How Mutual Funds Work: Second Edition (New York Institute of Finance) [Paperback]

Albert J. Fredman (Author), Russ Wiler (Author)

Book Description

Series: New York Institute of Finance | Publication Date: October 15, 1997

"How Mutual Funds Work" outlines the stock market, the bond market, asset allocation, index funds, variable annuities, tax considerations, and the role of computers. Fredman and Wiles provide a Q&A section with the 100 most important questions and their easily digested brief answers.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Prentice Hall Press; 2 edition (October 15, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 013839721X
• ISBN-13: 978-0138397210
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #462,588 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars See Inside the Wrapper of Your Mutual Fund, April 28, 2000

By 

Christopher Tune (No. Hollywood, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How Mutual Funds Work: Second Edition (New York Institute of Finance) (Paperback)

Even though the authors are academics, this book is not bogged down with heavy, collegiate, turgid text and calculations. Rather, Fredman and colleagues have simply gone about explaining the various difficult-to-understand aspects of the mutual funds industry. This information is essential to your understanding of the various ratings and types of mutual funds.

As a securities industry manager and former regulator, I first began to use the book to become familiar with the details of such things as 12b-1 fees, expense ratios, comparative assessment of funds, features offered as sales incentives or to ease transactions (e.g. dividend reinvestment, 1035 exchanges, intra-fund familiy exchanges, etc.).

As time went on I have kept this book in my office. It has become essential to answer the occasional questions that arise and which are more detailed and technical than my memory can answer. The book has never come up short on this count.

You should also look for other publications of NYIF (New York Institute of Finance). This is formerly the publishing arm of the NYSE. The material published by NYIF is "from the horse's mouth" and right on the mark for those seeking to learn details of how the profession of finance works. Despite this, the material is never overly technical and theoretical. Rather, the material is practical day-to-day information which will wind up on your reference shelf.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Comprehensive and well-written book. Very enjoyable., February 28, 2000

By 

Richard (Cypress, TX, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How Mutual Funds Work: Second Edition (New York Institute of Finance) (Paperback)

I have read several books on mutual funds but this one by far is the best. Fredman and Wiles cover almost every topic that you could think of: how to analyze the fund, sorting out costs, evaluating risks and much more. The authors make no assumptions about what the reader is likely to know about mutual funds and write in a manner that is both engaging and enjoyable. Also, it is not just an academic treatment of the subject matter. The reader is invited to perform his own calculations and check things out. This is accomplished in one of the concluding chapters where a mutual fund action plan is dicussed in great detail. The book is topped off with some very good sources of additional information for mutual fund investors and appendices which help the reader perform some of the calculations discussed in the book. Overall, this book makes for a good read for a beginner or even a seasoned mutual fund investor.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An excellent introduction to the world of mutual funds., June 24, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: How Mutual Funds Work (New York Institute of Finance) (Paperback)

I read this book as a student and consequently learned far more than I expected. The language is easy to understand and the comlexity of the subject/language increases at an acceptable pace. The opinion of the book leans more towards a conservative form of investing...one should expect a decent return but not get too greedy.