Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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

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.

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.

Great book, I highly recommend it. It makes sense of a very confusing topic and actually holds your attention considering the dry nature of the market system.
It's a good book for people like me that have no experience working/dealing with the market/stocks/bonds/ect. I wish it was a little more clear on some things and I wish it went into a little more detail sometimes, but I think this is a good first read, it was highly recommended to me by many financial savvy people.

Excellent book to learn financial investment guidelines. Anyone should understand the basics shown here. Highly recommended.

For years I had heard all the buzz words and wondered what they meant. In a very easy language to read and understand, these book answered all my questions. I highly recmmend it!

This book is very helpful for gaining an understanding of investing. The layout is clear and interesting, and there is a lot of useful information packed into this small guide!

This is probably the best encyclopedic resource for how various investments work and a thorough explanation of all money and investing terms. If you already know a lot about the subject, you may not need it. But for people like me, who are not familiar with the world of investment and banking, this book is the easiest way to understanding. It is well organized and gives information with as few words as possible while still informing. If you are looking for help with investment strategies, you will need other books, but this one does what it intends to do for the financially illiterate like I was.

This is a good beginners book as an introduction to investing. However, if you already have a background knowledge, some of the details in the book may seem like a repetition.

All in all, I would recommend this book for anyone that wants to gain knowledge about money and how it works.

The illustrated layout of S&P's Guide to Money and Investing is engaging and useful as an educational tool as well. The colorful layout makes the information, at least for me, easier to divide and digest. This book is filled with information along the lines of a general education in investing and what exactly makes Wall Street tick. Don't look for financial advice or any big scoops here.

Pluses:
-Clear with definitions and descriptions of financial concepts
-Colorful layout helps
-Serves as a general education on what different investments there are and how they work. You'll probably learn more here than in a years worth of financial magazines.
-Acts as good reference.

Possible minuses:
-A lot of info at a quick pace. You may have to read it more than once.
-You won't find any advice for an investment strategy. Look elsewhere if that's what you need.