Book Description
J.K. Lasser Pro™ Before You Plan, Consult J.K.Lasser
Innovative Planning That Benefits Professionals and Clients
What does it take to be a successful fee-only financial planner? According to John Sestina, acclaimed "father of fee-only financial planning," the only special qualifications are a genuine desire to help people, an ability to listen, and a commitment to lifelong learning.
Fee-Only Financial Planning introduces financial planners to the newest, fastest-growing niche in the financial planning field-fee for service rather than commission-based planning. Fee-only planning is attractive to the growing number of clients who want to avoid the long-term payments, lack of objectivity, limited choices, or conflict of interest that can occur with a commission-based payment structure.
In his comprehensive how-to guide and easy-to-use reference, John Sestina provides in-depth coverage of the financial planning field. He covers such topics as:
- The advantages and disadvantages of fee-only planning for both client and planner
- Making the transition from commission-based to fee-based planning
- Building a profitable practice with varied client bases
- Tailoring to your own work style the system Sestina developed over 35 years of successful private practice
- Developing and maintaining productive client relationships
For professionals wondering whether fee-only financial planning is in their future, or for anyone in financial services who wants to stay current, Fee-Only Financial Planning is an eye-opening introduction to one of the financial world's freshest, richest entrepreneurial careers.
Customer Reviews:
Very broad coverage (may be not too deep), good for beginners in this field .......2007-09-19
I found this to be a very good starting point for researching different types of bonds. It does cover in good detail about how the Bonds are brought to the market, the commission structure involved, also touches upon the documentation standard followed for indentures and bond insurances.
I found the coverage of Mortgage backed securities pretty good! Found interesting coverage on how to structure CMOs, how different tranches and different types of bonds (e.g. non-sticky Jump Z Bonds) could be created based on the payments received on the mortgage pools.
All in all I found this book pretty good, definitely worth the money (especially when borrowed from the library) and time. I would not treat it as a reference for taxation information, also while on the topic of taxation, the Munis deserved a more extensive coverage.
A Solid Foundation - Not Too Dry.......2003-02-08
If you've read any number of books on investing, you know they can be tedious. But this book is relatively crisp and to the point. When the details of a subject are beyond the scope of a 200 page read, the book says so. If you are doing anything related to bond investing (even programming!) you should get started with this book.
Very Helpful.......2001-02-08
As a person studying for the Series 7 examination, this document was extremely helpful in understanding the test preparation material. Other people may say there are errors in the document, well, if that is true, then the test-prep books, and the test itself is wrong.
This is a good book people. It can tell you lots of things. Its only downside is that it needs more numerical examples and more mathematical examples to show the concepts behind yield to mature data.
Good starting point for research on this topic.......1999-12-11
I found this book to be very helpful in understaning this topic. I would recommend it to people new to the industry as a good starting point to learn about the bond market.
Disappointing and of Questionable Reliability.......1999-09-25
I found the book disappointing and I question its reliability.
The following quote is taken directly from page 58 of "How the Bond Market Works", by Robert Zipf:
"However, the Tennessee Valley Authority frequently borrows money from the public. Its securities are not guaranteed by the United States Government, and are not generally exempt from state income taxes.
The following quote is taken directly from the "Tax Matters" section of bond offering circulars issued by the Tennessee Valley Authority.
"A U.S. beneficial owner is subject to federal income taxation on income on a Bond. The Act, however, provides that bonds issued by TVA are exempt both as to principal and interest from all taxation now or hereafter imposed by any state or local taxing authority except estate, inheritance and gift taxes."
(If you care to check it out for yourself, Tennessee Valley Authority offering circulars dating back to 1989 are available online, in PDF format, at the TVA web site.)
Book Description
This completely up-to-date guide explains the latest strategies for using a living trust to create a flexible estate plan. The author clearly and concisely discusses the effects of The Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 and the fundamentals of estate, financial, and tax planning in easy-to-understand terms, mapping out effective techniques for saving money and property, and including important subjects not covered in other books (such as estate planning for the HIV positive). Readers will learn strategies for reducing probate costs, creating flexible estate plans, and planning for disability. This valuable planning tool will make its readers more informed participants in the estate-planning process, pointing out the dangers of the "do-it-yourself" guides and reducing the risks involved in establishing a living trust. A glossary of significant legal terms is included.
Customer Reviews:
Material is good, but dated........2007-09-04
This is a pretty good book, but like any text providing legal information, it's quickly becoming outdated - at least with respect to the generation-skipping transfer tax system (GST).
