Book Description

Ed Slott’s book The Retirement Savings Time Bomb . . . and How to Defuse It taughtAmericans how to protect their hard-earned cash from the IRS’s coffers. Now, "America’s IRAexpert" (Mutual Funds Magazine) returns with a bulletproof plan for ensuring your IRA’scontinued longevity, tax-favored, for generations.

In Parlay Your IRA, Ed Slott shows you how to make the most out of your retirement plan.Slott's three-step strategy cuts through the tax laws and provides simple, easy-to-followinstructions for managing your IRA and other retirement income. Learn what you can do to parlayit into a fortune during your lifetime, and what you must do now to ensure that yourbeneficiaries will have all the options available to capitalize on the opportunity you've created forthem to keep your money growing.

Packed with strategies, tips, answers to frequently asked questions Parlay Your IRA into aFamily Fortune offers real solutions to making the most of your retirement money.

Learn how to:
* Achieve unlimited tax-free income when you retire.
* Pass more assets on to loved ones and other beneficiaries
* Keep retirement assets in the family for decades, even generations, and pay minimal or notaxes
*Protect your retirement account from creditors, divorce, bankruptcy, lawsuits, or other problemsthat could expose it to loss
*Use a Roth IRA to build a tax-free fortune
* And much, much more
... Read more

Reviews (1)

Excellent strategic planning
Ed Slott has produced a gem of a book.His message is targeted to those of us who don't plan to use up our entire IRA savings account during our own lifetimes, but plan to leave some of those savings for our heirs. If you can make that money grow by investing wisely, Slott shows you the secret of making that money last (he calls it `stretching') for the lifetime of your beneficiary (and even longer).It really is possible to convert your IRA into a family fortune.

There are three important steps to take.The first is converting to a Roth IRA.The next is to carefully choose the correct beneficiary.It must be one person.More than one beneficiary is OK, but it's crucial to set up a new IRA account for each.Be certain that your beneficiaries understand the steps necessary to stretch their IRAs to last the lifetime of their heirs.

The third step involves hiring an IRA advisor.The laws are tricky and things must be done just right.Fortunately, Slott provides directions on just how to get started.Although I was reluctant to take this step, he points out the importance of hiring an IRA advisor and how to go about finding one who is competent.It's too important to trust just anyone.

By carefully reading this book and following the instructions, you can arrange for your savings to continue to compound - tax deferred - for years.

If I found one fault with the book, it's that it lacks advice on just how to get the money in your IRA account to grow at a satisfactory rate.These are not the 1990's and one cannot simply park money in the stock market and watch it increase in value daily.Fortunately, I recently came across another new book that fills the gap.CREATE YOUR OWN HEDGE FUND describes a method of investing that taught me how to hedge (reduce the risk of owning) a portfolio of index funds (ETFs).The book is a tutorial on how and why this method is suitable for most investors.

I recommend both books as a way to build your IRA account and make it last for generations.
... Read more

Book Description

The Wall Street Journal Guide to Understanding Money & Investing initiates you into the mysteries of the financial pages -- buying stocks, bonds, mutual funds, futures and options, spotting trends and evaluating companies. For those who are curious but intimidated by everyday financial jargon, this guide offers a literate, forthright and lively alternative. ... Read more

Reviews (50)

Incomplete and Misleading Basic Definitions
To me a guide from a brand name source like The Wall Street Journal should always elucidate and never mislead. If this book were called a dictionary of money and investing, I would give it a five star rating. For it works well as a dictionary. In fact, it is better than a dictionary because the explanations are clearer, more detailed, and better illustrated.

In the sections on what money, stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and economic indicators are, the book functions as that five star dictionary.

Within each section beginning with stocks, the "guide" also begins to guide you in subtle ways that can cause you harm. Let me cite a few examples. The guide seems to suggest that when the market is going up, a company's earnings are doing well, and interest rates are not rising that is a good time to buy a stock. The illustrated graph seems to show other times when it is good not to buy stocks. As such, it suggests the mentality of buying and selling stocks to catch cycles. Yet research has shown that few people can master that process, so those who try will tend to do less well than those who buy and hold.

Another example is in failing to discuss the role of management fees, expenses, portfolio turnover, and diversification on which mutual fund to pick. As John Bogle shows in Common Sense on Mutual Funds, these are very important factors to consider. Yet they are not defined or cited.

The book also teaches people a little about short selling, commodities, futures, and other exotic investments. The book fails to point out that these are well beyond the skill of the average investor, and that many people get hurt in these areas. Basically, this is like a book of definitions about poisonous snakes that fails to mention that the snakes are poisonous if they bite you.

Other obvious omissions included no mention of tracking stocks, ADRs in the stock section (you find the definition in International markets, where to me it fits less well), the differences in discount brokers, electronic trading choices, and how to find information about stocks on the Internet (the only source cited in the SEC).

The focus is overly on the U.S. with only a small section on international securities. The area of interest rate futures, where Europe dominates, is barely referred to in this book.

Some of the information is just plain out of date. NAIC is cited as being the National Association of Investment Clubs. I believe it dropped that name over 10 years ago although it still goes by NAIC. The guide refers to there being 37,000 investment clubs in the U.S. I think that number was exceeded many years ago.

Further, much of the information is basically about how to read economic statistics. Many people would argue technical analysis is at least as important as economic statistics, but nothing about technical analysis is included in the book.

If you want to learn about investing, you need to know investing principles more than you need to know these terms (such as the various aspects of a stock certificate's printing and engraving). You will find most of the relevant terms covered in basic investing books like Louis Engel's book, How to Buy Stocks. You would be far better off reading ChangeWave Investing, Common Sense on Mutual Funds, and Rich Dad, Poor Dad's Investment Guide than this book for getting a sense of what the basic investing issues are.

Overcome your misconception that anything with The Wall Street Journal's name on it is bound to be the best resource. Certainly, that isn't true in this case.

