Customer Reviews

All About Market Timing

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you're already a market veteran then there is nothing new here. Seasonals, presidential cycle, valueline 4% with some variations, and moving average systems. He briefly mentions sentiment and breadth indicators but doesn't go into their use. If you're new to market timing then this is a good cliff notes on the well known timing systems.

My biggest disappointment was that there was no new or original work here. The results of the systems and their variations were not always in the same format making comparisons difficult. It should have been more consistent.

If you're familiar with Yale Hirsch, Sy Harding and the VL 4% model then this is a waste. If you want to get up to speed on market timing then it is a worthwhile book and has a good reference section.

I have been a trader for years, actively trading well over a 100,000 shares a day, while managing a substantial portfolio. I have read most of the "I have a winning stock market strategy for you" books over the past several years. Aside from a handful they all were relatively disappointing. I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by this, "Market Timing", book. Many of the, "Market Strategy" books I have read require the investor to spend an unrealistic amount of time managing their investments and require them to have an in depth understanding of the stock market. I found much of the information to be eye opening and enlightening, even for a professional, and the strategies quite useful. If the author's goal was to provide investors with a No Nonsense perspective of the market and strategies to increase their total return while significantly decreasing their risk over the long term, then mission accomplished. I strongly recommend this book to amateur and professional investors.

Author Leslie Masonson has written a financial book on a series of relatively simple, yet highly effective technical timing techniques. His presentation of subject matter is logically organized and concise, which makes reading the material enjoyable. He makes an effective case against the "random walk" theory without spending half the book on it. Instead, he reviews specific trading techniques in detail. Yet you do not need a mathematics degree in order to implement them. The most valuable part of the book is the detailed list of market-timing resources, which include newsletters, advisors, web sites, software, etc. I have personally dealt with some of these individuals, and find his comments about them to be fair and insightful.

I have been an individual investor for over 25 years, utilizing brokers, money managers and self-directed mutual funds at various times. During that time I have experienced bull and bear markets as being generally puzzling and unpredictable, and have ridden the market up and down with the masses, which are generally advised to dollar cost average and buy and hold. I was particularly incensed, as was everyone else, during the recent severe bear market, when the "diversified group of mutual funds" failed miserably as all the ships sank, and the mutual fund managers were seemingly baffled and confused, unprepared to exercise any sell discipline, and totally ineffective in protecting our money. Leslie Masonson has presented a relatively simple and understandable, statistically verified and workable means of formulating a personal approach to market timing, by using one or more logical and tested strategies to attempt to optimize the rallies during bull markets, while endeavoring to sidestep bear markets while the herd heads for the door. Plaudits to Mr. Masonson for offering a plan which admits to no guarantees, but which incorporates the hard earned and heartfelt experience of a lifetime of investment counseling, and is designed to help us plan our investing so as to be able to make our own decisions more rationally and effectively, without relying on any outside parties. This point is particularly important, since I'm sure that most investors would agree that no one else is nearly as concerned about our portfolios as we are.

I was one who was hammered by the market downturn of 2000 - 2002 and it was because I was following the "buy and hold" philosophy. I was not and am still not very sophisticated in investing but I am paying very close attention now. But I've not had a good strategy. This book does a good job of giving me a good overall strategy to consider and equally important, other resources to look at.

I also tried contacting Mr. Masonson via the email address he provided in his book. Within 5 minutes after I sent the email over the Christmas holiday, he called me! We had a good chat and he offered more advice that I thought was very helpful.

No Nonsense Book On Market Timing Hits a Home Run

This gem of a book could not have appeared at a more propitious time. Written by an long-time investor for investors, in a time when Sheriff Spitzer is riding herd opening our eyes on illegal behavior which in the near past was hoodwinked and brushed under the rug; this book provides an educational supplement and individualized trading approach to complement the AG's work.

Masonson is relentless in researching and documenting his findings on the market timing strategies that he covers. The confident and self assured author of Daytrading On The Edge is also a ranked and extremely popular AMAZON investment book reviewer totaling thirty reviews to date. His reviews provide guidance in evaluating educational materials when developing your trading system or making investment decisions.

With the tail end of the secular bear market, one of the painful lessons learned is that investors would have to make their own decisions to protect their money, since no one will do it for you.
And with this in mind, Masonson sets out his fourfold objective for writing this book:

1. Delineating why market timing is a superior investment strategy compared to
buy and hold.
2. Providing profitable market timing strategies that are simple to understand and easy to implement.
3. Providing guidance to investors to avoid future bear markets and protect their principal.
4. Helping investors maximize their returns in both good and bad times

The author convincingly argues that future bear markets will arrive like clockwork, and that investors better be prepared to deal with them. To this end, his book focuses exclusively on using timing with index funds, sector funds, leveraged funds and exchange-traded funds.

His thesis is laid out in a simple, concise and logical manner in thirteen very layered and structured chapters. Numerous easy-to-follow graphs and tables support the arguments. The investor does not have to deal with the tortuous double-dealing `street style'.

Masonson's sincerity and integrity in wanting to help investors' succeed is even evident in the book's epilogue. In addition the author provides a summary of key points, bibliography of books, articles, academic papers for further reading and study, and a listing of important websites.

Coupled with the author's prologue of `How To Use This Book', the reader will be thoroughly prepared for navigating the book and the challenges of the market. Masonson successfully takes on the overarching task of preparing us to be successful investors, and he has succeeded. After this delightful, easy to follow book on such a complex task, there should be no more excuses. Investors know what they have to do to be successful, and NOW is the time to start. I concur 100% with the other 10 reviews of this book: its message blows you away and its strategies are simple and they work. This book will become a classic in the "market timing" genre.

I have read over 50 books about the market and this book should be in your top five books to read. Whether you are new to investing or a seasoned pro, this book provides useful information that you can directly apply to your investment activities. The author provides excellent background and 'back-testing' proofs of the effectiveness of a number of market timing methodologies. While many of these 'systems' may seem exceedingly simple, my own experience in the market leads me to believe that simple is better --- way better! You will benefit from reading this book whether you follow and use the author's systems or not.

I have been investing since the mid 60's and the philosophy I follow, spelled out by all the stock mavens, is to buy "quality" and "hold". Masonson's book points out the folly of this approach. He makes a convincing case that in spite of all the wisdom that I have absorbed over 40 years, that "it ain't so". I will need to spend more time digesting his simple marketing timing strategies. In the future, I expect to be a smarter investor and not sit tight when the market is collapsing. Thanks for opening my eyes to the real world of investing. This book is well written, has tons of interesting facts, and lays bare the critical importance of cutting losses short and investing with the odds in your favor.

This is not a "know it all" or a "I've got a system that can't lose" disertation. It doesn't "talk down" to the reader, yet it reaches both the sophisticated and the novice. It is a history of market timing and a valuable reference of techniques, historical facts and references that anyone invested in the stock market would do well to keep as a guideline. From new ideas as well as old theories - Masonson will keep you awake and interested. What separates this book from others like it is that it is NOT boring, NOT filled with complicated charts and indicators and NOT "all-knowing". Masonson presents interesting, thought-provoking info and makes you think. It is up to you to decide what approach is best suited for your investment style. Plus, the price is right! You can spend much more for a whole lot less.

I am working as a professional daytrader and I am always looking out for new books that can give me some new ideas or an edge in how to beat the markets. Long term as well as short term. This book is great on the understanding of forecasting financial markets and is loaded with many original ideas. If you want to build a long term or a swing system for timing the markets, this book should be in your library. It is a book that cuts through all the hype and the jive talk and gives serious advice on the subject.