The book lists the GST exemption as $1.1 million (which was correct waaaaay back in 2002), yet it's currently at $2 million. In 2009, the exemption will be $3.5 million, and in 2010, the tax will be repealed. For more updated information, readers should search the Internet for "The Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001." Either that, or consult an attorney (who would be familiar with such information).
If you want general information, this book is certainly worth buying used, but it's time for a re-release.
Not a good introduction.......2006-01-26
This book seemed to be written more as a reference manual than a user's guide. It has lots of detail (probably more than I really want) on many different kinds of trusts, but it never attempts to put everything together to give you any idea how to start coming up with a comprehensive plan. I realize that I need an adviser to come up with an actual plan, but I was hoping that reading this book would give me some ideas of where to start. Unfortunately, that was not the case. It describes each tree in the forest in (sometimes excruciating) detail, but I still need a map of the forest. Ideally, I would like some examples of paths that people in different situations might take through the forest.
GREAT BOOK.......2000-07-29
This book gives a easy to understand look into estate planning and Living Trusts. The authors point out great information about both
Product Description
Women are amazingly adept at multi-tasking, balancing home and work and relationships, managing finances, and generally learning whatever is needed to get the job done or to take care of things. Why then do we get ourselves into avoidable legal messes? During Marilyn Barrett s more than twenty years of practicing law, she has found that women of all socioeconomic and educational levels consistently make certain mistakes that land them in an attorney s office. These legal messes can devastate them economically and emotionally, and make them desperate. This book describes - in plain, non-legalese language - the basic preventative measures women can take to avoid the following legal pitfalls when they fail to protect themselves and their children in - Legal title to property - Prenuptial agreements -Marriage and divorce - Starting and running a business -Paying taxes - Estate planning, and - Hiring attorneys. A comprehensive appendix of sample documents provides added protection. By using plain English and focusing on the general information women need to know, and telling women s stories that show how easy it is to get into a bad situation, Ms. Barrett becomes a pocket attorney for all women. The book has been endorsed by Senator Dianne Feinstein.
Customer Reviews:
A Guidebook for a safe and secure foundation.......2001-02-18
Here is a book which should be a trusted partner when you have to make decisions which affect your life and security. This book gives you the tools necessary to step back and analyze the pros and cons of situations with much more than the usual emotionally-based outlook. Throughout her book, Marilyn Barrett stresses the joy of taking care of yourself will be worth the extra effort in the beginning of any new venture, be it in business or relationship.
A truly informative and helpful book.......2001-02-15
This is a great book! Being a young, modern and relatively "hip" married woman (one who now co-ownes a business with her husband), I decided it was time to educate myself about all the legal stuff I'd been ignoring for years. I was especially intrigued by the author's approach to the legal aspects of marriage/children, property and taxes. These were topics I would not typically view in a "legal" light (hey, my husband handles the legal stuff), and I would certainly never have considered myself at legal risk. Reading this book really opened my eyes about where I stand as far as the law is concerned - Whaddyaknow, I'm considered a responsible, accountable adult! While this may seem like a no-brainer, the stories and information in this book really brought it home that I had better step up and take responsibility for myself. Thanks to this book I now have a clear understanding of the potential legal and financial hazards to which I may be exposed, and I also have the tools to avoid those dangers and make sound decisions that will protect my family from legal and/or financial peril. This is a truly informative and helpful book.
A really smart woman.......2001-02-15
is Marilyn Barrett. She has so much valuable information to give, and she does it in such an easy way to understand.
Legalistics, to me, always had sort of a frightening tinge, because I thought I wouldn't be able to absorb everything, and therefore I'd get screwed somewhere. But Marilyn has made the most complicated problems easy, and then she gives you examples that are also simple to identify with -- so I was quite able to follow all her practical suggestions.
This book is for all women -- because all of us will find ourselves in at least one of the situations in her book before too long. I'm a small business owner, plus married for a second time, plus I took care of my mother during a long-term illness until she died recently. Marilyn's book brings up all of these aspects of living, offers solutions to problems I didn't even know I'd encounter, and is a book I'll keep on my shelf as a reference every time I have a legal-type question.
Thanks for writing it, it was great. Jennie
I only wish I'd known.......2001-02-15
This book is not only informative to women, believe me. I picked up my wife's copy, more to see what she'd be doing to me after our next argument, and was totally unable to put it down. My wife was quite surprised to find me still reading it the next AM. I think the information MS. Barrett provides is applicable to all sorts of legal, or potentially tricky, legal situations, and NOT all are gender-related. Although I'm in a good marriage now, (I think), I wish I had known some of the tips she's offering TWO wives ago!