My suggestion is that The Wall Street Journal revise this book and either cut it back into being an expanded dictionary, or expand it into an investing guide worthy of its name.

A foundation for investing.
I purchased this book six years ago so that I could start down the long road of learning how to invest my money. It is far and away the best beginning level investment book that I have ever seen! THE GOOD: 1) It starts from the beginning! It begins by explaining money, the Federal Reserve, and economic cycles. From there it moves on to stocks, bonds, mutual funds and futures & options. 2) It is simple! With its colored charts, simple paragraphs and real world examples even grade school kids can understand the concepts presented here. 3) It is concise! It gives you enough information so that you completely understand the concept, yet it does it in two pages! No more wading through economic textbooks looking for the meaning of "price/earning ratio." THE BAD: 1) It starts from the beginning. If you already know about money cycles, common and preferred stock or U.S. Treasury bonds then this book may bore you. 2) It is simple. Don't go looking for too much detail here. If you want detailed information about which mutual find to buy, look elsewhere. 3) It is concise. Once it covers the basics it ends. If you already know the basics, then you could be considered a graduate of this book. OVERALL: The title really says it all: it is a guide to understanding money and understanding investing. Once you understand the concepts you can move on to more detailed books.

The Best
As many have said in their reviews, this is a great starting point for those new to investing and financial markets. In fact, it's the best I've ever found and I've looked a lot. The simple, plain English explanations are what makes this book stand out. For the nuances and more detailed information regarding the topics in the book, look to a textbook from a college finance class. But for the person who knows very little, start with this.

Good for beginner investors
If you are new to investing and need a simple primer, read this book. It's well organized and written. Those that have invested for a while will find this book simplistic. Nevertheless, I think every beginning investor should get a copy and read it.

This is My Bible
Even now, after much study of investing, I always come back to this book for clarification. Consider this book as the very basic starting point for all other investing knowledge.

YOU CANNOT GO WRONG WITH THIS BOOK!!!! ... Read more

Book Description

The premise of the text is that students learn financial statement analysis most effectively by performing the analysis on actual companies. Students learn to integrate concepts from economics, business strategy, accounting, and other business disciplines. The text is designed for courses on financial statement analysis and financial reporting found in accounting, finance, and economics departments. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Good Book for Executives and Students
This is good Financial Reporting and Analysis book. Some chapters have been presented in a bit confusing way, overall it deserves good rating.

Great book for executives-students
A good book and great resource for someone interested in viewing FSA broadly. The authors do not forget the importance of accounting and reporting to analysis, however. Very current.

a really bad and confusing book
Students in search of a good book on financial statements should look at "The analysis and Use of financial statements" from White/Sondhi/Fried. Professor Stickney seems more interested in making money than in writing a decent book

Found the book a nice balance between reporting and analysis
As someone who wants finance, accounting, and strategy all in one book, this does a nice job of integrating things. Current examples are great. Access to solutions to cases would be most helpful

broad, limited illustrations of case problems
For someone with just the basic knowledge of accounting or finance, this book would certainly pose a challenge- especially with the case problems. ... Read more

Book Description

Intermediate microeconomics is both fun and intellectually challenging in this new edition, written by the author of The Armchair Economist, the popular trade book that explains basic economics to the general public. The text provides an exceptionally friendly and application-rich presentation, combined with a rigorous and careful development of microeconomic theory. All of the standard topics of intermediate price theory are included, as well as innovative topics such as alternative normative criteria, efficient asset markets, contestable markets, antitrust law, human capital, and the demand for public goods. A unique unifying theme of social welfare is used with little higher-level mathematics. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Excellent book for beginners
This is one of the best books I have ever read. Anyone who is just beginning with microeconomics, should start with this book. It is very simple and goes right to the point.

Very readable and challenging textbook
This is an excellent textbook for any intermediate level price theory or microeconomics course. The author is right when he says beginning students should find it easy to grasp and advanced students will find the material challenging and thought provoking. The portion devoted to a review of elementary topics is small, and I would not recommend this book as an introduction to economics. Any undergraduate who encounters this book should breathe a sigh of relief - it is definitely one of the better texts in the subject. Instructors looking for a good textbook would do well to choose this one.

The "study guide" that is sometimes packaged with the textbook is not entirely useful; the number of problems actually in the textbook should be more than sufficient. Overall, this is a great survey of price theory with Landsburg's signature examples and interesting applications.

I agree! Excellent textbook!
I recommend this book for some undergraduate student to take an intermediate microeconomics! Lucid explanation and some pictures are the finest.His another work, Armchair economist,is also nice. Randsburg did many good jobs!

Excellent text
I have only read two textbooks in my life that I would recommend to the public in general. This is one. If you have never studied economics, start here. Extremely readable. Note in particular the discussion on whether college should be outlawed (Chapter 9, "Knowledge and Information"), the tragic story of Treasury Bill #GS7-2-179-46-6606-1 (Chapter 17, "Allocating Goods over Time") and the Pigs-in-the-Box problem (Chapter 12, "Game Theory"). Don't succumb to the Nash equilibrium! Read Price Theory.

great!!
One of the best books on Price Theory. He really elucidates the subject matter. The questions given at the end of the chapters challenge you to the limit. ... Read more

Book Description

The casebook provides detailed information on federal income taxation. The casebook provides the tools for fast, easy, on-point research. Part of the University Casebook Series®, it includes selected cases designed to illustrate the development of a body of law on a particular subject. Text and explanatory materials designed for law study accompany the cases. ... Read more

Book Description

Covers the financial impact of the recent tax cuts

"Detailed, action-oriented advice . . . A standout personal finance primer."
—Kristin Davis, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance

Do you need help managing your financial priorities? Relax! This friendly guide, now updated to include changes to the tax code, gives you just the information you need to take control of your finances, buy the right insurance coverage, and weather economic downturns.

