Book Description

This popular text, publishing Spring 1999 in its Second Edition, introduces the mathematics underlying the pricing of derivatives. The increase of interest in dynamic pricing models stems from their applicability to practical situations: with the freeing of exchange, interest rates, and capital controls, the market for derivative products has matured and pricing models have become more accurate. Professor Neftci's book answers the need for a resource targeting professionals, Ph.D. students, and advanced MBA students who are specifically interested in these financial products. The Second Edition is designed to make the book the main text in first year masters and Ph.D. programs for certain courses, and will continue to be an important manual for market professionals. ... Read more

Reviews (48)

The best intro book ever!
Students of derivative pricing techniques are often in a dilemma: Coming from their MBA or undergrad course, they have just build a "brealy-myers" type of intuition on options. Moving towards Hull then allows a deeper understanding. But any serious (eg PhD, Wall Street Analyst) student of derivatives needs to undertstand the math behind modern derivatives pricing. Essentially, this research divides into two streams: Solving Partial differential equations and developing equivalent Martingales. Without a rigorous pre-education (Maths, Physics), most students fail to understand (let alone learn to use) these methods. Nefci is the only book that does not assume lots of prior knowledge, as compared to Merton (1992) or Duffie (who is so bold to write "for mathematical preparation little beyong undergraduate analysis...is assumed" -ask PhD Students how easy this book reads! The answer is its tough!!). In Short, Neftci's book is a true blessing for all "normal" people. Can't wait to get the second edition!

Good explanations, with serious hand-waving
I used this book to teach a Financial Mathematics course, and found its explanations to be generally clear and good. However, part of the reason the text seems so clear is that it doesn't explain much of what's really going on. It covers the right material, but not really in such a way that the reader can then go on to apply the knowledge gained.This is evidenced by the complete (and almost unforgiveable) lack of exercises in the book. It is very easy to feel you understand this sort of material, only to be completely lost when you actually have to solve a problem. Neftci will not help in this regard. I understand that it is difficult to create good exercises, but their absence almost makes me wonder if Neftci realized he was not explaining things in enough detail to let the student actually work with the knowledge. Exercises are the only way to really learn this subject.A basic problem with all these texts is that, try as they might, they cannot impart true understanding unless the student can grasp real analysis at, say, an undergraduate level typically reached by students at a good engineering school. This text tries to avoid the problem by failing to mention any of the analysis...that's not likely to work.

Good Book
I've read Hull, Wilmott and Baxter books but definitely like this book better - particularly for entry (but not easy) level derivative math. Can't say much since English is not my first language. But if you want to learn about Derivative Math and don't have strong background in Math (I'm a Porfolio Manager and have pretty good background in Calculus, Differential Equation, Econometrics) this book is certainly worth considering. I give 4 stars due to the lack of practice problems.

Good book for the right audience
It is amazing that people are not willing to take it what it is, an 'introduction' to mathematics of financial derivatives. The 'reader from New York' of 'notation challenged' seemed to have wanted a rigourous treatment of SDE, yet is sorely disappointed not to find it in this book. IMO it gives an extremely clear exposition of the various tools of SDE and having read it has allowed me to progress to books in which mathematical rigor is stressed over intuition. So in a nutshell this book achieved its stated goal of offering an intuitive and heuristic explanation of mathematics of derivatives to the novices taking their first steps in the financial engineering land.

Notation Challenged
As Yogi might have said: "If you understand this book, you don't need this book.".

If you have a good grip on the industry conventions relative to notation, and have seen the material before, you might understand this book. If not, you won't.

Notation is: 1) frequently wrong; 2) used inconsistently; 3) used out of context (i.e., without foundation); 4) glued in as a concluding argument in a logically non-convex way.

The absence, misuse, abuse of time subscripts makes some of the arguments incomprehensible.

Some arguments pursue a change of reasoning in probability space, then make a jump to an S.D.E. with industry standard notation, but so far out of scope, that the connections are not clear. As one example, if you: 1) know the underlying S.D.E., and if you ; 2) understand the connection between risk-neutral probability and risk-free measure , and if you; 3) understand why a state variable is allowed to commute through an expectations operator because it is no longer stochastic (though why that might be so is not explained), then you will have a chance of understanding the author's argument connecting the transformation of synthetic probabilities to a standard S.D.E.

Some words are capitalized to emphasize, rather than being defined. Sort of like going to a foreign country and shouting more loudly as a communication strategy ... Read more

Book Description

Governmental and Nonprofit Accounting, Revised Sixth Edition provides a better balance between theory and practice than other texts, with the most up-to-date coverage. It provides readers with a thorough basis for understanding the logic for and nature of all of the funds and account groups of a government, with a unique approach that enables readers to grasp the entire accounting and reporting framework for a government before focusing on specific individual fund types and account groups.Includes coverage of the new reporting model standard: GASB Statement 34. Includes illustrations of government-wide financial statements and fund-based financial statements presented using the major fund approach. Points out the major changes required from the current guidance and explains and illustrates the requirements of the new model. Explains and illustrates the GASB Statement 31. Contains the latest revision of OMB Circular A-133 on single audits.Appropriate for undergraduate Accounting courses, such as Governmental Accounting, Public Sector accounting, Government and Nonprofit Accounting, and Fund Accounting. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Found it to be quite informative
I am not sure why the other reviewers had problems with this book. I actually found it to be quite easy to read and understandble in its explanations of terminology. I work for a software company which sells a budgeting tool. Since realigning over to our public sector division, I decided to buy this book in order to hone my governmental accounting skills. My accounting degree certainly helped and this books assumes a minimal set of accounting skills. The problems were quite helpful in reinforcing the concepts.

