Customer Reviews

Preferreds

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I was very disappointed in this book. It is a short book to begin with, but unfortunately this is one of those investment books that fill many of its pages with technical charts. (97 charts and 26 tables in 202 pages) Very, very few practical tips. A lot of subjects simply go unmentioned, or are only mentioned in passing.

No coverage of yield versus risk. Just a brief mention of quantumonline, the best online resource for researching preferreds. No mention of strategies surrounding ex-div dates, and whether to buy or sell just before going ex-dividend. And incredibly, no book index.

A very large part of the book is devoted to Winans own index of preferred stocks, the WIPSI. I get the impression that he is trying to provide credence and academic standing to this index, perhaps in the hope that some ETF will pick it up and commercialize it.

But for the average investor, there's simply very little here to recommend.

This book is outstanding for the professional and part-time investor. The techniques are clearly explained and illustrated and can be implemented by anyone in less than an hour on a weekend. Will it work in the next bear market? The only thing we know for sure is that a bear market will occur, and with preferred stock, any losses will be cushioned by dividend income.

"Good book; clear and concise, which for whatever reason, seems to be a problem for many people who write financial books."

I have read this book twice, and find it to be very insightful. Many of the things the author predicted (i.e., flaws in the investment rating system) have recently come true in the subprime mess. I have searched high & low for books on preferred stocks, and this is the only one currently on the market.

I have followed Ken Winans' research for years, and believe it to be some of the most creative work in the investment business. The Winans International Preferred Stock Index (WIPSI)is by far the best index to track preferred stocks, and proves that preferred stocks are "Wall Street's best kept secret"!

Overall I was not happy with this book. The first third of this book goes over some very basic investment information on preferred stocks and income investing, not much detail, and could have been summed up in fewer pages. The last two thirds of the book discussed the performance of preferred stocks and a unique preferred stock index that I do not believe most people would be interested in. Lots of charts in the last two thirds of the book, but I found it of little value to me. Of five books I have purchased on fixed income investing (bonds and preferred stocks), I found this book the least informative.

I was very disappointed with this text. Essentially about 50 pages of text and 150 pages of full page charts. The author is using technical analysis to find long term buy or sell trends in preferred stock and bonds. There are two sections, one discussing bonds and the other discussing preferred stock. However, except for differences in charts they almost read exactly the same. If you are not interested in technical analysis this is not the book for you.

Ken Winans continues to dig into the hidden treasures called preferred stocks: what they are, how they work, the risks and rewards. Even a newbie can use this book to begin to understand what preferreds are.

I must have received the wrong book, because I can not believe some of the comments refer to the book I read. I was very disappointed and don't feel I "got my moneys worth". There is just nothing to be learned from reading this book. The basic information presented on preferred stock can be found on any brokers' website.

This book is very informative. Gives a good overview of Preferred Stocks and how to incorporate into your own income portfolio. I think the best thing the book talks about is how (just like with the stock market) you can't simply buy and hold forever. There are times to be invested in Preferreds and times when you do not. The author illustrates these times through the use of technical analysis and charts. Of course you want to keep an eye on fundamentals of the companies you're buying and the author also gives you a guide line for that. Very useful tool to have for an income investor.