Figuring Out Wall Street,
Consumer's Guide to Financial Markets

is an easy-to-read, concise guide explaining the stock and financial markets around the world.

With so much attention on the financial condition of the world, consumers can hone their understanding of the basic rules of the economy and the financial markets. This book provides an overview of how stock exchanges work, the basic products available to consumers, and how to invest in each.

Chapter Titles

Chapter 1. Figuring Out the Financial Crisis of 2008—2009Sample: Introduction (click here to read a sample)
What Caused this Financial Crisis? Collateralized Debt Obligations. When Did the Financial Meltdown Start? Who is to Blame? What is the Solution Now? Fixing the Mess. Government Regulation. Fewer Super Banks.

Chapter 2. Why Invest in Securities
Chapter 2. Why Invest in Securities (click underlined text to read a sample)
Investing vs. Saving. How Inflation and Taxes Affect Your Real Returns. Stocks, Bonds, or a Mix of Investments. Introducing the S&P 500 Index. Investing for Retirement. Sources of Retirement Income. Social Security. Pensions. Investments and Savings. The New Economic Reality. Lessons to Learn from a Market Downturn. Where Am I Investing? No Such Thing as a Sure Thing. Buy and Hold is Dead. Evaluate Taxes. Get Real on Housing. Proper Risk Management. Liquidity Matters. Patience. When to Sell and When to Hold.

Chapter 3. Figuring Out the Federal Regulators
Chapter 3. Figuring Out the Federal Regulators
Lax Regulation. What's Needed. Federal Regulatory Agencies. State Regulatory Agencies. The Federal Reserve System. Deparment of the Treasury. Securities and Exchange Commission. Federal Deposit Iinsurance Corporation. Commodites Futures Trading Commission. National Credit Union Administration. Federal Laws and Regulations. Lending Limits.

Chapter 4. Types of Financial Investments
Chapter 4. Types of Financial Investments
Savings Accounts. Certificates of Deposit. Money Market Accounts. Custodial or Informal Trust Accounts. Features of Securities. Is My Money Really Safe at My Bank? Is My Money Really Safe with My Broker? Is My Money Really Safe with My Lender? Stocks. Corporate Bonds. Government Securities. Money Market Acounts. Mutual Funds.

Chapter 5. Figuring Out the Economic Indicators
Chapter 5. Figuring Out the Economic Indicators
Where to Find Information. Timing. Market Indicators. Key Economic Data. How to Use Financial and Economic Information. Economic Indicators. Consumer Confidence Index. Total Output, Income, and Spending. Gross Domestic Product. Productivity and Costs. Personal Income. Personal Disposable Income. Corporate Profits. Employment, Unemployment, and Wages. Unemployment Rate. Labor Productivity. Industrial Production. Capacity Utilization. Construction Spending. New Housing Starts. Inventories. Prices. Producer Price Index. Consumer Price Index. Money, Credit, and Security Markets. Money Supply. Bank Credit. Consumer Credit. Interest Rates and Bond Yields. Stock Prices and Yields. International Trade.

Chapter 6. Figuring Out the Securities Markets
Chapter 6. Figuring Out the Securities Markets
Securities Markets. Stock Exchanges. Finding Out Who Holds the Institutional Sponsorship.

Chapter 7. Figuring Out Capital Markets
Chapter 7. Figuring Out Capital Markets
Venture Capital. Institutional Investors. Private Equity. Unique Ownership Structure. Initial Public Offerings. Buyout Funds. Investment Banking. Corporate Finance. Raising Capital. Underwriting Stocks. Setting the Price of a Stock Offering. Standby Commitments. Best Effort Underwriting. Mergers and Acquisitions. Research.

Chapter 8. Figuring Out Stocks
Chapter 8. Figuring Out Stocks
Types of Stocks. Reading a Stock Table. Common Stock Purchasing Strategies. Market Timing. Growth Stocks versus Value Stocks. Stock Options. Fundamental Analysis. Technical Analysis.

Chapter 9. Figuring Out Corporate Bonds
Chapter 9. Figuring Out Corporate Bonds
Bond Basics. How Bonds Are Used by Corporations to Raise Capital. Features of Corporate Bonds. Bond Yields. Yield to Maturity. Bond Ratings. Reading a Bond Table. How to Read a Bond Table. Corporate Exchange Traded Bonds. Fundamental Investment Strategies.

Chapter 10. Figuring Out Government Bonds
Chapter 10. Figuring Out Government Bonds
Are Government Securities Still Risk Free? How Big is Our National Debt? Treasury Securities. T-Bill. Federal Agency Securities. Yield Curve. Reading the Treasury Securities Tables. Municipal Bonds. Taxable Yield Equivalents. What are TIPS?

Chapter 11. Figuring Out Mortgage Markets
Chapter 11. Figuring Out Mortgage Markets
Role of the Government. Federal National Mortgage Association. Financial Bailout. Similar Historical Federal Banking Investments. Managing Risk in Mortgage Securities. How to Invest in Mortgage Securities. Collateralized Mortgage Obligations.

Chapter 12. Figuring out Money Market Funds
Chapter 12. Figuring Out Money Market Funds
Money Market Investments. Government Securities. Banker's Acceptances. Federal Funds. Securities Lending. Money Market Funds.

Chapter 13. Figuring Out Mutual Funds
Chapter 13. Figuring Out Mutual Funds
Benefits of Mutual Funds. Types of Funds. Exchange-Traded Funds. Selecting a Mutual Fund. Load vs. No-Load Funds. Gathering Mutual Fund Information. The Best Mutual Funds.

Chapter 14. Figuring Out Futures and Options
Chapter 14. Figuring Out Features and Options
The Language of Options. Who Trades Options? Types of Contracts. Call Options. Put Options. Strike Price. Average Daily Trading Volume. The Importance of Open Interest. Derivatives. Futures Contracts. The Language of Futures. Cash Market. Spot Market. How Futures Exchanges Work. Hedging. Hedging Strategies. Benefits of Hedge Funds.

Chapter 15. Achieving Personal Financial Goals
Chapter 15. Achieving Personal Financial Goals
Personal Investments. Selecting an Investment Mix. Finding the Right Investment Mix. Tools You Can Use. Strategy One—Low Risk/Short Term. Strategy Two—Low to Moderate Risk/Intermediate Term. Strategy Three—Higher Risk/Longer Term. Strategy Four—High Risk/Long Term. Strategy Five—Aggressive Risk/Long Term. Asset Allocation. Buy and Hold versus Active Trading.