Synopses & Reviews
A Straightforward And Accessible Guide To The Discipline Of Investment AnalysisGetting Started in Investment Analysis
When buying a new car, computer, or even a flat screen TV, many of us take the time to research what we're getting into before we make the commitment. But when it comes to investing, people often give their money to a mutual fund or money manager with little review—or buy stocks with no idea of their real worth. This is definitely not a recipe for success.
To achieve the results you want, you need to "kick the tires" of potential investment options, rather than blindly follow an "expert's" advice. And with a firm understanding of investment analysis, you can make informed decisions that will allow you to capture more consistent investment returns and boost your portfolio's bottom line.
Assuming no formal knowledge of statistics or in-depth training in quantitative analysis, Getting Started in Investment Analysis will help you make better overall judgments on the data related to your investments without doing complicated statistical analysis. And where analysis is necessary, the process is described in a straightforward style that any investor can understand.
Filled with in-depth insights and practical advice, Getting Started in Investment Analysis will:
Show you how to critically judge the quality of stock or investment data, and then separate the good data from the bad
Help you glean insights from valid investment data by using graphs and looking for correlations
Clarify the complexities related to retirement investing
Assist anyone wishing to perform simple quantitative data analysis
For those looking to go a step further in their investment endeavors, Getting Started in Investment Analysis shows you how to perform a more detailed statistical analysis using Microsoft Excel and high school–level math skills. And while this book is useful even without doing the data analysis discussed—because many of the concerns on investing are not quantitative—using data analysis makes the process of picking investments far more robust and takes emotions out of the equation.
Synopsis
Getting Started in Investment Analysis is an approachable introduction to this important topic. It quickly teaches–you how to make overall judgments on investment data without having to do complicated statistical analysis. With this book as your guide, you'll discover how to choose stocks for savings and retirement, and learn–how to glean insights from investment data–by examining graphs and seeking correlations. For those looking to go a step further in their investment endeavors, Getting Started in Investment Analysis shows how to perform a?more detailed statistical analysis using Excel and high-school level math skills.
About the Author
Warren Brussee is a Six Sigma expert who spent thirty-three years at GE as an engineer, plant manager, and engineering manager. His responsibilities encompassed manufacturing plants in the United States, Hungary, and China. Brussee earned his engineering degree from Cleveland State University and attended Kent State University towards his EMBA. He has written two widely used books on Six Sigma.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments.
Element Key.
Introduction.
Getting a Feel for Your Own Investments.
PART 1: LOOKING AT INVESTMENT DATA.
Chapter 1: Getting Good Data.
Chapter 2: Identify Visual Correlations.
PART 2: QUANTITATIVE DATA APPLICATIONS.
Chapter 3: Types of Data.
Chapter 4: Probability.
Chapter 5: Plots and Distributions.
Chapter 6: Testing Variables Data.
Chapter 7: Testing Proportional Data.
PART 3: QUANTITATIVE EVALUATION OF STOCKS, THE MARKET, AND INVESTING PRACTICES.
Chapter 8: Is a Stock or the Stock Market Overpriced?
Chapter 9: Using Investment Analysis to Estimate When an Economic Bubble Will Break.
Chapter 10: The U.S.Consumer Has Been Reducing Savings, Drawing Out Home Equity, and Increasing Debt. So, Should an Investor Be in the Stock Market?
PART 4: SPECIFIC ANALYSIS ISSUES RELATED TO RETIREMENT INVESTING.
Chapter 11: Quick-Use Baseline Retirement Numbers.
Chapter 12: Adjustments for a Pension, a Lower Savings Level, or a Reduced Retirement Budget.
Chapter 13: Assumptions/Rationale in Savings Calculations.
Appendix.
Understanding Logarithmic Charts.
Glossary.
Index.