Sincerely, Ed Philhower, Los Angeles, CA.
For women from all walks of life.......2001-02-03
Marilyn Barrett has written a book that covers all the major legal areas for today's women. To function in today's world we must educate ourselves and we must know how to get the appropriate help. In a well written, easy to understand book, Ms. Barrett covers areas of interest for women from all walks of life: setting up your own business, choosing appropriate lawyers, understanding legal documents, prenuptial agreements, protecting your children, and divorce. I was delighted by the precision and focus of this book and would highly recommend it.
Book Description
As Jeff Schnepper says, “Estate taxes are voluntary. You only pay them if you haven’t planned in advance.” Modeled on the best-selling How to Pay Zero Taxes, this book shows how to limit, and possibly even omit costly estate-tax burdens—and covers subjects as broad as living wills, family limited partnerships, private annuities, GRITS, GRATS, GRUNTS, flower bonds, and more.
Reflecting all tax law changes as of January 2000, this helpful guide pinpoints hundreds of perfectly legal deductions, credits, and exemptions. It covers the subject from the basics to the fine points, featuring Q&As for novices, detailed reviews of relevant legal documents, the latest anti-tax “super strategies,” and more—all in Schnepper’s classic legal-guerrilla style.
Download Description
As Jeff Schnepper says, "Estate taxes are voluntary. You only pay them if you haven't planned in advance." Modeled on the best-selling How to Pay Zero Taxes, this book shows how to limit, and possibly even omit costly estate-tax burdens-and covers subjects as broad as living wills, family limited partnerships, private annuities, GRITS, GRATS, GRUNTS, flower bonds, and more.
Book Description
SIMPLE, AFFORDABLE STEPS YOU CAN TAKE TO PROTECT WHAT'S YOURS
By the time you're named as a defendant in a lawsuit or divorce proceeding, it may be too late to protect your assets. The time to shield the hard-won fruits of your labor is now! Fortunately, protecting your assets can be much easier and far less expensive than you think. In this complete, practical, and easy-to-follow guide, leading tax and estate planning attorney and bestselling author Martin Shenkman presents the steps you can and should take to protect your home, your savings, and other assets from creditors, litigants, and divorce.
Shenkman explains the essential concepts of protecting what you own from malpractice claims, lawsuits, and divorce. This book offers step-by-step guidance in determining which asset-protection strategies and techniques are right for you. You'll learn numerous legal and effective methods you can use to:
- Protect your personal assets from business and professional claims
- Protect your assets and your heirs' assets from divorce
- Minimize your risk of lawsuits and other claims against your assets
- Create limited partnerships and LLCs to protect your assets
- Make your home-based business judgment-proof
- Use domestic trusts to protect against lawsuits
- Secure real estate and stock holdings against lawsuits
Customer Reviews:
wow.......2006-05-26
This book is absolute gold! I can honestly say that the tips provided in this book have helped me and will continue to help me throughout my life. Martin Shenkman is a genius.
Great advice for doctors and others........2006-05-16
As an attorney, I enjoyed reading this practical easy to read guide to asset protection. I have recommended this book to a number of my clients.
The book addresses practical and creative steps to protect assets using trusts and limited liability companies.
The book also discusses protecting assets from divorce which is a topic few books discuss.
The book explains concepts that will assist the reader in establishing a better working relationship with the reader's attorney.
Shallow and Disappointing.......2004-09-13
I had high expectations for this book, to which it didn't live up. I presumed, incorrectly, that Mr. Shenkman had specific experience as an attorney practicing in this area. My impression is that his writings on asset protection appear to be just a summarization of the writings of others, with little or no original thought. About halfway through this book, puzzled by its consistent shallowness, I finally did some research on Mr. Shenkman and found out that he seemingly just quickly cranks out a new book every time some topic heats up, such as his "How to Buy a House with No (or Little) Money Down".