Praise for Personal Finance For Dummies

". . . provides tremendous insight and guidance into the world of investing and other money issues."
–PBS Nightly Business Report

"Tyson doesn’t tell you what to do or consider doing without explaining the hows and whys – and the booby traps to avoid – in plain English."
–Chicago Tribune

"Smart advice . . . . Rewards your candor with advice and comfort."
–Newsweek ... Read more

Reviews (64)

Required Reading
When I bought the first edition of this book, I was a poor post-graduate loaded with bad debt. At the time, I knew nothing about CD's, funds, stocks, bonds, insurance, 401(k)'s, home-buying, budgeting, saving, debt-reduction, taxes, or any other basic issues of personal finance. All I knew is that I never could seem to "get ahead" financially. Tyson's book led me from this sorry state through four years of self-education and growing self-confidence about controlling my own financial future. Even now, debt-free and market-positioned, I still reference this book when I encounter a new facet of my financial life.

No "get-rich-quick" scheme, Tyson lays out a solid framework for anyone interested in getting and maintaining control of their own financial situation throughout a lifetime. The ideas he lays out help a person not only educate him/herself concerning money, but also instill confidence that a financial situation can be corrected or controlled personally.

Although this book would serve as a valuable reference to ANYONE interested in their own financial future, it would especially be useful to a young person just "starting out" or to any person who feels overwhelmed by their own financial situation.

Great start to personal finance
When I entered the real world fresh out of graduate school, my financial situation was not too healthy, which most new graduates can empathize with. After overcoming the horror of my overwhelming debt, I started reading books on personal finance (a great hobby that is not expensive if you use libraries and friends). Personal Finance for Dummies was a very refreshing, practical book on personal finances. Unlike most books, it gave a lot of necessary PRACTICAL DETAILS in an EASY TO READ fashion. And it was not full of bogus get-rich-quick schemes or attempts to sell a plethora of expensive get-rich-quick products that you "need." If you want down to earth advice, read this book.

The money it took to buy this book and the time it took to read this book were the two best investments I ever made! Two years later, I have investments, and I am almost debt-free. It took a lot of work and a lot more discipline. But without this book, I probably would not have come as far as fast.

Good luck! Jason

If you make money, you need this book
They don't teach personal finance in schools. In this book, author Tyson teaches what every high school in the nation should teach anyone who plans to earn money.

This book provides excellent advice on how to save your money and how to set your savings and spending priorities. In particular, Tyson takes into account the tax advantages and disadvantages of various approaches, and he gives an easy to implement way to maximize the tax benefits that the government provides to encourage wise financial decisions.

It is true that the author likes Vanguard's mutual funds and his book clearly recommends them (along with some others). He's in good company: Consumer Reports also recommends some of Vanguard's mutual funds, and Vanguard consistently has the lowest costs in the mutual fund industry.

Finally, a word of advice: Avoid, avoid, avoid any book that recommends dubious tax evasion schemes like starting your own fictitious business for the purpose of taking tax deductions on personal expenses. Instead, buy this book and follow Tyson's recommendations on taking advantage of legitimate tax benefits associated with wise saving and spending.

The most informatvie book on the subject I have ever read!
I work as a financial professional, counseling individuals regarding the options in their employer-sponsored retirement plans. Although the counsel I can give is limited to their retirement plan, several have asked me for advice in other areas of their financial lives. I do not hesitate to recommend this book. Whether you are starting from square one in getting your financial house in order, or your checkbook is balanced to the penny every week, there is information in this book that will benefit you. The "For Dummies" format is perfect for this subject, and Eric Tyson does an excellent job of breaking into layman's terms the most complex of finance and investing concepts. Also, an excellent section on selecting a financial planner is provided. I have often seen the devastating effects that the wrong financial advice has wrought in people's lives. The list of criteria to apply when seeking a financial advisor is one of the most valuable tools I have seen on the subject. This book is one of the most valuable resources I have ever seen in helping the average person get control of their financial lives. Applying its principles will pay immediate as well as long-lasting rewards.

this book has changed my life!
I recommend this book very highly to just about everyone. This is a down to earth guide to getting your personal finances into tip-top shape. No hype here. Just honest to goodness advice that took me from a hand-to-mouth existence and debt up to my eyeballs, to nearly no debt (just mortgage), money in the bank, and investments, plus nearly a paid-off home, all within about 5 years. Anyone willing to hold down a job and follow the common-sense advice in this book, should have no problems achieving similar goals. I should point out that this book is NOT about any "get-rich-quick" schemes, but about down to earth long-term investing, and money/finance management. ... Read more

Book Description

Available Now!

Get the Study Guide designed to ensure your success in Financial Accounting!  This study guide is a powerful tool for in classroom use and for preparing for exams. Each chapter of the guide includes study objectives, a chapter review consisting of 20-30 key points, and a demonstration problem linked to study objectives in the textbook. True/false, multiple-choice, and matching questions provide additional practice opportunities. Solutions to the exercises are detailed and therefore provide substantial feedback. ... Read more

Book Description

This leading Corporate Finance text is designed for the first course at the MBA level but is certainly used at many undergraduate programs as well. CORPORATE FINANCE emphasizes the modern fundamentals of the theory of finance. The authors make the theory come to life through the use of contemporary examples, clarity of exposition, and a balanced presentation of theory and practice. The authors consistently use the intuitions of arbitrage, net present value, efficient markets and options throughout the text. The goal of this text is to present corporate finance as the working of a small number of integrated and powerful intuitions. ... Read more

Reviews (26)

This is THE book for serious study of corporate finance !
I am a student with science background. When I started my research on corporate finance, I had ZERO knowledge of investment and business ! I have tried very hard to swallow through the famous Bryley and Myers text recommended by my supervisor, and what I can conclude was : boy, is this how finance people write their text ? After beating about the bush for tens of pages, you still have no idea what they are talking about !