Certainly not the book to use
In general, this is the worst accounting book I have EVER been forced to decipher (didn't like our cost accounting book either). At my school, and probably elsewhere, ,everybody seems to think Acct 405 (Financial Acct 2) is the "hard" course, but Fin Acct 2, at least to me, has NOTHING on trying to learn governmental accounting from using this awful book.

Dazed and Confused...
I am currently a Masters level student who is taking a Governmental Accounting course. I have found this text to be somewhat confusing. The chapters and the information are very detailed however, the study questions introduce new terms and are hard to follow. This makes for a complicated and frustrating process for anyone who has not had a previous accounting course. I understand that there are not many books out there on this topic. However, a study guide or even the assistance of a glossary and some consistency in phrasing questions to be similar to the text would help. If I can't understand what the question is asking how am I to know if I understand what I thought I just read. The lack of pictures and graphics does not bother me and the blue ink while hard to get used to is easier on my eyes. The Powerpoint presentations were also helpful.

An excellent textbook
I used this textbook the last time I taught GovernmentalAccounting. The book is an excellent introduction to state and local government accounting and reporting, federal government accounting, not-for-profit organizations (colleges, universities, health care organizations, etc.), and public sector auditing. The 20 chapters have numerous illustrations of financial statements and flow charts relating each of the different fund types within specific organizations. The illustrations are both academic (i.e., written by the authors) and actual (e.g., City of Des Moines, Iowa). Where appropriate, there are chapter glossaries. Governmental accounting is unlike corporate accounting, in that both actual and budgetary amounts are shown in the financial statements provided to the external reader. The authors explain this clearly. The authors use t-accounts to show the interrelationship of the accounts and the flow of funds between the accounts. There also useful references to the Governmental Accounting Standards Board...

The previous comment shows a typical response from an undergraduate, similar to what I have encountered on teaching evaluations in my different classes. A number of students believe that a course should be "interesting." That is, more entertaining. (See Peter Sacks's book, _Generation X Goes to College_.) If someone doesn't find governmental accounting interesting, don't major in accounting. It is not a requirement for any other undergraduate major at any school I know; indeed, few schools even teach the course. People should major in areas that they find interesting.

On the other hand, anyone who wants to understand the construction and analysis of statements which present the operations and financial position of government and non-profit entities will benefit from a careful reading of this book. I have used it for directed readings (only one student reading on his or her own) successfully for motivated graduate students.

The previous commentator faults the book for lack of color. For this material, color adds almost nothing to comprehension, slightly to clarity and greatly to the cost. The book already costs $100, because the governmental accounting textbook market, with numerous competitors in it, is only 3,000-4,000 classroom adoptions per year (compared with over 50,000 a year for Principles of Accounting).

My experience as an author suggests that adding color would raise the cost of the book to at least $140. Would the previous reviewer be willing to spend the money in the hopes it would be more interesting?

I recommend this book.

Worst Accounting Book Ever
I just finished a Governmental Accounting class that used this textbook. It is by far the worst book I have had in 4 years of college. The examples are horrible. There is no color. Most accounting authors try to make the material interesting. This is a book that will turn potential accounting majors away from the field. ... Read more

Book Description

Concepts in Federal Taxation is designed for a more conceptual, less detailed approach to federal taxation of individuals and corporations in an introductory taxation course. This conceptual approach presents taxation as a small number of unifying concepts, stressing the overriding principles that apply to all specific tax rules and regulations. Concepts in Federal Taxation offers an excellent balance between tax concepts and the Internal Revenue Code and regulations, preparing users for a future in the business environment. ... Read more

Book Description

Scott reveals vast amounts of financial accounting information drawn from recent research that has until now been hidden in academic journals. He provides a clear, easy-to-use framework for students to (1) place this information in a financial accounting context, (2) explain and analyze the information intuitively and (3) to reveal the informationÕs relevance in understanding the practice of accounting.

Reviews (2)

A must-read for junior accounting doctoral students!
Before reading any classical texts from Watts & Zimmerman and Beaver, I think any junior accounting doctoral sdudents should read this book!
Excellent introductory book for anyone who wants to do capital market research in the future!

Strongly recommend!

A Research Book
Professor Scott explains financial accounting theory drawn from recent research. He provides a clear, easy-to-use framewaork for students to 1) place this theory in a financial accounting context,2) explain and analyze the theory intuitvely and 3) reveal the theory's relevance in understanding the practice of accounting. Similar good textbooks in this field includes Positive Accouning Theory by Watts & Zimmerman, Financial Reporting: A Accounting Revolution by Beaver and An Introduction to Aplied Professional Research for Accountants by Ziebart. ... Read more

Book Description

Praise for Financial Modeling Using Excel and VBA

"Excel and VBA have vast capabilities, yet until this book, users were on their own to figure out just how to use these tools for both single and complex financial problems. Financial Modeling fills the gaps with practical guidance to modeling a wide range of finance problems."
–Tim Koller, Partner, McKinsey & Company, Inc.

Financial modeling is an essential skill for all financial professionals and students–and Excel and its built-in programming language, Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), are the preferred tools for the job. Financial Modeling Using Excel and VBA, designed for self-study, classroom use, and reference, presents a comprehensive approach to developing both simple and sophisticated financial models in all major areas of finance using both Excel and VBA.

The book assumes only basic knowledge of finance and Excel, and no previous knowledge of VBA. From that base, it teaches financial modeling, VBA, and advanced features of Excel using a unique, simple approach that is based on the author’s twenty years of experience in financial modeling in the business world and the classroom. The book reviews all the necessary financial theory and concepts, and walks you through a wide range of real-world financial models–over seventy-five of them–that you can imitate and use for practice as well. A companion CD-ROM includes several useful modeling tools and full working versions of all the models discussed in the book, so you can be more productive.

