This book takes a practical look at the valuation models used by Wall Street Veteran consultant and educator Scott Hoover. It analyzes the limitations and idiosyncrasies of major valuation models. He examines the time value of money, cash flow analysis, discount rates, and other tools, and describes how money managers and bankers apply them to valuation.

At a time when Congressional investigations have taken on added importance and urgency in American politics, this book offers readers a rare, insider's portrait of the world of US Congressional oversight. It examines specific oversight investigations into multiple financial and offshore tax scandals over fifteen years, from 1999 to 2014, when Senator Levin served in a leadership role on the US Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI), the Senate's premier investigative body. Despite mounting levels of partisanship, dysfunction, and cynicism swirling through Congress during those years, this book describes how Congressional oversight investigations can be a powerful tool for uncovering facts, building bipartisan consensus, and fostering change, offering detailed case histories as proof. Grounded in fact, and written as only an insider could tell it, this book will be of interest to financial and tax practitioners, policymakers, academics, students, and the general public.

The Fintech Entrepreneur's Guide to Regulation and Regulatory Strategy Fintech has been growing dramatically over the last few years, and it is now an important sector in its own right. This means that Fintech companies, who could so far often rely on a comparatively lenient regulatory regime, will now have to give serious thoughts on compliance with applicable regulatory rules. Operating in a highly regulated environment is tedious, but not all bad--companies that can play the regulatory game well have a strategic advantage, especially with regard to time-to-market and scaling. Nothing spells missed opportunity like a competitor building market share with a copycat product whilst you are still waiting for your license! Written for professionals, this book helps anyone whose job has to do with formulating or executing a Fintech startup strategy or whose job touches financial services regulation, or anyone who simply wants an easy- to-read introduction to financial services and their regulation. Describes the purpose of and principle behind modern financial services regulation Explains how to include regulation into a startup's strategic planning to optimize time-to-market and scaling Gives an overview of the entire financial services space, and which regulations apply where Gives detailed references to 20 key regulations in the EU regulatory system, including PSD, GDPR, CRD, AMLD, MiFID, UCITSD, AIFMD The first part introduces financial services regulation, its purpose, how it is created (especially in the EU and in the US), and it develops a framework for including regulations into the strategic planning of a company. It also gives a rundown of the current financial services space--players and products--and its key regulations. The second part describes a regulatory system in more detail. The system chosen is the EU because it is more consistent and unified than the US system where a lot of the regulation still is created at the state-level. However, as most financial regulation nowadays is determined at the global level, the principles found in EU regulation will be by and large also be found the US and other systems.

A brilliant investor, a born raconteur and an overall smart-ass, Andy Kessler pulls back the curtain on the world of hedge funds and shows how the guys who run big money think, talk and act.

Following on the success of Wall Street Meat, his self-published book on the lives of Wall Street stock analysts, Andy Kessler recounts his years as an extraordinarily successful hedge fund manager. To run a successful hedge fund you must have an investing edge -- that special insight that allows you to reap greater returns for your clients and yourself.

A quick study, Kessler gets an education in investing from some fascinating and quirky personalities. Eventually he works out his own insight into the world economy, a powerful lens that reveals to him hidden value in seemingly negative trends. Focussing on margin surplus, Kessler comes to see that current American economy, at the apex of the information revolution, is not so different from the British economy at the height of the industrial revolution. Drawing out the parallels he develops a powerful investing tool which he shares with readers. Contrarian and confident, Kessler made a fortune applying his ideas to his hedge fund. Which only proves that they may not be as crazy as they sound.

Real estate guru Boaz Gilad shows how to make a million dollars investing in real estate--without needing a lot of start-up cash Even if you're new to real estate, you can use the knowledge and experience you already have to tap into--or even create--real estate opportunities. The secret is to target the customers and properties you understand best. Finding your niche is just part of Gilad's 10-step moneymaking program, based on the proven techniques that have made him a sought-after speaker for top corporations and real estate groups--and a millionaire. Key features You'll discover how to: Develop a niche market based on your own experience, knowledge, and skills Target and scout the right neighbourhoods and properties Accurately determine the real value of properties Use creative tactics to nail down sources of capital Understand finance and real estate calculations and formulas Negotiate effectively to win in every deal Build your own professional real estate team Find drive and inspiration to keep going Establish a great reputation for yourself And live your entrepreneurial dream!