Thankfully this book by Ross and also another by Haim Levy save my day and correct my almost biased opinion about business academics (disorganized to the extent that can't even produce an honest and sincere introduction of finance with clarity and organized structure, that I sometimes wonder do these people know their work or not ?).

Really I don't know why some people discount Ross completely, because this is really one of the more decent and organized texts available about corporate finance. Anyone who wants to have serious learning about corporate finance should really take a look at Ross and also Haim Levy. Have patience and you will see where the author is leading you to. I am speaking from someone with ZERO background and experience in finance and business.

Big, thick, loaded and somewhat confusing in parts
The authors have tried to cram all the theories and ideas of corporate finance in one single volume- they did a commendable job, but has made it too burdensome for MBA students who have to cover the whole book in a single semester. The initial chapters are a joy to read, but it all becomes unstuck when the reader reaches Part IV (Capital Structure and Dividend Policy). Then the authors become somewhat vague and make a heavy weather of explaining the important topic. That is the reason why I could not give five stars to an otherwise excellent book. The initial three parts viz. Overview, Value and Capital Budgeting, and Risk introduce novices gently to the basic concepts and tools. The writing is wordy, but very simple, and it never becomes irksome to the reader.The part on options is detailed enough to give the reader a basic idea of derivatives and will set him/her up nicely for future courses in advanced finance. On the whole, the book is much more detailed and easily acceptable than the other "classic" viz. Brealey and Myers. The best fact is that the authors are not writing for financial experts, but for people who are new to finance. Possibly, this is the best introductory textbook on corporate finance available today.

Excellent Introduction to Finance, and a Good Reference
First off, I never had any particular interest in the area of Finance. I simply purchased this book as a required text for the core finance course in my MBA program. All in all, I was very pleasantly surprised. The course was very informative, with a top-notch professor leading us through the material. But even more than the lectures, this book was my primary resource for guiding me through the principles of Corporate Finance. Ross does a great job of clearly explaining each topic, then supporting his explanation with effective examples.

Even though the book is well written, I can't deny that it was still challenging for a finance novice, such as myself. But Ross's clean, to-the-point style was a refreshing way for me to approach a previously unknown topic.

Of all my textbooks, I typically keep about half of them as references, and sell the rest. This book is definitely a keeper.

One of the Best
Along with Brigham's MBA text, this book is one of the elites for an MBA finance course. One thing many of the negative reviewers don't seem to realize is that this is for graduate students. If you've never had an undergraduate class in finance, you don't belong in a course using this book. If you don't know the principles of finance or how to use your calculator/spreadsheet, that is your problem. You're a graduate student - grow up and prepare yourself for graduate study!

For students who are ready for graduate study, this book is wonderful. It is complete in its coverage of corporate finance topics, and it provides ample practice problems and end-of-chapter exercises to test your understanding along the way. The CFA exam recommends this as the basic reference book for exam preparation because, comparatively speaking, it is very user friendly.

Those who complain about the level of difficulty or the lack of "entertainment" value need to learn how to take responsibility for STUDYING a text instead of just reading it. Either that or move to a discipline that is less rigorous. The books only get more difficult to handle as you work your way up in finance.

dont buy this book
This is the WORST book I have used in my study of finance. It is full of errors and it is written in such a way that it is extremely hard to understand for an average student. There are lots of calculations that are unexplained, assumtions are made that are never addressed,and it is just plain vague in virtually all subjects it discusses. Buy a different title if you actually want to learn about finance. ... Read more

Book Description

In clear, simple language, The Real Estate Investor's Guide helps real estate professionals and property owners understand the complicated area of real estateinvestment tax law.Containing practical tax planning strategies, sample forms, and warnings about costly planning errors, this is a must-have reference formaking sound investment statagies.This guide also discusses taxation at the time of sale, like-kind exchange rules, real estate investment during troubled times, and applying the passive loss regulations. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Required Reading for every real estate investor
This Third Edition is a great book for all real estate investors, whether yoa are an agent or not. In fact I think that is more valuable for the knowledgeable investor. The author is a CPA and real estate broker, who has written a marvelous book relating the Federal Tax code to real estate applications. There are chapters on Personal Residence Exclusion of $250,000/$500,000, Capital Gains, and Installment Sales. you will find detail in this book that is not present in any other tax book for real estate investors.

There are 4 chapters on the Section 1031 Like Kind exchange alone. There are also 4 chapters on the Passive Loss Rules. In addition there are other chapters on Home Mortgage Deduction, Depreciation, and the Home Office. The text is easy to read and very informative. There are lots of Tips throughout all the chapters advising the reader of good things to do as well as inadvisable tactics. Dealer Status is covered all too briefly in my opinion, as I would have liked to seen more on that subject. I would also have liked to seen more on corporations and there is no mention of Limited Liability Companies. But despite these shortcomings the book is excellent and covers the topics in good detail. This is obviously a dry subject and reading the manuals and guidelines can sometimes give one a headache. But with this book no aspirin is needed. This book is a must for any serious real estate investor, whether you do your taxes yourself or hire a professional. This book should be required reading before you get your real estate investor secret decoder ring.

Excellent details
This book is not meant to be read cover-to-cover. It would take a very patient and determined reader to go through every example and exception and tax detail. However, it is in these details that this book stands out. The language used is straightforward, the examples are well thought-out and realistic. Use the book more like a reference - go directly to the chapter related to your intended transaction; the chapters are quite self-contained.

I believe this book is a necessary addition to any real-estate investor's library. Spending 30 minutes reviewing the chapter related to your contemplated real-estate transaction will fill you with ideas for suitable tax strategies.

Practical and Understandable Tax Advice About Real Estate
This 3rd edition of Vern Hoven's book is an excellent reference for real estate brokers and agents. I have given it as a Christmas present to all my agents. I have also alerted a client to a potential tax problem his CPA overlooked, but I recognized as a result of reading this book.