Amazon.com
By outlining and explaining the enigmatic terms and concepts used to track and ultimately determine stock movements, The Math Behind Wall Street: How the Market Works and How to Make it Work for You, by Bentley College mathematics professor Nicholas Teebagy, is designed to provide average investors with financial tools that usually are the province of professionals. Intimidated by the likes of ARCH/GARCH models and neural networks? Don't be. Teebagy begins by describing the basics of probability and risk in order to clarify the way that uncertain future events are taken into account to form a well-reasoned investment analysis. In clear language, and with the welcome assistance of numerous charts and graphs, he then goes on to specify how all this can be used to calculate the potential performance of an entire portfolio. Lastly, he offers an introduction to advanced topics such as the aforementioned ARCH/GARCH models (for tracking periods of continued volatility) and neural networks (which attempt to imitate the way human brains process information). While not for the fiscally faint of heart, this short but information-packed volume will assist serious investors as they try to keep ahead of evolving market trends. --Howard Rothman
Book Description
Expertly written for both the newcomer to Wall Street and the veteran, this title provides information on what makes the markets work. Explanations of covariance, Beta, indexing, neural networks and much more. Charts & graphs. . .
Customer Reviews:
Great reference.......2007-04-24
The value of this book is not as an instructional book (yes, it is too short for that. The bibliography of this book provides excellent direction for further instruction), but as a reference. It is a pretty comprehensive reference for basic finance math. The only thing missing is risk management formulas (VaR, etc). I used this is a constant reference while doing my MBA and found it made my life much easier! Highly recommended.
A good reference for investment formulas.......2005-05-17
This is a great book.
I use it as a reference for putting formulas into my investment spreadsheets.
It would be a good read, if you can reading a mathematics book enjoyable, in order to become familiar with the concepts behind probability, risk, and measuring return on an investment or portfolio. As already stated, I just use it as reference material - but I find myself going to it again and again.
The Best Introduction.......2003-11-16
I am currently on a Financial Markets course that is at Masters Level. I bought this book because of its small size and the basic details it covers. I have many other bigger books that go into more detail about stock pricing. However, this book really does explain the basics better than any other I have read. It explains in very simple and statistical terms areas such as the Simple Index Model (SIM), CAPM , Measuring performance of a portfolio, and Modern Portfolio theory. It also touches the surface of advanced moddelling in ARCH/GARCH.
But what really sets it apart is that it explains terms not from a purely academic point of view but a much more informative way by looking at how investors should and would approach a problem. If you have some understanding of statistics such as mean and variance (although both are explained in the book) then I would recommend this book to anyone who is thinking about embarking on an investment course of some kind. It is a definite read for any beginner and will make the course easier becasue it explains the fundamentals very well.
Savvy, informative, invaluable reading........2000-06-04
Savvy investors in the stock market need knowledge of the math behind the market, and The Math Behind Wall Street provides it: a slim book masks a wealth of information covering statistics, probability, and other practical applications of business math concepts. From risk factors to annual rates of return, The Math Behind Wall Street will prove invaluable.
Excellent for technical oriented investors.......2000-05-25
This book places heavy emphasis on the technical and mathematical aspect of investing. It is quite excellent but I found the math to be very advanced and therefore it is probably not suitable to most individual investors. Like the previous reviewer, I also found the book to be too brief.
This book definitely has merit, but it isn't right for beginners or the mainstream investment community. The best audience would be investors with highly specialized investing methods.
Book Description
This tax guide to the many subtleties of capital gain and capital loss tax rules offers expert commentary to investors trying to avoid federal pitfalls when filing. Discussing the vital issues associated with investor tax, this resource covers the importance of matching broker and payer reportings, managing and reporting employee stock options, and claiming the 15 percent tax rate on qualified dividends. Particular attention is paid to the details necessary for completing such documents as Form 1099-B and Form 1065 (also known as Schedule K-1).
Book Description
Designed to help entrepreneurs navigate the realities of pre-business setup, this resource fully answers common questions such as How should initial capital funds be handled? What is the best way to categorize such money? What should be done with money for employees as withholdings and borrowed money? and How should investment funds be properly reported? Particular attention is paid to definitional terms, the nature of start-up costs, the various types of businesses and their advantages and disadvantages, the cost of goods sold, the amortization and depreciation rules, the preparation for tax audits, and the compensation of owners. Also included are the nine factors that the IRS weighs to determine if a business has a profit motive and explanations on the most common business-startup tax forms.
Book Description
From an international authority on futures trading, the definitive primer on the futures market-- thoroughly expanded and updated to reflect the hottest new trends in futures trading.
In jargon-free language, backed by explicit and lucid examples, this authoritative primer demystifies every aspect of futures trading. Step by step, investors will come to master the basics of a futures contract, the purpose of the exchange, and the tools of fundamental and technical analysis. They'll also learn solid strategies for choosing a broker, placing orders, finding effective timing indicators and developing their own trading systems.