Insight into collateral management and its increasing relevance in modern banking In the wake of recent financial crises, firms of all sizes have adjusted their policies to incorporate more frequent instances of collateral management. Collateral Management: A Guide to Mitigating Counterparty Risk explains the connection between the need for collateral management in order to alleviate counterparty risk and the actions that firms must take to achieve it. Targeted at middle and back office managers seeking a hands-on explanation of the specifics of collateral management, this book offers a thorough treatment of the subject and attends to details such as internal record management, daily procedures used in making and receiving collateral calls, and settlement-related issues that affect the movements of cash and securities collateral. An expert in financial topics ranging from trade lifecycle to operational risk, author Michael Simmons offers readers insight into a field that, so far, is struggling to produce enough expertise to meet its high demand. * Presents hands-on advice and examples from a bestselling, internationally renowned author who introduces his third book on operations and operations-related activities * Explains the relationship between collateral management and preventing institutional defaults, such as the recent Lehman Brothers downfall Since 2008, firms have recognized and embraced the importance of collateral management, but this book will provide practitioners with a deeper understanding and appreciation of its relevance.

A comprehensive resource for understanding the complexities of agricultural finance Agricultural Finance: From Crops to Land, Water, and Infrastructure is a pioneering book that offers a comprehensive resource for understanding the worldwide agriculture markets, from spikes in agricultural commodity prices to trading strategies, and the agribusiness industry generally to the challenges of feeding the planet in particular. The book also goes in-depth on the topics of land, water, fertilizers, biofuels, and ethanol. Written by Helyette Geman an industry expert in commodity derivatives this book explores the agricultural marketplace and the cycles in agricultural commodity prices that can be the key to investor success. This resource addresses a wide range of other important topics as well, including agricultural insurance, energy, shipping and bunker prices, sustainability, investments in land, subsidies, agricultural derivatives, and farming risk-management. Other topics covered include structured products and agricultural commodities ETFs; trade finance in an era of credit shortage; securitization and commodity-linked notes; grains: wheat, corn, soybeans; softs: coffee, cocoa, cotton; shipping as a key component of agricultural trade; and the major agricultural shipping routes and the costs. The book: * Offers the first comprehensive resource that deals with the all aspects of agricultural finance * Includes information that is crucial for pension funds, asset managers, hedge funds, agribusiness corporates, CTAs and regulators * Covers a range of topics from agricultural bunker prices, futures, options to major shipping routes and the costs This text is a must-have resource for accessing the information required to trade successfully in the agricultural marketplace.

WITH HUNDREDS OF MORTGAGES NOW AVAILABLE, HOW DO YOU CHOOSE THE ONE THAT'S RIGHT FOR YOU?. .

Congratulations! Chances are you're buying a new home or refinancing an old one and are now in the process of applying for a mortgage loan. Before making any decisions that could affect the next 30 years of your life, arm yourself with this edition of "Tips And Traps When Mortgage Hunting," . .

There are so many loans now available for practically every situation. America's leading real estate authority, Robert Irwin, will help you cut through the confusion and find the mortgage that fits your needs and is right for your budget. If one of your biggest concerns is paying too high an interest rate, or shelling out excessive cash for closing costs, this book will save you money by showing you how to find the lowest rates available. In easy-to-understand language, Irwin explains.... . . When to use a mortgage broker and how to find the right one. How to use the latest technology to conduct a mortgage search online. How to shop for and lock in the lowest interest rate. How to avoid being denied a mortgage because of a credit problem. . .

This clear and comprehensive guide will provide you with the most up-to-date information and insider tips to help you avoid the traps of mortgage hunting and find the right mortgage at the right, /p>.

The breakthrough technique that outperforms asset allocation--and takes your portfolio to the next level. .

Over the past two decades, asset allocation has become the holy grail of investment techniques. Experts championed it, brokers and financial planners sold it, clients bought it, and few questioned the wisdom of trying to squeeze widely varying investors and their financial goals into prefabricated "one size fits all" allocation formulas..

Problem is, asset allocation has significant flaws in the way it is used today, especially for personal investors. "Asset Dedication" exposes these flaws, corrects them, and propels investors and advisors into the next generation of personal investing. This revolutionary book introduces asset dedication, an investment program based on the latest techniques in modern financial management technology that will allow you to: . . Improve a portfolio's performance by constructing a seven-step, personalized asset dedication program . Design financial strategies tailored to fit the three investing phases of life--accumulation, distribution, and transfer . Build a flexible but passive set-it-and-forget-it portfolio that matches or exceeds actively managed portfolios without high fees and "loads" . .

The time is long past for the shortcomings of asset allocation to be revealed and repaired. "Asset Dedication "shows how to build a personalized portfolio, one that has been proven through extensive backtesting to consistently outperform asset allocation and meet "your" financial wants and needs over both the short- and long-term.. .