Financial modeling is finance in action. It is both challenging and rewarding. Financial Modeling Using Excel and VBA shows you how you can both enjoy the challenge and reap the rewards. ... Read more

Book Description

From the "guru to Wall Street’s gurus" comes a guide to one of the most profitable and enduring investment disciplines

"A must-read for all disciples of value investing. In 1934, Graham and Dodd created fundamental security analysis. Greenwald reinforces the worth of this approach, incorporates new advances, and takes their work into the 21st century." –Mario J. Gabelli, Chairman, Gabelli Asset Management, Inc.

Value investing is the one school that has proven itself consistently profitable over time. Practitioners of the value approach have produced excellent returns for investors in both good and bad markets.

Recognized nationwide for his expertise on the subject of value investing, Bruce Greenwald’s classes and seminars have been attended by some of the savviest investors on Wall Street. Value Investing presents the fundamental concepts of the discipline and illustrates its practical applications in a manner accessible to anyone with a serious interest in investing. It is sure to take its place as one of the most important investment resources of our time. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Packed with Knowledge!
This is a very lucid, practical introduction to the principles of value investing. It is detached, relatively objective considering the authors' bias in favor of the subject, doesn't hype or hard-sell and, on the whole, would be a valuable addition to any investor's bookshelf. If you're a relative beginner, your shelf will also need to include a dictionary of financial terms - the authors assume you already know the vocabulary. And who is the Graham cited in the title? He is Benjamin Graham, who all but invented security analysis. With coauthor David Dodd, he produced the book Security Analysis in 1934. Later, Graham wrote The Intelligent Investor. Both books are investment classics and have been revised and re-issued. This one may endure, as well, based on its thorough exposition on how to value a company and its instructive profiles of value investing heavyweights. Our recommendation: strong buy, long term hold.

Value Investing in the 21st Century
I am a professional investor (CFA charter holder and portfolio manager) and would suggest this book for anyone interested in the value style of investing. I would not recommend the book for a novice investor since some terminology is not explained. (Perhaps read this book after reading and understanding Benjamin Graham's The Intelligent Investor.) However, the book is an excellent read for someone with an understanding of investing. The book is divided into two main parts: The authors' views of different ways to value a company and profiles of successful value investors.

I think the authors' Earnings Power Value (EPV) approach to valuing a company is cutting edge. (Basically EPV is a rehash of Enterprise Value.) Most investors tend to value stocks based on P/E ratios - only looking at equity in a company. However, the proper way to value a company is to look at its whole capital structure - Debt, Equity & Cash. EPV is a much better tool than the P/E ratio for calculating whether a company is undervalued.

The second part of the book that profiles a half dozen or so successful value investors is interesting. It illustrates there are many different ways to execute a value oriented approach. The profiles do not give any hard cut rules that each investor follows, but it does give you a general idea. (I have been successful at applying some of the ideas in managing my own account.) The only flaw of the profiles is the lack of any type of track record. It would have been helpful to list the year-by-year returns for each investor compared to an index. (i.e. S&P 500 Index)

Overall, it's a great book and it deserves a spot behind Ben Graham's Security Analysis and Intelligent Investor.

Packed With Knowledge!
This is a very lucid, practical introduction to the principles of value investing. It is detached, relatively objective considering the authors' bias in favor of the subject, doesn't hype or hard-sell and, on the whole, would be a valuable addition to any investor's bookshelf. If you're a relative beginner, your shelf will also need to include a dictionary of financial terms - the authors assume you already know the vocabulary. And who is the Graham cited in the title? He is Benjamin Graham, who all but invented security analysis. With coauthor David Dodd, he produced the book Security Analysis in 1934. Later, Graham wrote The Intelligent Investor. Both books are investment classics and have been revised and re-issued. This one may endure, as well, based on its thorough exposition on how to value a company and its instructive profiles of value investing heavyweights. Our recommendation: strong buy, long term hold.

Turkey and Where is the Beef?
There is simply not enough value in this book to justify using it. I'm sorry but words like Alta Vista and Cisco just should not appear anywhere in a value investing book. Period and discussion over. At least not up to the present. Maybe in the future but I doubt it. Also there is way too much verbage to describe much of nothing. The modern budding value investor would be better served by other book including Security Analysis by Graham. A lot of detail is missing here and much of the analysis leaves one wondering if the authors know what value investing really is.

Good book about value investing
The values are out there, it is just a matter of finding them and knowing what to look for. This book has many ideas about how to find the values.

I was somewhat disappointed in some of the math since I found some errors, for example on pg 139 of my edition, the formula for PV contains an error.

The Earnings Power Value seems to be useful for some situations, but not in all cases --- I think that point is covered in the book, yet so much time is devoted to EPV.

Even with some rough spots, this book will indeed help me in my investing walk. ... Read more

Book Description

The most complete guide available to help professionals sharpen their accounting and business skills. This unique reference features a logically structured framework that details accounting practices step-by-step, as well as all the newest innovations in the field. This new edition includes a complete copy of the Land's End Annual Report, which the authors have integrated throughout the text. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Ok for some, not Ok for others...
I purchased this for school (of course) for a really speedy condensed course on Accounting. If you have a GOOD teacher that can explain this material in layman's terms PLUS use this book as an example, then this is a great book to reflect/study the lectures & do the excercises. I think a person COULD study this on their own but they must like to work out logic problems and have the patience to figure out what is wrong when the problems don't balance.
The CD program that makes spreadsheet that comes along with this is stupid. What a person can do on the program is limited(e.g. put in your own date, make transactions active...)BUT the GREAT THING ABOUT IT IS that you don't have to make pages of SPREADSHEETS. Punch in numbers and DONE! QUICK!
The tutorial CD made the steps of accounting easier to understand. Clear.

I was afraid of taking accounting because it sounded BORING but when I took this class and read the book, it became clear and easy (to me). The people that didn't get good grades were either not absorbing the material(boring attitude all the way!),practicing the problems(who has time to do that when you can go SURF), and didn't ask questions (who wants to hang at school?).
I think a person needs to take time to practice and absorb the material to actually figure it out.