Features include: A close-up of key players in action--the buyers, the sellers, the speculators, and the brokers; an overview of the multiplicity of markets; a detailed comparison of domestic and international commodity exchanges; the lowdown on the rational, impact, and drawbacks of 24-hour and electronic trading; an incisive look at key factors affecting futures markets, including politics and the weather; the pros, cons, and vital differences between "day" and "position" trading; the secrets to futures markets success, with the do's and don'ts of commodity trading.
Comprehensive and empowering, How The Futures Markets Work opens up a world of prosperous possibilities for today's investors.
Customer Reviews:
Too shallow to be of any real use.......2001-10-10
The problem with this book is that it adresses too many points, providing little or no detail on each of them. All the book does is merely tell you there is something like Fundamental Analysis, Technical Analysis, etc., but it is too shallow to really learn something useful about all these fields.
Personally, I ordered this book because I wanted to learn more about the inner workings and the behind-the-scenes aspect of the futures markets. However, despite the title, the book offers very little information about how the Futures markets actually work.
A Textbook for the Futures Markets.......2001-07-03
"How The Futures Markets Work" is precise, honest, and informative. Consistent with other works by Jake Bernstein, this book is objective: written solely to educate and inform the reader.
This book does not attempt to convince an unsuspecting or uninformed reader to trade futures. Nor does it form an opinion about whether investment in the futures markets is "good" or "bad". Instead, it arms the reader with enough information to make an informed, intelligent decision about whether or not to trade futures.
This is a textbook. It provides an objective, base-level understanding of the futures markets, including: the history of the futures contract, the purpose of the Futures Exchange, how to chose a broker, market forces affecting futures prices, and trading strategies. You will not necessarily be able to jump right into futures trading after reading this book, but you will have acquired a firm foundation on which to become more informed should you wish to do so.
This book works towards leveling the playing field in the investment community, something much needed. Void of marketing and sales hype, this book provides a refreshing, candid, and honest description of what should be expected from trading futures, both from the market and from you as a futures trader.
The most important chapter in this book is chapter 9: "The Psychology of Investing". Mr. Bernstein makes it very clear, there is no quick way to achieving success as a futures trader and that success will most like be achieved based not on our trading system but rather by our ability - as people - to properly implement our trading system. This chapter alone makes the book a worthwhile purchase.
How The Futures Markets Work.......2000-04-12
I had a friend tell me that he was going to start trading futures. After he told me how exciting it was, I needed to learn more. I knew nothing about futures trading. That same friend recommended three books by Jake Bernstein, How The Futures Markets Work, Strategies For The Electronic Futures Trader, and The Complete Day Trader II. I started my education with How The Futures Markets Work. This book gives an outstanding overall picture of the futures markets. Everything from the trading floor to the basics of technical analysis to the psychology of investing is covered in this one book. This is the introductory textbook for the amateur futures trader. If you're wondering where to begin, I highly recommend this book to be you're starting point.
A Book for Gorks.......1999-12-22
I have read some nonsense in my time... Wha? But this book is just dreadful. Only a complete jackass would put this book on their X-mas list... Wha? My friend Celine who is a complete nerd... Wha? would love this book, but that is it... Wha?
A Book for Gorks.......1999-12-22
I have read some nonsense in my time... Wha? But this book is just dreadful. Only a complete jackass would put this book on their X-mas list... Wha? My friend Celine who is a complete nerd... Wha? would love this book, but that is it... Wha?
Books:
- Finance: Introduction to Institutions, Investments, and Management
- Financial Accounting: An Introduction to Concepts, Methods, and Uses
- Financial Accounting: Information for Decisions
- Financial Reporting and Analysis (3rd Edition)
- Financial Reporting and Analysis (3rd Edition)
- Financial Reporting and Analysis (3rd Edition)
- Financial Reporting and Analysis (3rd Edition)
- Financial Statecraft: The Role of Financial Markets in American Foreign Policy
- Food and Beverage Cost Control
- Foundations of Financial Markets and Institutions (3rd Edition)
Books Index
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General
| Popular Economics
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
Getting Started as a Financial Planner: Revised and Updated Edition
Deena Katz's Tools and Templates for Your Practice: For Financial Advisors, Planners, and Wealth Managers
So You Want to Be a Financial Planner 3rd Edition
Rattiner's Financial Planner's Bible: The Advisor's Advisor
Garrett's Guide to Financial Planning: How to Capture the Middle Market and Increase Your Profits