""New ideas often take a long time to replace old ideas. The purpose of this book is to introduce a new idea: asset dedication. It is a strategy that works. The evidence is here."--From Chapter 1,"

To anyone who has taken the time to look, it has become clear that asset allocation has severe drawbacks. Chief among those is the focus on applying static, set-in-stone formulas to a narrow range of "model" portfolios and forcing a wide range of investors to follow them. This may help brokers to quickly pigeonhole investors into pre-set allocation models with their generic, impersonal formulas, but fails to provide truly customized portfolios. Meeting the widely varying needs, resources, and goals of individual investors precisely and safely is exactly where asset allocation falls short, and reveals its own fundamental flaws. .

"Asset Dedication "breaks the monopoly that asset allocation has held over individual investors. It provides a rationale for why each dollar is invested in stocks, bonds, or cash and how to dedicate the precise amount in each asset class to do the job it does best--no more, no less: . . Just enough cash to meet emergency needs . Just enough in bonds to provide sufficient and steady income . Everything else in stocks for long-term growth . .

Asset dedication represents the first major shift in investment strategy since the popularization of asset allocation in the 1980s. Historical comparisons show that it achieves better performance than the traditional and often arbitrary fixed-formula asset allocation approach. .

Asset allocation is about to replaced by a new technique that promises to shift the ways in which investors at every level, especially retirees, approach their investment decisions. "Asset Dedication "introduces you to this focused new approach, showshow to break the stranglehold that asset allocation holds on your portfolio, and helps you, once and for all, to become the master of your current and future financial success..

VALUABLE ADVICE FOR INVESTORS OF ALL TYPES FROM STANDARD & POORS, TODAYS MOST TRUSTED RESOURCE FOR RELIABLE INVESTMENT INFORMATION

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

The classic primer on technical analysis, reprinted for a new generation of traders and technicians

As classic and timeless as Graham & Dodds Security Analysis, William Jilers How Charts Can Help You in the Stock Market is the must-have primer on technical analysis.

First published in 1962, it was the first book to explain how all investors can use charting to more profitably time both their buys and sells and is globally renowned to this day for helping traders and investors use the tools of technical analysis to increase their profits.

Featuring a new Foreword by the investing experts at Standard & Poors, this special reprint edition will be an excellent resource for beginners as well as a vital reference for experienced technicians. Technical traders will look to it for:

• Tips for removing the mystery from the use of technical analysis
  
• Easy-to-understand definitions of technical analysis topics
  
• Examples and explanations of essential configurations, patterns, and formations
  

Delving into the world of big money has all the excitement of being a war correspondent with only two-thirds of the danger. In None of My Business, P.J. O'Rourke takes forty-five years of experience making fun of terrible things in some of the world's most awful places and applies it to a place that's even worse-Wall Street. Want to get rich overnight for free in three easy steps with no risk? Then don't buy this book. (Actually, if you believe there's a book that can do that, you shouldn't buy any books because you probably can't read.) P.J.'s approach to business, investment, finance, and innovation is different. He takes the risks for you in his chapter "How I Learned Economics by Watching People Try to Kill Each Other," detailing the economic lessons he learned while reporting in some of the most turbulent combat zones across the world. P.J. has his eye on the present as well as the past. He explores the world of high tech innovation with a chapter on the Internet, which poses the question, "whose idea was it to put every idiot in the world in touch with every other idiot?" P.J. is baffled by bitcoin, which seems to him "like a weird scam invented by strange geeks with weaponized slide rules in the high school Evil Math Club." And he writes a fanciful short story about the morning he wakes up to find that all the world's goods and services are free-with disastrous (and hilarious) results for the rule of law and the harmony of society. This is P.J. at his finest, a book that reminds us that when everything around us is Liar's Poker, all we can do is fold-with laughter.

This title is the first of its kind in South Africa. It comprehensively covers the South African tax and exchange control provisions which apply to local and foreign trusts. In addition to normal discretionary trusts, the taxation of the following types of trusts is covered: business trusts; charitable trusts; BEE trusts; employee share scheme trusts; offshore trusts; special trusts; asset protection; will trusts. The following types of taxes are also discussed in a trust context: Income Tax; CGT; Transfer Duty; Donations Tax; Estate Duty; International Tax; Transfer Pricing; VAT. The first-ever book exclusively covering the direct and indirect taxation of trusts in South Africa, including a chapter on the application of the exchange control regulations to both onshore and offshore trusts.

Harnessing the Power of Quantitative Techniques to Create a Winning Trading ProgramLars Kestner Quantitative Trading Strategies takes readers through the development and evaluation stages of todays most popular and market-proven technical trading strategies. Quantifying every subjective decision in the trading process, this analytical book evaluates the work of well-known quants from John Henry to Monroe Trout and introduces 12 all-new trading strategies. It debunks numerous popular misconceptions, and is certain to make waves--and change minds--in the world of technical analysis and trading.