It's ok.
It's ok for a course. Which is what I did. Chapters 1-13 was Accounting 101 and chapters 14-27 was Accounting 102 for me.

I'm not wild about how it's written, organized, and method of teaching. Sometimes the material is too vague, confusing, and not true to real life accounting practices.

I'd say if you're being introduced into accounting, this book may be a bit too advanced for you. You should take an Accounting 100 course if offered. This book does not cover the bare basics, such as indepth journal entries, posting to ledgers, dealing with various accounts, etc. etc..

Also, I was lucky to have the answers supplied to me from the instructor when taking this course. If you don't, the problems are nearly impossible. The book does not explain enough to just do them off what you learned.
I'd say overall this book has too much theory and not enough application.

I used Weygandt for Accounting 100, and have been studying from various books of his for 2 years now. It's good material, but not super material. But, what else is out there, you know?

Book is just too hard to comprehend
This book has its high points. The exercises are to the point and easy to understand, but yet somewhat hard to do. However, the text has the problem many accounting books I have seen have, that is the fact it contains too many in-text examples and not enough to the point study points for someone who just needs to know the principals for quick and easy studying. If a course you are in requires this book you best go looking for an additional study manual for study help.

Not good for self study
I am taking a course which uses this book. The book is written well but there is no answer key in the book for the problems. There is no way to get feedback on the exercises. Even the practice question in the chapters do not have answers.

Personal Education!
I purchased this book because I wanted to learn more about accounting. I am finding very helpful. I find easy to read and like the examples that it has. I like all the exercises and problems it has at the end of each chapter, they help by allowing you to practice the new knowledge you have read in the chapter. ... Read more

Book Description

Dave Ramsey knows what it's like to have it all. By age twenty-six, he had established a four-million-dollar real estate portfolio, only to lose it by age thirty. He has since rebuilt his financial life and, through his workshops and his New York Times business bestsellers Financial Peace and More than Enough, he has helped hundreds of thousands of people to understand the forces behind their financial distress and how to set things right-financially, emotionally, and spiritually.

In this new edition of Financial Peace, Ramsey has updated his tactics and philosophy to show even more readers:

* how to get out of debt and stay out
* the KISS rule of investing-"Keep It Simple, Stupid"
* how to use the principle of contentment to guide financial decision making
* how the flow of money can revolutionize relationships

With practical and easy to follow methods and personal anecdotes, Financial Peace is the road map to personal control, financial security, a new, vital family dynamic, and lifetime peace. ... Read more

Reviews (18)

Awesome book! Get it. Read it. Do it.
In Dave's Financial Peace Revisited, he tells the story of how he got rich then went broke and what he learned from it. Then, Dave tells how he took a long, hard look at our society and how totally "stupid" he was (and most Americans still are) in terms of how he viewed debt and money. Dave then relates how he re-started his own climb to financial independence in a totally different way than he did the first time. This book doesn't have a bunch of conceptual, theoretical junk. It gives you PRACTICAL, immediately implementable steps that anyone can take to get their financial house in order and tells you exactly how to go about it. If you are handling your money well, this book will help you get better. If you're struggling with your money or your relationship with your spouse due to money troubles, this book may change your life. Learn how to manage your money instead of having it manage you. I've been buying copies of this book online and giving them to the people in my life that I care about most. I couldn't recommend it higher. Good luck and may God bless you.

Awesome
No matter your financial situation this book will help you improve your finances. This book shows the dangers of all debt period. Dave provides 7 easy "Baby Steps" to follow to get out of debt and acquire wealth. Following his 7 baby steps will change your family tree. He stresses the importance of having a written budget each month before the month starts, but I really think this should have been the first baby step due to how important it is.
Baby Steps:
1.) ...emergency fund
2.) Debt Snowball
3.) Fully Funded Emergency Fund (3-6 months of expenses)
4.) 15% income towards retirement
5.) College Fund for children
6.) Pay off the mortgage
7.) Acquire wealth and give
I would highly recommend one of his live events if you ever get the opportunity.

Mutual funds do not guarantee financial peace
One of the authors failed at a real estate business (even though he came from a real estate family). He is living proof that not everyone can be Donald Trump. And that is a good thing for people to be aware of.

The essence of the advice this book is offering can be found on page 133: "Disciplined savings will outpace any investment scheme." Next the question is, what do you do with your savings? Their answer is mainly mutual funds. The risk in buying individual stocks, they claim, is astronomical. If the stock market continues to be relatively stable, "financial peace," I think, can be achieved by following the authors' formula, but not if there is an extraordinary financial crisis. If an unusually large stock market crash did occur, a lot of mutual funds would start to look like "investment schemes." Financial peace for many people would be shattered.

I deduct one star because the authors place too much faith in mutual funds. Mutual funds, after all, do invest in individual stocks that are traded on the stock market.

very accessible, to the point reading
Financial Peace is above all common sense--something most of us could use a lot more of, or at least I can, when it comes to money. I had confidence that Ramsey was hitting the topics I should think about, regardless of where I am at in my journey with finances. The Christian aspect of his teachings was a challenge now and then, but basically I decided: if that faith or any faith helps people live more peaceful, productive and happy lives, this is a good thing. The very last chapter gets a little proselytizing but I got the feeling the husband and wife Ramsey team were just doing what they felt they should. All in all, a good read, simple yet contemplative.

Life Changing Advice
Sometimes the obvious is right in front of you, but it takes someone else to point it out. Dave Ramsey does just that in this great book. His advice is sound and doable. By following his baby steps and starting my own debt snowball, I have changed the way my family and I look at our finaces and provided for a much better future. ... Read more

Book Description

This book will appeal to both graduate students and practitioners. Students will value the Excel spreadsheets allowing them to develop their knowledge of modelling in finance, using a step-by-step approach accompanied by explanations using elementary mathematical statistics and probability. Practitioners will value the VBA functions as a source of up-to-date and efficient programs that can be easily used from Excel.

