Product Details

• Directors: Donn Burrows
• Format: Color, NTSC
• Rated: G (General Audience)
• Number of tapes: 1
• VHS Release Date: July 1, 1999
• Run Time: 30 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 0965037665
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #419,403 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

The Library Journal/December 1999-How the Really Smart Money Invests

"Interesting thesis".."makes investor aware the human is instinctive gambler not inheret prudent investor"..fast moving and intellectual. Reccommended.

Product Description

Only in the last 10 to 20 years have we really understood where returns from stocks and investments come from, largely through the research of Eugene Fama and Kenneth French (both interviewed in this program). These two respected economists are in the forefront of a popular movement that takes the worry out of picking stocks. Dr. Fama developed the "efficient market theory", a simple concept that says prices reflect all available information. Accordingly, it is virtually impossible to beat the market. Your're always paying a fair price, whether you pay $1 or $100 per share. That's the basic concept-the price always corresponds correctly to the worth of the stock. The market is a marvelously complex tool that takes information from all over the world and implements it into a pricing system. Everyone that draws breath in one way, shape or form affects the market. The market process the implications of the information, insight and actions of all six billion people in the world. For this reason the internal functioning of markets are virtually incomprehensible. No once can consistently accurately, pick stocks, forecast or predict what will happen on the economic horizon. Study after study has concluded there is zero correlation between the ability to pick the best stocks in one period and repeat such success in the next. The answer to prudent investing? Devote 30-minutes to view this rare academically researched program which was honored with two Telly Awards for excellence in the year 2000.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Smarter Investor for watching Smart Money, May 8, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: How The Really Smart Money Invests: A Brief History of Investing [VHS] (VHS Tape)

As a person who works everyday for a school system my retirement fund is paramount in my life but I am not an expert in the investing field. After watching the video I have a much greater understanding of how to invest and why you should not try to predict or read the future. It seemed obvious to me in every other walk of life that the future was impossible to read, yet in the stock market world I always imagined that the hard working people who invested on my behalf would know what was going to happen in advance. For me the video was an "Ah-hah!" It makes clear, in simple easy to understand language, no person or company can consistently predict which way the market is going to head, or which stock is going to zoom (no matter how good their commercials are)! Now I know to diversify and own all the markets of the world. Plus, I no longer rush home to watch the Dow Jones report every night like an expectant student waiting for my passing (or failing) grade. The Dow is just one of many markets my diversifed portfolio owns. I am much more relaxed and confident. Thanks Smart Money for making me feel like a smarter investor.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars 5 Stars for subject matter, 1 star for brevity, November 2, 2005

By 

Jerrold A. Grecu CFA, CFP(r) (Granite Bay, CA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: How The Really Smart Money Invests: A Brief History of Investing [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This video has a misleading title. It discusses the history of speculation vs. investing and delves into the efficiency of markets in practical detail with lots of talking heads discussing why the markets are efficient and how you should just own asset classes. However, the video is very short (like 30 minutes..if that) and doesn't discuss how to implement a plan based on the belief of efficient markets. It would have been nice for them to discuss how to construct a portfolio with several asset classes and how to tilt the portfolio toward the dimensions of risk that provide higher returns such as value, small-cap and equity. If they had done that, then they could actually claim that this video shows "how the really smart money invests." If you can find it used, like I did, for under $20 then consider buying...but at the $49 price of a new copy...no way. If you want to "read" about how the really smart money invests I recommend "Capital Ideas" by Peter Bernstein followed by "The Informed Investor" by Frank Armstrong III.

5.0 out of 5 stars The trueth, September 1, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: How The Really Smart Money Invests: A Brief History of Investing [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This video goes a long way towards explaining the reasons investors have failed so miserably in the last 18 months. It points out the simple trueth about imortant topics such as diversification and why people naturaly are thier own worst emamy whent it comes to speculating and gambling with thier hard earned investment assets. Bravo for having the courage to point out a better way. Wall street will hate this take but the average investor can profit big time.