Standard and Poor's Guide to Money and Investing (Standard & Poor) (Paperback)

by Virginia Morris (Author), Kenneth Morris (Author)
Key Phrases: depositary shares, offsetting contract, auction rate, New York, United States, One Share (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

An all-new personal finance guide from the authors/creators of The Wall Street Journal Guide to Understanding Money and Investing

First in a new series based on information from Standard & Poor’s—the leading financial information organization—Standard & Poor’s Guide to Money & Investing demystifies the world of stocks, bonds, mutual funds, futures, and options, empowering you to make informed investment decisions, measure your performance, and evaluate the risks and rewards. Completely up-to-date to reflect significant changes in investing due to new technologies and the Internet, this concise, easy-to-read guide explains how to understand the markets, evaluate companies, and spot trends to invest for success. Also covered are forces driving the economy and the roles of institutions from the Federal Reserve to multinational banks to the stock exchanges.

About the Author

Virginia B. Morris, Ph.D., and Kenneth M. Morris, Ph.D., coauthors of The Wall Street Journal Guide to Understanding Money & Investing, have coauthored numerous other finance and investment titles. Both authors work at Lightbulb Press. Ken is an expert in “simplified communications.” Virginia has written columns on personal finance for women for various websites and has been interviewed on CNNfn and the Fox News Channel.

Product Details

• Paperback: 155 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (October 13, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0976474980
• ISBN-13: 978-0976474982
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 5.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #14,235 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pretty good general intro to investing, May 1, 2007

By	Vasiliy Zhulin (bay area, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book describes the basic ways to invest your money. It covers markets and currency, stocks, bonds, indexes, mutual funds, ETFs, options, futures, and other alternative investments (briefly).

The format is very easy to read - there are lots of diagrams and pictures, which actually provides a good break from the large amount of dense information provided. One thing I liked (but that some may find annoying) is the frequency of repeating definitions. Between various sections, concepts are often defined multiple times. I found this useful, since it reminded me what a certain concept was without having to go back and find it earlier in the book.

In general, the information is pretty accurate and up-to-date. However, I noticed 1 error on the idea of fluctuation in currency value (International Investing in the Money & Markets section, p. 21), which gets the concept of a "strong dollar" during an international equity trade backwards, but then follows with an example diagram that gets it right. I was frankly surprised to see such a glaring mistake. I e-mailed the publishers, but received no response.

Another thing that I didn't like is the fact that, for some numbers in some of the diagrams, there is no mention at how the numbers were calculated/derived. I personally like to see/try all the formulas, so that was slightly annoying. But for the most part, I was able to figure out the formulas myself.

In conclusion, the book does an excellent job introducing various investment opportunities. It covers general information on each investment vehicle and describes the risks associated. It does not, however, teach you any special strategies (other than the obvious "diversify your portfolio" and "use strategies to minimize risk" ones) on investing - this is not the purpose of the book.

While I was initially put off by the brochure-like format and the clip-art-like pictures, I was pleasantly surprised by the content and the ease with which the information was presented. I certainly recommend this as an entry book for someone who does not understand the different ways to invest in various markets.

Pros:
+ nice introduction to markets and exchanges, and how they are regulated
+ covers all of the important investment vehicles used today
+ lots of useful information - good reference
+ lots of diagrams and pictures to break up the text

Cons:
- a few mistakes
- relatively dense - don't expect to blow through it if you want to retain the information

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a fantastic primer for any investor, September 16, 2007

By	Carol F. (Walnut Creek, CA) - See all my reviews

I have been reading a bit about investing for a decade but still felt I lacked a clear and comprehensive understanding of the previously overwhelming world of money and investing. NO MORE! I have found nothing that compares to the clear, concise and highly readable format of this book. The color coded and cearly defined sections helped me digest the well-organized and very readable material. However, the author's far exceed the abilty of most to clearly and concisely explain the most difficult and complicated of topics. This little book is a gem.
I feel like I've had a brief course in economics and investing and am now able to knowledgably and confidently discuss investing with the most savvy of finanical experts, agents, and those know it alls one often encounters. I will most certainly be looking at other Lighbulb Press materials.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The very best !!!, June 16, 2008

By	Charles Gilbert "chargil" (Mexico City) - See all my reviews

As a financial advisor I've read a lot of books about investing; Recently my little brother asked me for a book to get started. This is the one I truly recommend above all the rest. A truly professional yet simple read.