Equity options, the all-purpose vehicles that todays smartest investors use to increase profits, reduce risks, or both

Equity options, considered overly complex and aggressive by most investors, are actually among todays most straightforward and easy-to-use investment vehicles. Providing both protection against loss and potential for exceptional profits, they are ideal for virtually any trader or investor.

The Options Strategist outlines effective and easy-to-follow strategies for incorporating the power of equity options into your trading program. Starting with the basics of options and options trading, it goes on to reveal specific strategies that you can use to:

• Maximize your trading profits in up, down, or sideways markets
  
• Protect your portfolio against sudden market declines
  
• Take advantage of price swings, regardless of their direction
  
• Hedge your corporate stock and/or options against unforeseen events
  
• Employ advanced options techniques to take your trading success to the next level
  

Its time that you discovered the many benefits of equity options. Let The Options Strategist show you just how easy and profitable options investing can be and provide you with the knowledge and tools you need to give your portfolio the options advantage.

Investors of all types, with portfolios of every size, are beginning to realize the protection and profit in equity options. Long seen as a volatile investment designed strictly for gamblers and high rollers, options in fact offer unique advantages to even the most conservative investor and are suitable for rounding out virtually any investment portfolio.

The Options Strategist tells you everything you need to know to trade and invest with equity options. Whether you use options to aggressively increase trading profits through the power of leverage or conservatively protect the stocks in your portfolio against sudden market reversals, this hands-on, practical guide will introduce you to strategies from basic to advanced, including:

• Buying calls and puts
  
• Writing covered calls and puts
  
• Writing naked calls and puts
  
• Straddles
  
• Spreads
  
• Strangles
  
• Collars
  
• Combinations
  

But more than just discussing what to do and how to do it, The Options Strategist explains why to do it. Why would an investor buy an option to purchase 100 shares of a stock instead of just buying the stock itself? Why would an investor write calls on shares of stock he or she already owns? Or write both puts and calls on that same stock? This plain-talking guidebook explains the strategic motivation behind each of these examples and dozens more, along with the rewards, risks, best outcomes, and worst outcomes for each.

In addition, The Options Strategist takes an in-depth look at the theory behind options investing. Option pricing, implied and historical volatility, the Greeks, the Black-Scholes Option Pricing Model: For each of these topics, key questions are asked and answered, central arguments are introduced and analyzed, and specific technical terms are demystified to underscore their practical applications (or lack thereof) for options traders and investors.

The result is a guidebook that lays a solid foundation for equity option trading and investing. The Options Strategist explains how to use basic techniques for both profit and protection and then explores more advanced aspects for the truly serious student of options trading. It is, in short, todays most comprehensive introduction and rulebook for making equity option trading an integral part of your everyday investing strategy.

"The first thing you think is where's the edge, where can I make a bit more money, how can I push, push the boundaries. But the point is, you are greedy, you want every little bit of money that you can possibly get because, like I say, that is how you are judged, that is your performance metric" Tom Hayes, 2013 In the midst of the financial crisis, Tom Hayes and his network of traders and brokers from Wall Street's leading firms set to work engineering the biggest financial conspiracy ever seen. As the rest of the world burned, they came together on secret chat rooms and late night phone calls to hatch an audacious plan to rig Libor, the 'world's most important number' and the basis for $350 trillion of securities from mortgages to loans to derivatives. Without the persistence of a rag-tag team of investigators from the U.S., they would have got away with it...The Fix by award-winning Bloomberg journalists Liam Vaughan and Gavin Finch, is the inside story of the Libor scandal, told through the journey of the man at the centre of it: a young, scruffy, socially awkward misfit from England whose genius for math and obsessive personality made him a trading phenomenon, but ultimately paved the way for his own downfall. Based on hundreds of interviews, and unprecedented access to the traders and brokers involved, and the investigators who caught up with them, The Fix provides a rare look into the dark heart of global finance at the start of the 21st Century.