Standard material covered includes:

• portfolio theory and efficient frontiers
• the Capital Asset Pricing Model, beta and variance-covariance matrices
• performance measurement
• the Black-Scholes option pricing formula
• binomial trees for options on equities and bonds
• Monte Carlo simulation
• bond yield-to-maturity, duration and convexity
• term structure models from Vasicek and Cox, Ingersoll and Ross

Book Description

This book offers a comprehensive exploration of the revolutionary developments occurring in the world's financial markets and institutions —i.e., innovation, globalization, and deregulation —with a focus on the actual practices of financial institutions, investors, and financial instruments. KEYTOPICS: Extensive coverage of the markets for derivative securities. Coverage of Depository Institutions is included. For professionals in the field of financial markets. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

This book is great, very educational!
I use this textbook for my Financial Markets class and I learn so much from it. Fabozzi does a wonderful job of transfering his ideas to students so they can comprehend them and learn. Because of this book, I will definately get an 'A' in my class. I recommend this book to anybody. ... Read more

Book Description

Your own strengths, style, and personality­­and the steps found in this book­­can revitalize your trading program!

"Van's book gets directly to the heart of what it takes to be a successful trader. It's the best book I've read on trading successfully; not fluff or hype like so many others."­­Tom Basso, President, Trendstat Capital Management, Inc.

Reviews (86)

Groundbreaking Research in Layman's Terms
Dr. Van Tharp's excellent book "Trade Your Way to Financial Freedom" is truly a work of groundbreaking proportions. It is the single most important book I have ever read on the subject of trading sucessfully. Using a very organized and readable format, Dr. Tharp leads the reader step by step through the maze of myths about trading and arrives at the true meaning of the Holy Grail -- that the secret of success is inside you. Dr. Tharp serves as your personal guide, taking you safely through the treacherous terriroty surrounding information about trading systems. In the end we are much wiser for the experience, arriving at our destination stronger for having completed the journey. In short, we gain the wisdom that comes with knowing one's Self and become very clear on what works...and what doesn't. By interviewing thousands of successful traders during a 15 year period, Dr. Tharp was able to find out what was common in their individual systems of success. He then created a "model" of those variables, arriving at these basic truths: Low risk ideas combined with appropriate exit strategies and position sizing create the foundation for developing successful trading systems. Dr. Tharp shares his research with the reader, supporting his conclusions with rich examples. After finishing Tharp's book, even a layman has the tools to design a highly profitable trading system that contains all the strengths common to the best trading systems but also "fits" that particular trader's personality. This book transformed my experience of trading and allowed me to trade with the confidence that comes from knowing the truth about what works. Since implementing Dr. Tharp's strategies to my trading style, the results I have experienced are nothing short of miraculous. Quite frankly this is the first and last book you will ever need if you are serious about trading (or investing) your way to financial freedom. If you want to develop a highly profitable, low risk trading system that produces consistently strong returns, then read this book! All you need is an open mind and the courage to put some of Dr. Tharp's innovative research to the test. I promise you, if you read this book and apply Dr. Tharp's proven concepts, your trading will immediately improve and your bottom line will stay in the black. Without a doubt, Dr. Tharp's book is the best "investment" I have ever made. My return on this "position" is incalculable...

One of the best trading books I've ever read.
With all of the hoopla surrounding "trading" recently, it's interesting that many, if not most, would be traders don't know how to get started.

I should know. I'm a professional, full time trader and I'm constantly being asked,"John, how can I daytrade and make a living?" After reading Van Tharp's new book, I finally have a great answer to that question.

Sometimes I think I've read almost everything published on trading. Some are so basic they insult the reader, in their naïveté. Others are very advanced technical treatises. Van Tharp's book is refreshing. I found it a great read...a blend of the foundational concepts such as "fundamental analysis" with very advanced concepts including "expectancy"...a topic that very few traders understand at all.

Along the way, Tharp gets the reader involved by asking plenty of self-analysis type questions. Questions designed to immerse the reader in the complete process of trading. From understanding biases and success roadblocks...to designing and implementing a winning system...it's all here.

Whether you're brand new to trading, or a seasoned pro...there's plenty of material to dig into here. A lot of meat...very little fluff. I rate it five starts. Get it. Read it. Understand it.

And best of SKILL in your trading!

where's the success?
I bought and read it. So where's the success? I mean the author's success as trader? I pay to see his trading statements for the last 15 years. Got to be audited statements. I mean, he says he knows what the holy grail is, how it (the market) works, how one makes money at it (the market). So he's got to have broken it right? Trading that is. (!)

Or, are we talking about a DIFFERENT KIND of success???!! Success in selling the idea that he "knows" all there is know about making money at the markets? Terribly cinic in my opinion. People need to beleive in anything. Beleive Van. You are contributing to his bank account.

Not one SINGLE piece of evidence is available about his success (at trading the markets). The other success is well known.

Oh Aristotle, you were right! Not all those who attend the games (the olympics) are players. Some are cynics as you say and so many spectators (consumers) for both the cynics and the players.

A player!
(for 4 years)

So, I bought it, read it and returned it. But go ahead.