I have used this tax guide as the main reference in writing a continuing education course on the subject of IRS section 1031 tax deferred exchanges. Vern does the most thorough job of covering this subject that I have read.

Vern covers the timing and consequence of most real estate transactions. He also covers personal tax consequences, such as "office-in-home" rules, which apply to real estate agents.

I recomemnd this book highly in all the real estate courses I teach and sometimes use it as a prize in classroom games. Whether you are a real estate investor or agent you should read this book and keep it near your desk. ... Read more

Book Description

Praise for The New CFO Financial Leadership Manual

"Steve Bragg has done it again! This manual shows what a CFO needs to do to truly add value. It should be mandatory reading for all CFOs who want to play a strategic role in their organizations."
–Janice M. Roehl-Anderson, Partner
Deloitte Consulting

"This timely guide will help CFOs master the right thinking and management skills. An effective tool for navigating today’s corporate financial waters."
–Clint Davies, Principal
Berry, Dunn, McNeil & Parker

"An excellent reference book and good reading besides. This book is a how-to for new and experienced CFOs. It is one place for new CFOs to get information on how to start in their job as well as continuing reference on many issues–such as personnel, accounting and reporting, banking, credit, taxes, and so on."
–Gail W. Sevier, CPA
Member/Manager of Marrs, Sevier & Company LLC ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Everything you need to know in finance - superb!
I found this book very complete and comprehensive as a reference source. It covers the strategic and operational perspectives of the finance function. This is one of the best "CFO" books, together with "CFO Architect" and "CFO Handbook". A little bit overpriced - I would have put it in the US$60 range. Reading this book is like taking an advanced course in preparing yourself for the CFO career. It is very didactic and straightforward. A recommendation for the author: in a future edition, you might consider expanding on the topics of international finance, value based management and corporate restructurings. ... Read more

Book Description

The tools to manage ongoing Sarbanes-Oxley compliance

In The Sarbanes-Oxley Section 404 Implementation Toolkit, author and consultant Michael Ramos provides a detailed road map to help companies not only streamline their compliance process, but also make the process manageable and repeatable year after year.

The first book to provide detailed implementation practice aids for Sarbanes-Oxley 404 compliance, The Sarbanes-Oxley Section 404 Implementation Toolkit is packed with work programs, audit checklists, and examples that readers can tailor to meet their own unique needs. Featuring a useful CD-ROM that contains all of the tools from the book, this timely workbook includes best practices that will benefit anyone who participates in the planning or performance of the effectiveness of internal control.

A must-read for all CFOs, internal auditors, CPA firms, and independent auditors involved in the compliance process, The Sarbanes-Oxley Section 404 Implementation Toolkit embraces the common approaches and methodologies that have proven successful in the new world of Sarbanes-Oxley internal control testing and reporting. ... Read more

Book Description

Students are often overwhelmed by the amount of information presented in the introductory financial accounting course.By focusing on fundamental concepts in a logical sequence, students are able to fully comprehend the material rather than memorize seemingly unrelated terms and topics. The goal of Fundamental Financial Accounting Concepts is to enable students to understand how any given business event affects the financial statements.The “Financial Statements Model” is a highly praised feature because it allows students to visualize the simultaneous impact of business events on all of the key financial statements (the income statement, the balance sheet, and the statement of cash flows). The mechanics of accounting coverage (debits and credits) is delayed until chapter 4, providing faculty the flexibility as to the amount of emphasis they want to place on this topic. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

A good book with the right instructor
I've read the reviews stating that this is a confusing book.I disagree completely.Although the author does not immediately delve into traditional T-accounts, the introduction of the "horizontal model" serves as a good foundation for building the awareness of the accounting equation that should be second nature BEFORE tackling T-accounts.The text's preface states: "A horizontal financial statements model replaces the accounting equation as the predominant teaching platform.The model enables students to VISUALIZE THE SIMULTANEOUS EFFECTS OF A SINGLE BUSINESS EVENT on the income statement, balance sheet, and statement of cash flows."I felt as though this methodology was very effective for my learning style.Recording transactions in T-accounts came almost as second nature after mastering the horizontal model.

The "Working Papers" (a separate workbook) makes doing the assigned problems easy by providing a ready-made template for each problem.If you've had to draw your own T-accounts or your own journal in a notebook before, you will definitely appreciate this.

This text serves as a good introduction to the skills necessary to master financial accounting.

Most Confusing Accounting Textbook On The Market Today.
This Book begins using something called horizontial statments and then in chapter 5 switches to regular T accounts thus confusing students completely, I have yet to find a student that tells me the book is easy to understand or useful. It would be helpful if there was a solutions manual. Our school will change books next semester. It's not even good enough to make dorm furniture.

Great college companion!
This book is an excellent book to go with a Financial Accounting course.Everything is laid out in plain English, and shows you in diagrams and models exactly how each kind of transaction works.I recommend for professors everywhere to adopt this book for their clases.I'm glad mine did!

This textbook is a great intoduction to financial accounting
Edmonds, McNair, Milan, and Olds have created a very easy to understand textbook for learning the basics of financial accounting.It makes the learning of the endlessly complicated parts of accounting very simple and can help to cease new accounting student's fears of going on in theprofession.Even though lightly marred by a few errors, it is a greatintroductory book. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Great introduction to accounting
This is a solid easy to follow introduction to accounting. The repetitive fill-in the blank format can be annoying at first, but really helps one remember the basic principles of accounting. I was somewhat surprised by the "mad-libs" like approach to the material, but it definitely works.

I read this book before taking an introduction to financial acocounting class and found it very valuable.

