Investing Online for Dummies [Paperback]

Kathleen Sindell (Author), Charles R. Schwab (Author)

Book Description

Series: --for Dummies | Publication Date: March 29, 1999

"A comprehensive guide … that explains the basics and shows how to build wealth." Charles R. Schwab

CD-ROM includes tons of software investment tools

Updated directory of Internet investment resources inside

Research, trade, and track investments online — no experience required! From professional-quality research tools to real-time stock quotes, the Internet has revolutionized the world of investing. Now revised and updated, this friendly, down-to-earth guide will help you sort through the zillions of investment Web sites and newsgroups out there — and find the resources you need to start building your nest egg online. all this on the bonus CD-ROM Four bonus chapters on finding investor info, options, futures, and online banking Live links to Internet investment resources Financial Authority for Windows, First Finance Pro, Personal Stock Monitor, Market Watcher, and other freeware and shareware programs Demo versions of First Finance, MetaStock, and more 486 or faster PC running Windows 95 or later, or a Mac running Mac OS 7.5 or later; 16MB RAM; CD-ROM drive. See CD Appendix for details and complete system requirements.

Discover how to: Research stocks, bonds, and mutual funds online Save on commissions at an online brokerage Monitor your portfolio online Invest directly in IPOs (Initial Public Offerings) Get the lowdown on day trading

Get smart! www.dummies.com

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Investing Online for Dummies is an invaluable resource for those who want to take advantage of the timely nature of the Internet for online investing. Author Kathleen Sindell covers all the bases for the online investor including setting up stock screens, selecting mutual funds, fishing for IPOs, and online banking and trading. This book is loaded with links to investment resources on the Internet and also includes a CD-ROM with demos of various investment tools and popular shareware programs. Highly recommended for online investors. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"Investing Online for Dummies" (1998). Beginner's guide to conducting financial investments over the Internet. With advice about finding the right information sources and online brokerages, this primer is of value to computer novices as well as veteran Internet users who wish to begin investing online. This book is accompanied by a CD-ROM containing helpful investment and finance software. -- Encyclopedia Britannica Review, June 15, 1999

"Investing Online for Dummies" has it all and is filled with great recommendations -- and a few smart warnings-- about the world of online investment resource. -- Suretrade.com, Book Reviews, Feb. 17, 1999

An ideal starter book. "Investing Online for Dummies" advises you on getting timely stock quotes 24 hours a day, finding savings and treasury securities information, paying low commissions, plus a whole lot more. -- KSWB San Diego Television, Virtual Library: E-Commerce Books June 1999

Any investor who fails to take advantage of all of the information that is available through their computer is passing up some of the most amazing tools to help achieve financial success. However, one of the most difficult tasks for investors is sifting through all of the material on the Internet. This book ("Investing Online for Dummies") cuts through all of the clutter and puts you in touch with information that is useable and reliable.

I have to admit it took me a long time to become comfortable with computers, the Internet, and the material that is available. Now it would be impossible for me to do my work as a journalist and investor without those tools.

Like all "dummies" books, this one approaches its subject with a sense of humor. After all, we're not talking about rocket science or brain surgery. Yet, the quality of the work is exceptional and no other book on online investing comes close to this one. -- Money In the Morning, Investing for Rookies, February 5, 1999

Do it yourself investing. This can be complicated, but it can also be fascinating, empowering and profitable... Here are some books to get you started "Investing Online for Dummies", by Kathleen Sindell (IDG Books, 1999). You've read the book, visited your broker, now check out the Web. Sindell shows how to find all of the resources on the Web to develop and monitor your portfolio. -- ABC.News.Com, The Laughing Stockbroker's Guide to Investing, June 5, 1999

Don't be fooled by the Dummies moniker, because investing is serious business, and Investing Online for Dummies handles its subject with finesse. Readers can learn how to understand the real cost of mutual fund sales fees, where to obtain free downloadable retirement planners, and how to get investor information from mailing lists. The author has done her homework, and the book is enhanced with screen shots, tips, and charts.

Here's some hard-learned advice. Smart investing requires both knowledge and time on the part of the investor, regardless of the financial stakes involved. If you are participating in any way with online investing, consider purchasing "Investing Online for Dummies" sooner rather than later. RECOMMENDED. -- My Mac Online by John Nemerovski, BookBytes Book Reviews, June 1998

Investing Online for Dummies is an invaluable resource for those who want to take advantage of the timely nature of the Internet for online investing. Author Kathleen Sindell covers all the bases for the online investor including setting up stock screens, selecting mutual funds, fishing for IPOs, and online banking and trading. This book is loaded with links to investment resources on the Internet and also includes a CD-ROM with demos of various investment tools and popular shareware programs. Highly recommended for online investors. -- Online Investing, Trading Online, February 14, 1999