Great read - but superficial
This book introduces the reader to the importance of position sizes exit strategies , and risk management. These are all important aspects. However , inspite of the fact that the author repetedly mentions about the importance of position sizing , it is dealt with at a superficial level at best.
It looks like you have to pay additional money to go to Dr Tharp's site and buy his products , this book skims along the surface for what is supposed to be the main topic of the book

a joke
If the author knows it all why doesn't he trade? If I knew it all about trading I wouldn't do anything else and I certainly wouldn't teach it ...
Simplistic, aimed for the ignorant, hopeful reader. The concept exposed is very simple: the market is random. If you bet 1% you can't loose ... at the end of the year you win. I mean Van writes that even without a method you make money like this ... you got to be kidding me! ... Read more

Book Description

Will help any small business or financial professional master QuickBooks Pro 2004 or QuickBooks Premier 2004 quickly, and use it effectively. This comprehensive, highly visual course in using QuickBooks covers the full accounting cycle in both merchandising and service businesses. It has been fully updated for the latest versions of QuickBooks. Topics covered include: a basic introduction to computers and QuickBooks Pro (and Premier); sales and receivables; payables and purchases; general accounting and end-of-period procedures; payroll; and more. Readers will also walk step-by-step through computerizing a manual accounting system with QuickBooks. Appendices cover the basics of working with Windows, using QuickBooks' built-in letters, using QuickBooks Pro online, and more.For everyone who wants to learn QuickBooks Pro 2004 or QuickBooks Premier 2004, including millions of small and home office business owners, accountants, bookkeepers, and students. Will also be valuable to QuickBooks users upgrading to the newest release. With over 2.5 million users, QuickBooks is the world's #1 small business accounting package ... Read more

Book Description

This second edition is written readers who crave real world learning. Professor DePamphilis has filled this book with updated cases and grounded models which reflect the theoretical underpinnings of the field. Expanded usage of "key idea" section headings enable the student to understand more easily the key point in each section of each chapter. Chapter 5 provides a detailed listing of questions commonly used to evaluate target firms doing due diligence.A primer on using financial ratios in Chapter 8 has been extended to include a convenient summary of commonly used financial ratios and suggestions as to how they may be used to evaluate target firms.The accompanying CD includes a set of Excel spreadsheets that supplements Chapter 8.

An Instructor's manual, available on the web, contains suggested learning objectives, chapter presentations for creating lectures or providing students with study guides, more than 750 test questions and answers (including true/false, multiple choice, essay questions, and practice problems), and solutions to all chapter business case studies in the book. The manual also contains detailed course syllabi that have been used extensively for both undergraduate and graduate classes and suggested ways for teaching the materials.

Includes 18 new case studies; all 70 cases have been updated

Instructor's Manual available on the web; includes practice problems and solutions

Accompanying CD includes a set of Excel spreadsheets that will supplement Chapter 8 ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Includes great M&A modeling software
This book takes the mystery out of M&A financial modeling and structuring deals. Many books on the subject seem to take a "black box" approach to how to do deal structuring and valuation. The author discusses in plain language how to do valuation, simulation, and deal structuring using financial models and how to use such models to select the best offer price for a target firm. The book includes detailed discussions of tax, accounting, and alternative deal structures.

The CD accompanying the book contains an Excel spread sheet model that can be modified to fit the unique circumstances of any transaction. This alone justifies buying the book, in my opinion.

The book also provides keen insights into how M&A can be used to implement business plans, how to identify potential target firms, strategies for contacting potential targets, and how to draw up initial documents such as confidentiality agreements and letters of intent. The book is highly comprehensive covering virtually all topics necessary to understanding the M&A process.

For the money, it is the best book on the subject, up-to-date, complete, and highly readable. If you have a serious interest in the subject, this is an important book to add to your library.

Outstanding treatment of technical/non-tech.aspects of M&A
Unlike many other treatments of this subject, this text discusses M&A in the context of a process or framework. The author takes great pains to show how all M&A related activities interact. The text discusses both technical (e.g., valuation, accounting, and tax issues) and non-technical (e.g., strategy development, identifying potential targets, initial contact, negotiation, and integration) issues. The book does an excellent job of talking about alternatives to M&A for executing strategies, including alliances, joint ventures, partnerships, etc.

Numerous recent case studies illustrate various concepts and situations. The coverage of laws affecting different types of business combinations, of accounting standards applicable to M&A, and of relevant tax considerations is both current and excellent. The book also contains useful checklists to facilitate implementing transactions. The book is also chock full of helpful insights and hints of what to look for and how to avoid the traps that often accompany different types of transactions.

The book also contains an excellent discussion of other ways to enhance shareholder value. These include spin-offs, divestitures, carve-outs, bust-ups, and bankruptcy.

The book is highly practical and well-documented and could be viewed as a handbook on how to use M&A (or alternatives to M&A) to execute business stratgies. I think the book is an indispensable reference for accountants, lawyers, investment bankers, CFOs, and others involved in making transactions happen.

Thoughtful, Stimulating, and Enjoyable
This book is very well written...packed full of helpful information on M&A. The author's use of short cases to illustrate key points was most helpful. I found the down to earth discussion of how to put deals together very clear. I particularly enjoyed the fact that the scope of the book included an extensive discussion of alternative strategies such as JVs to mergers and acquisitions. The author also managed to include an exceedingly large number of case studies in the book, many of which were international transactions. Good book, good read. I highly recommend it.

Great M&A, Valuation, and Modeling Book
While this book covers all aspects of how to do a deal, the chapters on valuation, deal structuring, and financial modeling are by far the most lucid I have seen. The Excell spread sheet model on the CDROM accompanying the book provides incredibly helpful insight into how purchase price strategies are developed. The reader can review all of the underlying formulas enabling them to modify the model or to develop their own. Moreover, the model provides the reader with unusal insight in how all valuation, tax, accounting, and synergy considerations converge and interact to affect price. Overall, the book is very well written, clear, and supported.

Winning book, winning software
I loved this book. It managed to treat a highly complex subject in an understandable fashion. The author makes use of detailed examples (alright, sometimes too detailed) and explanations to ensure the reader is able to understand important points. The book is sprinkled with short business cases to illustrate key points and concepts. The author removes successfully the shroud of mystery that seems to envelope some books on this subject, namely with many authors it is unclear how they arrived at a particular conclusion. This book also does a great job of documenting observations and conclusions. The reader is given the opportunity to review additional resources if he (she) is interested in drilling down in more detail on a single subject.