Outstanding introduction to acounting basics
I routinely use accounting in my investing activities as well as my management activities and I have found this to be among the most insightful short accounts out there. Plenty of detail is provided and the programmed teaching format is highly effective. Although simple in its approach, it also has one of the best overall approaches to accounting that I have seen. Most accounting books make it difficult to see the forest for the trees. This book is just the opposite: it starts by showing you the forest. Highly recommended to those who need a good knowledge of accounting but do not wish to become accountants.

Perfect as an introduction book!
The book is required in our class of Finance as an introduction to the accounting system. It's quite easy to understand all the principles by doing the exercises yourself. And the special design of reverse printing and post tests are a big help. I had accounting class before and was often confused with debits and credits of whatever assets or liablities and equity. However, when I'm doing this book, everything is clear - there's considerable details to explain how to debit or credit any accounts. Simple introduction of non-profit organizations' financial statement also quite useful. Strongly recommended. ... Read more

Book Description

This book brings together conceptual and empirical material in a systematic way. It provides readers with a basis for understanding mergers and acquisitions and corporate restructuring that are introduced into every session of Congress.The volume provides a complete review of takeovers and mergers in practice, M&A's in theory and practice, the strategic perspective of valuation, restructuring, M&A strategies and strategies for creating value.For CEOs, COOs, CFOs and other top level executives. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Interesting Subject... Boring Book
The subject of this book is quite interesting and the knowledgable authors add many insights into the field of Mergers and Aquisitions.However, the book is poorly written and designed.Simply opening the book will show colorless pages and bland figures that perfectly reflect the tone and content within.There is also a surprising number of spelling mistakes and grammatical errors (something I should not expect if I'm paying over $100 for a book).

Solid text to introduce this topic - readable and helpful
The fourth edition came out in 2003 and I am not familiar with earlier editions.In my view, this is a very good text.In its nearly 700 pages, it provides a solid and comprehensive overview of this interesting and important topic.Obviously, no textbook can be both a survey of the topic and provide complete coverage of every topic.This book goes deep enough that students being introduced to this topic will find plenty to work on and get enough information to develop a feel for all that is involved in changing corporate control and ownership structure for any number of reasons.

The book has 22 chapters in six parts.The six parts are:

1)Takeovers and Mergers in Practice
2)M&As - Theories and Empirical Tests
3)Valuation - The Strategic Perspective
4)Restructuring
5)M&A Strategies
6)Strategies for Creating Value

There are many end of chapter questions and dozens of mini-cases in the book.Plus, there are online resources for students available.

The book provides references at the end of each chapter for more in depth study, a glossary at the end, and an index.

This is a solid text that can also be read by the general reader interested in this topic.

I expected more
Considering the reputation of the primary author, I found the book to be ponderous to read and seemingly focused more on what the authors wanted to discuss than what might be really useful to students and those practicing M&A.The authors should have sought a more appropriate balance between theory and practice. This tome is weighted in favor of theory. It seems to spend more time addressing societal issues and issues of government policy than addressing the mechanics of how to plan for and implement transactions. In fact, only the last few pages of the book deal superficially with an approach to doing M&A.

The book also assumes substantial knowledge of accounting, finance and economics on the part of the reader. The dearth of examples also hinders the readers ability to readily understand how to apply complex concepts explained in torturous paragraphs of prose. It would have been helpful to use more illustrations to communicate concepts that are difficult for those of us that don't have Phds to understand.

Thankfully, there are other books that are far more helpful in explaining both theory and application of M&A. I have found Mckinsey's book on Measuring and Managing Valuation to be a much better guide to understanding how to apply complex valuation techniques. Integration methodology is well explained in Marks and Clemente's Winning at Mergers. For an excellent detailed overview of M&A, see Depamphlis Mergers Acquisitions and Other Restructuring or Weston's other, more recent book on M&A.

Largely Disappointing
The book is really only useful for those interested in a literature survey, discussion of public policy, and somewhat tedious discussion of theoretical concepts.

Written by academics for academics!!!
On balance, this book provides a good overview of the subject and of recent academic studies.However, it is often theoretical and "ivory-towerish."There is relatively little that really instructs the reader about transactions are actually done.A great deal of time is devoted to discussing why they occur, but little practical insight is provided as to the challenges and issues that must be resolved.This book may be suitable for someone who is curious and interested in reading about M&A but provides little guidance for those interested in learning how to undertake transactions. ... Read more

Book Description

This introduction to management accounting and its significant role in making sound business decisions teaches readers how to be wise users, not necessarily preparers of accounting information—a strong user-based approach that is endorsed and supported by the AECC.The authors present accounting information in a broader business context-emphasizing what accounting information is, why it is important, and how it is used to make economic decisions. Specific chapter topics cover classifying costs, determining costs of products, cost behavior, business decisions using cost behavior, making decisions using relevant information, the capital budget: evaluating capital expenditures, the operating budget, standard costing, and evaluating performance.For individuals with a future in management accounting. ... Read more

Book Description

"In the complex new world of Sarbanes-Oxley, it isrefreshing to read a book that has comprehensive answers for general managerswanting to do the right thing."—Jim Balsillie, CEO of Research in Motion

"Scott Green has provided us with a book on managementcontrols that is as engaging as it is illuminating.I enthusiasticallyrecommend this book to managers of financial institutions of any size."—John Duffy, Chairman of Keefe, Bruyette & Woods

"Recent, widely publicized business failures and accountingdeficiencies that were a contributing cause make a strong case for acomprehensive system of controls, such as those proposed in Scott Green'sbook."—Orval Hansen, Former U.S. Congressman

"A necessary read for any director, executive, or line managerwho is serious about monitoring the health of their internal controlstructure."—Holly Gregory, Partner at Weil, Gotshal & Manges

"A must-read . . . is the chapter on the 'Control Smart'approach.This chapter, which will clearly help businesses monitor themselves,covers all the key factors necessary to 'erase vulnerabilities anderect a strong [control environment] defense,' ranging from pinpointing comingthreats and knowing your vulnerabilities to protecting your business andmonitoring its health."—Herman A. Berliner, PhD Provost and Senior VicePresident for Academic Affairs, Lawrence Herbert Distinguished ProfessorHofstra University

Manager's Guide to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act
In reaction to high-profile frauds and congressional legislation, the SECmandated that managers of public companies certify that they have anoperational system of internal controls. While larger companies can afford tospend millions of dollars to implement control system monitoring tools,managers of small to mid-sized companies can be unsure of how to move forwardif their budgets can't accommodate expensive advisors and systems. Manager'sGuide to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act provides a highly accessible, simple, andpractical approach to help you assess your internal control structure at thetransaction level.