Of six newly released online investing books...the best of the lot is "Investing Online for Dummies, 2nd Edition" by Kathleen Sindell, which is full of solid advice and helpful Web hints. Sindell covers every area you need to worry about: financial planning, choosing mutual funds and stocks, and portfolio tracking. The book even includes a helpful section on bonds, a subject too often ignored by writers and investors. -- BusinessWeek Online, BusinessWeek Review, May 14, 1999

Speaking of beginning investors, here's some recommended reading: Investing Online for Dummies, by Kathleen Sindell. We spoke to Sindell this week about the wealth of resources available to average investors on the Web. Her book is full of good advice and great Web sites that can help you with everything from buying stocks and bonds to banking online. Give it a read. -- The Money Machine with Carmine Gallo, InteractiveWeek Online, Avoid Trading Mistakes, June 15, 1998

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies; 2nd edition (March 29, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764505092
• ISBN-13: 978-0764505096
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,625,300 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Kathleen Sindell, Ph.D. has over 20 years of success providing financial analysis and personal financial advice to businesses and individuals to assist them with their investment activities and financial decision-making. She is a registered investment advisor, and certified to teach Business and Industrial Management, Banking and Finance by the California Board of Governors. For over four years she managed the Financial Management and Real Estate programs and faculty at the University of Maryland, UMUC Graduate School of Management & Technology.. For 14 years Kathleen Sindell has been an adjunct faculty member of the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, where she teaches corporate finance, personal investing and personal wealth management. Sindell is the author of numerous academic, popular, and professional articles, Web sites and books, including the bestselling book, "Investing Online for Dummies, Eds. 1-5" (listed for two consecutive years on the Wall Street Journal's Bestselling Business Book List). Sindell is regularly tapped as an expert on ABC World News, CNNfn, The Nightly Business Report, and at popular online and print outlets. Kathleen Sindell holds a Ph.D. in management & administration and an MBA in Finance. At the request of Irwin Professional Publishing, she converted her dissertation, titled "A Risk Management Approach for Financial Institutions Holding Construction Loans" to a 520 page book titled, "The Handbook of Real Estate Lending".

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

219 of 240 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Wish I hadn't bought it, January 30, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Investing Online for Dummies (Paperback)

I figured the "dummy" in the title meant that someone totally clueless like me could buy this book and get all the information they needed about online investing (which is really just investing).

Instead, Sindell's book is a bloated list of links to other people's information - the book itself has little useful instruction or guidance, and the information it does have seems to be written for a more investment-savvy audience. Anyone who knows what a P/E ratio is wouldn't need to buy the book in the first place - so why doesn't she slow down and explain what all that stuff means?

Indeed, I could have gotten the links in her book for free from a search engine - what I really wanted was a central location for all the information I could have gotten in 100 sites if I had the time to browse through them all. Instead of doing that, Sindell gives me the 100 sites and says, go look it up. She still doesn't tell me HOW I'm supposed to use these sites to determine whether a company's stock is solid or not. Some of them were dead links - another point to be made for minimizing web links in print manuals. Altogether a disappointing read.

29 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Possibly the only Six-Star book on the market. A MUST!, July 3, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Investing Online for Dummies (Paperback)

Investing Online for Dummies is the bible for anyone investing on the Internet, and a book that my broker buddies openly trash, yet privately stock as a handy reference. Intelligent, comprehensive, fat on facts, and loaded with useful hints and advice that doesn't exist elsewhere, Dr. Sindell took me right to the core of finding the answers I hopelessly spent hours trying to locate among dozens of other sources. To top it off, Investing Online for Dummies costed me less than the price of a single trade using a broker. When I asked my nephew what he wanted for his graduation, the smart aleck brazenly snipped: "A cool million". So I slipped him a check for $200 and a gift-wrapped copy of Investing Online for Dummies along with a bookmark that read: "KEEP THE CHANGE". Whether you're a pro at investing on the Internet or just considering it, you have to be a DUMMY not to buy this book.

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book for Beginners, September 20, 2001

By 

Grace Reade "Grace Reade" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Investing Online for Dummies, Third Edition (Paperback)

This book does not only explain how to invest online but it also explains investing in simple terms for beginners. Being in my 20s, I know very little about investing but this book helped me get through all the "street lingo". Just a little caveat--some of the information about online companies may be outdated--which is to be expected since it was published last year. This should not pose a problem as long as you do some minimal research on your own.
What I really like most about this book is that it is well-organized. The book is organized to be read either from cover to cover, or randomly. Both ways work as I found out. Although almost all of the information you find here can be found on the internet for free, its nice to have the information in an easy-to-read, well-organized book. Because of the openness of the web the information you get might be either suspect or overwhelming (believe me there's a lot of information out there!) or worse it could be both. This book solves that dilemma, and the headache I get after staring at the computer monitor for hours sifting through so much information. If you're planning to invest your hard-earned money, start by investing your $20 on this book.