The author also gives the reader incredible insight into M&A model building, providing detailed excel spreadsheets containing the underlying formulae needed to value transactions and determine financing feasiblity. I was able to alter many of the model's formulas to meet my own requirements. This model saved me many hours of painstaking work that I would have had to undertake in its absence.

While book contains cases desribing virtually all major transactions during the last decade, it is a little light in its discussion of international transactions. The major ones are covered such as Vodafone and Mannesmann, but I would have like to see a broader cross section of international transactions covering more industries. However, this would add substantially to the book's length. Given the author's writing and organizational skills, I would like to see a book focused totally on interantional transactions by him.

All in all, the book is well worth the price. In fact the software alone on the CD ROm may be worth the price. ... Read more

Book Description

Now you can get all the accuracy, authority, and student success of the best-selling intermediate accounting text in a brief, streamlined new version! The authors have made tough decisions about what material remains at the core of the intermediate accounting course, and what details (for example, methods of depreciation) are less important for today's student. The result of their work is the briefest two/three-semester intermediate text on the market. This new streamlined size will also allow you to introduce case material or special readings as you choose. ... Read more

Book Description

The Industry’s Most Comprehensive Treatment of the Modern MBS/ABS Marketplace–From the Pioneers Who Helped Create the Market

"Lakhbir Hayre’s work ranks in the top echelon of fixed income research of the past two decades. Both new entrants and seasoned market professionals can benefit from the insights compiled in this volume."–Greg Parseghian, Senior Vice President and Chief Investment Officer, Freddie Mac

"This is an enormously comprehensive study of the MBS and ABS markets by one of the most respected people in the field. Its unmatched wealth of institutional and technical detail make it an invaluable reference to anyone interested in these markets."–Richard Stanton, Associate Professor of Finance, Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley

"This is an excellent and comprehensive guide that is clearly required reading for anyone interested in these important financial markets. I particularly liked the many explicit examples of prepayment modeling approaches."–Francis A. Longstaff, Professor of Finance, The Anderson School, University of California, Los Angeles

High credit quality and superior returns have contributed to the growthof MBSs and ABSs in the institutional investment community. Let the Salomon Smith Barney Guide to Mortgage-Backed and Asset-Backed Securities provide you with the expert, in-depth treatment you need to understand–and profit from–MBS and ABS investments. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Hayre is lucid and informative! The Best Prepayment book
As other reviewers have mentioned this is a must for anyone involved with MBS ABS markets. Outstanding discussions on prepayment. Very detailed analysis of MBS ABS structures and related processes. A must for all people working with MBS.
Some modeling is hidden and not well explained...

An Essential Guide Plus Another
A fine guide book for the asset-backed and mortgage-backed securities markets from the original dominating force: Salomon Brothers (now Salomon Smith Barney). This comprehensive volume is an essential reference for asset backed securities and mortgage backed securities, albeit it is somewhat U.S. centric.

"Collateralized Debt Obligations and Structured Finance" by Janet Tavakoli completes and updates the essential structured finance collection. Tavakoli discusses synthetics which use credit derivatives techology and compares them to cash deals. She also exposes weaknesses in the ratings and in the structural elements that investors and structurers can correct, or at least negotiate value. She also talks about the risks of fraud, inadequate asset due diligence, and inadequate documentation & structural protections.

Clearly the best!
A clear and detailed book, written by the No. 1 expert in MBS from, Salomon Smith Barney, the best MBS underwriting and trading firm on Wall Street. A must for all people working with MBS.

Highly Recommended!
Lakhbir Hayre has created a comprehensive and authoritative reference guide for the asset-backed and mortgage-backed securities markets. In compiling this book, Hayre drew on the expertise of ABS and MBS specialists from Salomon Smith Barney, which was a pioneer in the development of these markets and still trades the largest volume of the securities. This huge volume includes plenty of charts, graphs and illustrations as companions to its enormously detailed and clearly explained descriptions and analysis. We [...] recommend this book as a useful reference for experts and an enlightening introduction for securitization novices.

its ok
it was a good well balanced book it was fun to reasd ... Read more

Book Description

Too often, finance courses stop short of making a connection between textbook finance and the problems of real-world business. Financial Modeling bridges this gap between theory and practice by providing a nuts-and-bolts guide to solving common financial models with spreadsheets. Simon Benninga takes the reader step by step through each model, showing how it can be solved using Microsoft Excel. In this sense, this is a finance "cookbook," providing recipes with lists of ingredients and instructions.

Areas covered include computation of corporate finance problems, standard portfolio problems, option pricing and applications, and duration and immunization. The second edition contains six new chapters covering financial calculations, cost of capital, value at risk (VaR), real options, early exercise boundaries, and term structure modeling. A new technical chapter contains a potpourri of tips for using Excel.

Although the reader should know enough about Excel to set up a simple spreadsheet, the author explains advanced Excel techniques used in the book. The book includes chapters dealing with random number generation, data tables, matrix manipulation, and VBA programming. It also comes with a CD-ROM containing Excel worksheets and solutions to end-of-chapter exercises. ... Read more

Reviews (36)

Excellent book due to its simple practicality
I highly recommend this book to any aspiring financial analyst. It is definitely worth it, even at the list price.

Want to master the fundamentals of basic finance using Excel? then this is one of the few books on the market that really meet this need. Want to set up more advanced mathmatics modeling? well as the introduction of this explains, this book is more like a cookbook: it lists the required basic ingredients and the culinary process but if you want to spice the dish (financial model) up, it is up to the individuals to dig out those advanced formulas from the financial trade journals and apply them to the models.