Designed to be "a cure for the Sarbanes-Oxley headache andcommon fraud," Manager's Guide to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act introduces thegroundbreaking and practical "Control Smart" approach that not only meets therequirements of Sarbanes-Oxley, but also alerts you if operational controlsstop working or are otherwise compromised. This simple template helps youidentify and understand operational threats, and guides you through acomprehensive evaluation of your system of internal controls to mitigate theserisks.

Manager's Guide to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act features:

• A razor-sharp method to monitor the opera- tional risks inherent in your business
• Numerous real-world examples illustrating how to avoid common pitfalls, such as those faced by Harvard University's Hasty Pudding Theatricals, Adelphia Communications, and Bridgestone Corporation (Firestone)
• Case studies and vignettes highlighting the personalities at Enron and Tyco who enabled a fraudulent corporate culture, as well as whatone person did right to reveal the smoke-and-mirrors accounting practiced at WorldCom
• Clear, jargon-free coverage of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and how it affects you

Armed with this hands-on guide, you can detect early signsof fraud and operational loss, and safeguard your job, your employees' jobs,and the long-term success of your company.Don't let fraud derail your career.Protect yourself with the fail-safe Control Smart method found in Manager'sGuide to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Readable and informative starting point
I've read a number of books and literally thousands of web pages of information about Sarbanes-Oxley, and have to rank this book as the best starting point for stakeholders who are peripherally involved in compliance. The reasons are:

(1) It's readable! This is not a dry, boring tome, but a highly readable summary of Sarbanes-Oxley, what it is (and isn't), and realistic examples and anecdotes to reinforce the material.
(2) It covers a surprisingly lot of ground for a book aimed at a non-practitioner audience. The Control Smart Framework, detailed advice on identifying threats and vulnerabilities, and how to protect yourself are invaluable to anyone directly or indirectly involved in Sarbanes-Oxley compliance.

In addition to the rich information and clear explanations of key elements of Sarbanes-Oxley I like the appendices, which also provide useful information - especially appendices B (Key Performance Indicator Reporting), C (Examples of Key Performance Indicators) and D (Control Activities).

This book will quickly get you up-to-speed about Sarbanes-Oxley and its ramifications, and will do so relatively painlessly compared to other books on the basics of the Act.

If you're looking for a more in-depth book, especially one that addresses the scope and complexity of Section 404 compliance, I highly recommend "How to Comply with Sarbanes-Oxley Section 404: Assessing the Effectiveness of Internal Control (ISBN 0471653667). If you are an IT professional I strongly recommend visiting Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ASIN B00006BW74), which makes available a free 84-page document titled "IT Control Objectives for Sarbanes-Oxley". For more general information, there is a commercial site that provides news and updates on Sarbanes-Oxley issues (ASIN B0000AM23N), as well as the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (ASIN B00013Y80Y), which provides rule making information and a means to comment on proposed rules. You can reach these sites by pasting the ASIN numbers in the search box at the top of this page, selecting all products and clicking GO.

Informative and Enjoyable Reading
Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOA) is probably the single most important law affecting corporate governance and financial disclosure since the US securities laws of the early 1930s.
This book describes in a practical and concise manner the complexity of Sarbanes-Oxley Act for non-financial managers and directors, and gives a pathway model to develop an efficient control environment of businesses. I found very useful and straightforward to implement the Control Smart approach to help obliterate vulnerabilities and develop a strong defense against corporate fraud.
I think that this book is a valuable, must read guide for both, financial and non-financial managers. I would also recommend it as reference manual for management training programs as well as business schools.

Smooth reading and very informative!
I found the book to be smooth reading and very informative. The book provides detailed examples of internal control issues from actual companies. I have a newfound understanding of these issues now, because of the level of detail and the varied perspectives provided in by the author. I would recommend this book to anyone in a managerial position concerned with internal controls in their organization.

An unusually relevant and perceptive guide
The title to this book, while timely, doesn't really do the content justice, for the book is more than just a guide to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act - it addresses a range of corporate risk management issues to relevent to middle level managers up through board members. Scott Green manages to strike a good balance between discussions of strategic issues and of practical implementation considerations in the areas of control and fraud prevention mechanisms. It also contains some of the more insightful assessments I've seen of "what went wrong" at some of the more notable corporate failures of recent times. The book is written in a highly readable fashion and I'd recommend it to any manager, company advisor, or board member looking to get a better handle on considerations related to Sarbanes-Oxley and the topic of internal controls in general.

An Invaluable Tool
This book is highly accessible and the concepts easy to understand, with many real-life examples to help the reader focus. It will prove most useful to board members, corporate counsel, executives and managers who often are not trained to evaluate internal controls but who now must understand not only controls assessment, but also the inherent risks associated with these processes. Small and mid-cap companies can benefit from this book as it should help them defray the costs of implementing increased controls and compliance. ... Read more

Book Description

Praise for Trade Like a Hedge Fund

"If you want factual advice based on real research, this is a must-read."
–Larry Williams, author, The Right Stock at the Right Time

"Altucher, a successful money manager, reveals his most profitable stock trading strategies and how to use them, despite strong protests from his partners and clients. Never look a gift horse in the mouth. Grab them ASAP!"
–Yale Hirsch, founder of Stock Trader’s Almanac and editor of thirty-seven annual editions

"I can’t believe that James Altucher has written this book! He’s given away dozens of ways I know to make money. I am glad I’m not in the game anymore. He could ruin it."
–James J. Cramer, founder and markets commentator of TheStreet.com, and cohost of CNBC’s Kudlow & Cramer ... Read more

Reviews (8)

I will keep it for reference
I liked this book because the author offers creative, original trading ideas. I plan to keep it as a reference, which is more than I can say for most books on the subject. Maybe the readers who didn't like the book were expecting the author to do their thinking for them.