Trustees play an important role in the management of the retirement fund they are affiliated to. Sadly, many trustees and boards fail to live up to their promise and potential, mainly because they’re part-time trustees without a complete understanding of their fiduciary, legal and compliance duties, obligations and responsibilities. Trustees are required to consult with experts on matters that they lack sufficient knowledge in. However, some understanding of the subject matter is required among them in order for the board to assimilate the advice that they are given. The purpose of this book is to combine most of the many fields that trustees are expected to have a knowledge of in one publication, written in easy-to-understand layman’s language, that can serve as a guide for the average trustee. The various types of retirement funds and benefits payable inside and outside of the fund are explained. Legislation with regard to minimum benefits, the responsibility of trustees to communicate to members and other stakeholders and what the minimum requirements are for this communication are also discussed. The role, fiduciary responsibility and duties of the board of trustees are carefully unpacked, the various pieces of legislation that the trustees deal with and the role that the rules of the fund play in the fulfilling of their duties are explained. All these are discussed and brought into perspective with the principles of good governance and ethics. And to make the read so much more interesting, the book includes about 50 pages of the principles of investments that a trustee should know. This publication should make trustees and boards less reliant on advice from the so-called experts whose advice leans towards their own interest. It should enable trustees to distinguish between the many excellent, honest and hardworking advisors and the few unscrupulous ones.

Previous editions of Robert Z. Aliber's "The New International Money Game" have been widely acclaimed as the best and most entertaining introduction to the arcane enigmas of international finance. Since its original publication, the book has become a classic primer for beginning students, businesspersons, and anyone interested in a clear explanation of international monetary and financial issues.
With expert knowledge and a wry sense of humor, Aliber demystifies international finance by breaking through the jargon barrier and presenting technical issues in a clear and concise manner. Aliber takes the reader on a tour of a multiplicity of international finance issues, included fixed and floating exchange rates, devaluations, money markets, monetary policy, and the concepts that lie behind the esoteric language of financial economists.
This sixth edition tracks the changes that have taken place in the world economy since the previous editions by exploring financial globalization, postcommunist transition, European integration, and the Asian economic crisis. It is an indispensable and highly readable guide to the complex and increasingly fragile system through which the world's business is financed.

The definitive compendium for the Insurance Digital Revolution From slow beginnings in 2014, InsurTech has captured US$7billion in investment since 2010 -- a 10% annual compound growth rate is predicted until at least 2020. Three in four insurance companies believe some part of their business is at risk of disruption and understanding the trends, drivers and emerging technologies behind Insurance's Digital Revolution is a business-critical priority for all growth-minded firms. The InsurTech Book offers essential updates, critical thinking and actionable insight -- globally -- from start-ups, incumbents, investors, tech companies, advisors and other partners in this evolving ecosystem, in one volume. For some, Insurance is either facing an existential threat; for others, it is a sector on the brink of transforming itself. Either way, business models, value chains, customer understanding and engagement, organisational structures and even what Insurance is for, is never going to be the same. Be informed, be part of it. Learn from diverse experiences, mindsets and applications of technologies Discover new ways of defining and grasping growth opportunities Get the inside track from innovators, disruptors and incumbents Be updated on the evolution of InsurTech, why it is happening and how it will evolve Explore visions of the future of Insurance to help shape yours The InsurTech Book is your indispensable guide to a sector in transformation.

From a giant of health care policy, an engaging and enlightening account of why American health care is so expensive "and why it doesn't have to be Uwe Reinhardt was a towering figure and moral conscience of health care policy in the United States and beyond. Famously bipartisan, he advised presidents and Congress on health reform and originated central features of the Affordable Care Act. In Priced Out, Reinhardt offers an engaging and enlightening account of today's U.S. health care system, explaining why it costs so much more and delivers so much less than the systems of every other advanced country, why this situation is morally indefensible, and how we might improve it. The problem, Reinhardt says, is not one of economics but of social ethics. There is no American political consensus on a fundamental question other countries settled long ago: to what extent should we be our brothers' and sisters' keepers when it comes to health care? Drawing on the best evidence, he guides readers through the chaotic, secretive, and inefficient way America finances health care, and he offers a penetrating ethical analysis of recent reform proposals. At this point, he argues, the United States appears to have three stark choices: the government can make the rich help pay for the health care of the poor, ration care by income, or control costs. Reinhardt proposes an alternative path: that by age 26 all Americans must choose either to join an insurance arrangement with community-rated premiums, or take a chance on being uninsured or relying on a health insurance market that charges premiums based on health status. An incisive look at the American health care system, Priced Out dispels the confusion, ignorance, myths, and misinformation that hinder effective reform.

Modelling credit risk accurately is central to the practice of mathematical finance. The majority of available texts are aimed at an advanced level, and are more suitable for PhD students and researchers. This volume of the Mastering Mathematical Finance series addresses the need for a course intended for master's students, final-year undergraduates, and practitioners. The book focuses on the two mainstream modelling approaches to credit risk, namely structural models and reduced-form models, and on pricing selected credit risk derivatives. Balancing rigorous theory with examples, it takes readers through a natural development of mathematical ideas and financial intuition.