor. He tells you to avoid a few things I would tell you to embrace, like some hedged strategies, but that is because Wall Street typically overcharges you for these, so even here Larry is on the side of the angels. Every investor can benefit immensely from this book." -- Cliff Asness, Founding and Managing Principal, AQR Capital ManagementMany investment books adopt an adversarial tone--urging us to achieve success by somehow outwitting the market. Larry Swedroe explains why following such a strategy often diminishes our financial as well as our spiritual wealth--and shows us how a holistic approach to money, markets, and human behavior provides the most rewarding path to follow. -- Weston Wellington, Vice President, Dimensio