Trading Tool Box
This book is like a wolf in sheep's clothing. This is quantitative finance not technical analysis. Floating in a wasteland of books about trading using technical analysis and supposed "insider" techniques, this book delivers what the others pretend to deliver validated trading techniques. Before purchasing another compendium about the latest "rocket science", check out this collection of situational trades that are tested (on a distressingly small(mostly 4 years)) data sample and proven to produce profits. Even with Altucher's minimalist writing style, I feel that he waxed too poetic about the nature of the causes behind the anomalies. After all, does it matter how they work if in fact they do? Lean on the observations and if you still feel compelled to divine a reason, go for it, just make sure that it doesn't interfere with your research.

Some of the systems have painful drawdowns and need additional tweaking or a strong constitution to make them work.

Some of the trading techniques were a little loose for my tastes suffering from a few flaws. Examples include too small of a sample size or the possibility that on occasion the number of trades take would exceed capital and therefore leaving a distorted return # (see technique 13 and think of LTCM or 9/11). Even with the flaws this book is a non-stop idea generator.

Garbage
Essentially day/trend trading at high risk.
His partner who threatened to buy all of the books issued and burn them and their secrets should have. However at least he's honest that all of one's efforts can be wiped out by rare blips.
Not worth the cover price for anyone. There are easier ways to blow your brains (and wallet) out! There are no 'get rich quick' plans without luck. Better go earn a living or invest and not trade!

As Clint Eastwood said "A man has got to know his limitations!"

Wyckoff's book on How I Trade and Invest in Stocks and Bonds is still a classic and will warn you to get out if you don't have a trader's instincts (and most traders lose too!]

Not sure if it's worth the money
I 've seen various forms of some of these strategies published and quantified elsewhere in greater detail.

I also disagree w/ another reviewer's comment regarding the book "enlightening one" to the way Hedge Funds operate and the ways of Wall Street. This is only one of the many stles in existence today.

If your looking for system ideas, better books exist but for the beginner it's a start.

Just finished this book....will read it again within 2 weeks
Four years of Economics @ an Ivy College didn't do as much as this book did to educate me about the markets....especially Hedge Funds. If you're in the busines......it's a must read! ... Read more

Book Description

The Art of M&A, Third Edition, is the leading answer book in today's fast-changing, enormously complex merger world. Written in a handy, easy-reference Q&A format, this no-nonsense handbook covers everything from the early stages of locating a suitable target--or finding that you are a target--through the postmerger trials of turning multiple companies into one.

Synopses of nearly three dozen landmark cases give real life insights into legal rulings from previous high profile mergers. Over the past decade, The Art of M&A has helped thousands of executives make sound decisions. Now, let it provide all the information you will need to buy or sell companies, whether public or private, domestic or foreign. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Great Reference Book
This is a fantastic reference tome for anyone involved with M&A. As a private equity Associate, I have found this book to be invaluable on multiple levels as both a reference guide for securities law, as well as for procedural issues such as sample formats for term sheets, DD check lists, etc.

Also, while it is a dense read, I think this would be invaluable for people just entering either Investment Banking or Private Equity to read as an introduction to the rules, regulations and procedures surrounding mergers/acquisitions.

A Definitive Manual for M&A Transactions
If you only were allowed to have one book on this subject in your library, this is the one that you want. It gives good coverage to all of the important topics needed to evaluate, price and execute a transaction. The footnotes at the end of each chapter are an excellent reference. It also benefits from a very detailed index. The Q&A format of the text is a bit unusual for a work of this type, but is actually quite useful when browsing or quickly finding the key theme of each paragraph or section. It also contains a good selection of sample documents and checklists. Overall, it delivers a lot of high quality information the investment banking professional can really use.

Yes, this is a very focused topic, but it is a great book!
The very size of this book on such a specialized topic may seem daunting. However, the writing is so lively and the organization by question and answer is so easy to use that you will find this a very useful and comprehensive handbook.

It is NOT a theory laden textbook. Rather, it is a very useful and practical guide to the field and will help the careful reader avoid many pitfalls. There are many ways to make mistakes in buying companies and this book can open your eyes to quite of few of them. In fact, if you are the target of a buyout, this book can be of special importance and interest.

I admit to being fascinated by this topic so take that into consideration when evaluating what I say about this book. But even so, mergers and acquistions are so much in the news (for good and ill) that it can only help to get more background on what is really going on and how these deals are (or at least should be) put together.

The book reads MUCH shorter than its size and is fairly comprehensive on the subject - from the methods in selecting candidates for acquisition to what to do when you are a target of an acquisition to some very specialized topics. It also deals with M&A issues with both public, private, and even family firms.

Honestly, I am surprised at how glad I am that I bought this book. It is terrific.

Highly Practical
I have been an M&A practitioner for twenty years and rarely have I found a book that is as readable and useable as this one. The author is able to synthesize difficult concepts and communicate them in a highly user friendly way.

Very thorough
Very detailed source for information on mergers, acquisitions and buyouts. The question and answer format is a great way to identify the information that you need. This book really is a handbook; I wouldn't encourage reading it cover to cover, but to use it as more of a reference book. The footnotes at the end of each chapter are useful to finding more in depth informa