I first saw the first edition of this book in my college library. took it home and was EXCITED. I was looking for a practical book that would show me the intricacies of Excel for setting up financial models and this was like a god-sent. Like one of the other reviewers said, this book combined basic finance, Excel functions, and VBA programming. To add practicality to this book, Professor Benninga even showed how to download financial data from the internet. Granted it is rather basic, but it adds to the usability of his book, making it a well-round book.

The best parts are end-of-the chapter exercises. Solutions are provided in the accompanying CD-ROM. See how many ways can you solve the same problem.

Professor Benninga always outlines the assumptions and explains the parameters of each model. We should remember that in many instances, unrealistic assumptions lead to way-of-the mark numbers, rendering the whole modeling process and its calculations useless.

Want to become a advanced-level financial modeler? then master the fundamentals first! this book gets you started.

P.S. I also highly recommend to anyone just starting with Excel modeling to read William J. Orvis's Excel for Scientists and Engineers. It is a bit outdated but still highly useful for its chapters on curve fitting, VBA programming and raw data manipulation.

Chicken Soup for the Financial Analyst's Soul
If you need to build a working valuation model, calculate the risk of a portfolio with 100+ securities, or figure out what return you might expect to get from a portfolio of high-yield bonds, then you'll find Simon Beninga's "Financial Modeling" merits far more than five stars: this is one book that is indispensable.

One of the biggest problems I ran into during my MBA program was the way my professors taught Corporate Finance. I had great profs, true, but they were teaching theoretical concepts from theoretical textbooks. Sure, you learned the basics: CAPM, net present value, basic options and futures, Arbitrage Pricing Theory, VAR and TEV, but I have always maintained that the best way of learning a subject---particularly corporate finance---is by getting your hands dirty and digging into the guts of the material.

Since Corporate Finance, off-balance sheet instruments aside, isn't very dirty, the best way to get a hands-on practical approach in terms of Capital Structure, the appropriate discount rate to use in pricing an asset, risk, and optimal debt and dividends is to program in Excel and Visual Basic. The problem is that many top finance texts don't offer supplemental material to translate the theoretical concepts into actual valuation and spreadsheet models, which any financial analyst will contend is the life-blood of the industry.

With that in mind, Simon Beninga's "Financial Modelling" is a kind of "Joy of Cooking" for initiate investment bankers, corporate financiers, controllers, analysts, and anyone who wants to use core Corporate Finance concepts in the real world. Beninga goes through the standard laundry list of Corporate Finance text topics---from the optimal risky portfolio to the term structure of interest rates---and shows you how to translate these concepts into workable spreadsheet models that can illustrate, illuminate, and get to the heart of a problem.

If you're a new MBA or financial analyst, you'll find much to love in Beninga's approach, and by pairing the newly expanded 2nd edition up with a top theoretical finance textbook (Ross, Westerfield et al.'s "Corporate Finance" is a fine example) you'll get the most out of your MBA program and have a solid foundation for building Excel and Visual Basic financial models that work.

I liken "Financial Modeling" to a cookbook, in that Beninga provides all the ingredients necessary to the model at hand: he begins with a sprinkling of theory, whether it's modeling a bond portfolio's immunization, calculating the cost of capital, estimating a portfolio's Beta with no short-selling, or pricing put and call options using both the binomial theorem and Black-Scholes. His writing is spare, terse, and to the point, but I have learned more about advanced corporate finance theory through Beninga's marvellously pithy writing and copious Excel examples than I have in reading ten 'top of the list' finance books.

In addition to nicely expanded sections on options (including portfolio insurance) and leasing (including the technically sophisticated subject of leveraged leasing, which requires Excel to comprehend), Beninga concludes his sprightly little tome with a section on getting the most out of Excel (useful little shortcuts that a financial analyst will need but may not have heard of) and a nice little introductory primer on programming in Visual Basic.

"Financial Modeling" is an absolute essential if you're going to make Corporate Finance your profession. For an equally elegant and practical treatment of building discounted cash flow models for businesses, the reader would be advised to pick up Beninga's "Corporate Finance", which, while not equally oriented in spreadsheet modeling, is one of the most terse, accessible, and reasonably technically sophisticated Corp-Fin books on the market today.

Very Good - MBA Students This Is a Must Own
This is a very good book in showing the reader how to utilize and manipulate Excel for financial problem solving and modeling applications. If you are looking for a book that will show you how to build a leverage buy-out or m&a model from scratch, your expectations are way too high. What this book shows you is how to build those types of models by showing you how to model and use various Excel functions to build the various subsections of those types of complicated models and link them all together. I highly recommend this book to MBA students who are career changers and are looking to enter corporate finance or consulting careers where quantative Excel usage is part of the job. This book shows you how to get the most out of Excel, which is a very user friendly software package. The book comes with a CD-ROM which has examples as utilized in the book and homework problems which are good and can be somewhat hard which forces you to learn Excel for financial applications. If you are a quick learner and highly motivated, you will get a lot out of this book. Nothing is to be feared. It is all to be mastered. By buying this book and working out the Excel problems and exercises on my own, my confidence level with Excel and my own modeling skills has shot up. Given what I have learned from this book, i consider the price to be a bargain. This is very much a learning by doing book. You will get a lot out of it.

Excellent book for any novice on financial modeling
I have used this book and recommended to others. It is certainly one of the best books on financial modelling, especially if you are a novice in modeling. It gives step by step clear techniques for various problems. It is very easy to read, with excellent examples. Hope you can enjoy this book as much as I have.

Financial Modeling - 2nd Edition
Great intro to financial modeling, excellent text for undergrad finance and MBA students. Learn core financial topics and Excel simultaneously. Takes financial theory and applies it in excel with real "nuts and bolts" applications. Includes a CD with all the speadheets on it which is alone worth the price. No advanced math or statistics needed, although it would help the reader. Perhaps too basic for a student/graduate Ph.D. in Economics/Finance or M.S. in Financial Engineering. ... Read more