It's Your Money: The E*TRADE Step-by-Step Guide to Online Investing (Paperback)

by Christos M. Cotsakos (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
If you're curious about investing but have been too afraid to try, or if you've wondered about the hype surrounding online trading but were unsure how to plug in, It's Your Money is for you. In it, Christos Cotsakos--the man who put online trading on the map--leads you step-by-step into the brave new world of Internet trading. The book begins literally at the beginning, with criteria for buying a computer and selecting an Internet service provider, moves on through investment basics, and finally offers sophisticated strategies for analyzing individual stocks. Ever wondered what the NASDAQ was but didn't want to show your ignorance? Or day trading? Read on. In a clear, conversational style, Cotsakos answers all the key questions, from what growth stocks are, to why bonds are really not boring, to the difference between front-end and rear-end loads (mutual funds, that is).

Once you've grasped the basics, you're on your way to opening your own Internet trading account. The beauty of managing and investing money online is that you can be your own "professional fund manager" (which gives you more power over your money--the author's primary goal here). Cotsakos explains how to research investment opportunities using the World Wide Web, and how to analyze and interpret what you've found in order to meet your own goals. He shows how to take advantage of such online perks as portfolio tracking and computer alerts for important changes in particular investments. And he introduces advanced topics for the braveheart investor--IPOs, day trading, and extended-hours trading. The Cotsakos approach is nevertheless a prudent one. The emphasis is on using the computer's analytical tools to create a well-conceived financial plan, rather than on simply learning how to ride the helter-skelter world of day trading, for example. As a primer for investing online, this book is a great resource. Be forewarned, however: Cotsakos does take every opportunity to mention his own financial-services company, E*Trade. There are others out there, so take a leaf out of his own book and do your research--online, of course--before you sign up. --Lesley Reed

From Publishers Weekly
From buying a computer, learning how to use it and selecting an Internet service provider, to signing up for an online trading account, setting up short- and long-term financial plans, learning about bonds, stocks, futures, options, mutual funds and other investments, this is a whirlwind guide in 128 pages. To cover such vast territory in a breezy, easy-to-read manner, Cotsakos sacrifices explanations and theory. For example, he instructs the reader to take the book to a local computer retailer and show the salesperson his specifications for a computer system. The option chapter lists the terms you need to know to understand options, but does not define them, nor does it deal with how options are priced or traded. It does, however, give detailed instructions on how to fill out E*Trade's option order entry screen. There are some obvious problems with this approach. It teaches how to trade aggressively, without imparting the knowledge necessary to trade intelligently. As computer technology advances and E*Trade redesigns its screens, the book will quickly fall out of date. However, it will still be useful to those who already know most of what's in it, but want an accessible, comprehensive guide to fill in the gaps. 4-city author; 15-city NPR campaign. (June)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Harper Paperbacks (June 20, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0066620031
• ISBN-13: 978-0066620039
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (43 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #285,169 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great introduction to online investing, June 20, 2000

By	N. Kramer (south of San Francisco) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is the first personal finance book I've read that talks about investing in plain, easy-to-understand language. It's great for the beginner and useful for folks like me who've been investing on their own for awhile but who want to expand their knowledge or want clarification on how the markets work. I recommend it highly!

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Easy to follow step-by-step guide, August 11, 2000

By A Customer

As online investing is brand new to me, I found this book easy to follow and extremely interesting. The book guided me through the online process in a way that was easy for me to understand as well as increase my knowledge surronding online investing. The glossary of terms is a great reference to help one learn the variety of terminology. The book was filled with tons of useful information and I would highly recomend anyone who is investing online to read it!

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars E*TRADE Boss Tells All, June 21, 2000

By	Stevan Noceti (Los Angeles, California) - See all my reviews

This may be the first, and is certainly one of the first books to spell out the process of online investing, and as such it is a valuable resource for the "layman" investor. As a reader with minimal knowledge of the stock market and online transactions, I was particularly impressed on three counts. First, Cotsakos has written the entire volume in an flowing, easily understood style, sort of as though he were just talking you through the process. This is helpful for those of us who don't really understand much of the typical jargon, and it also makes it easier to remain interested in what could be a very dry subject. Second, he goes back to the very basics of computer usage (purchasing the right machine with the right capabilities, etc.), which still could be quite mysterious for some people. By doing this he has anticipated and already answered some of our potential questions. And third, the book really progresses in a step-by-step fashion, with refreshers at the end of chapters, and many helpful side-notes. I think the final thing to recommend this book is that although it is, of course, written from the standpoint of E*Trade (an online trading provider), Cotsakos has avoided making it one big commercial for his company. This book is a "must read" for anyone who wants to start trading online, and also for those who already trade in this way and want to hone their skills, regardless of the service provider they choose.