The World Factbook 2003

The World Factbook 2003
Author: United States. Central Intelligence Agency
Publisher: Potomac Books
Total Pages: 712
Release: 2003
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 9781574886412

By intelligence officials for intelligent people

Unconventional Success

Unconventional Success
Author: David F. Swensen
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 417
Release: 2005-08-09
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 074327461X

The bestselling author of Pioneering Portfolio Management, the definitive template for institutional fund management, returns with a book that shows individual investors how to manage their financial assets. In Unconventional Success, investment legend David F. Swensen offers incontrovertible evidence that the for-profit mutual fund industry consistently fails the average investor. From excessive management fees to the frequent "churning" of portfolios, the relentless pursuit of profits by mutual fund management companies harms individual clients. Perhaps most destructive of all are the hidden schemes that limit investor choice and reduce returns, including "pay-to-play" product-placement fees, stale-price trading scams, soft-dollar kickbacks, and 12b-1 distribution charges. Even if investors manage to emerge unscathed from an encounter with the profit-seeking mutual fund industry, individuals face the likelihood of self-inflicted pain. The common practice of selling losers and buying winners (and doing both too often) damages portfolio returns and increases tax liabilities, delivering a one-two punch to investor aspirations. In short: Nearly insurmountable hurdles confront ordinary investors. Swensen's solution? A contrarian investment alternative that promotes well-diversified, equity-oriented, "market-mimicking" portfolios that reward investors who exhibit the courage to stay the course. Swensen suggests implementing his nonconformist proposal with investor-friendly, not-for-profit investment companies such as Vanguard and TIAA-CREF. By avoiding actively managed funds and employing client-oriented mutual fund managers, investors create the preconditions for investment success. Bottom line? Unconventional Success provides the guidance and financial know-how for improving the personal investor's financial future.

Mutual Fund Industry Handbook

Mutual Fund Industry Handbook
Author: Lee Gremillion
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 295
Release: 2012-06-22
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1118428722

"The Mutual Fund Industry Handbook is a remarkably important work . . . I am profoundly impressed by the broad and comprehensive sweep of information and knowledge that this book makes available to industry participants, college and business school students, and anyone else with a serious interest in this industry." -- From the Foreword by John C. Bogle President, Bogle Financial Markets Research Center Founder and former chief executive, The Vanguard Group A Foreword by John C. Bogle, founder of The Vanguard Group and one of the most respected leaders in the mutual fund industry, sets the stage for this authoritative book that explains the complexities of the phenomenal industry in simple terms. Investors like the fact that mutual funds offer professional management, easy diversification, liquidity, convenience, a wide range of investment choices, and regulatory protection. Mutual Fund Industry Handbook touches on all of those features and focuses on the diverse functions performed in the day-to-day operations of the mutual fund industry. You'll learn about: Front-office functions-analysis, buying, and selling. Back-office functions, including settlement, custody, accounting, and reporting. Commission structures-front-end loads, back-end loads, or level loads. The various fund categories used by the Investment Company Institute, Morningstar, and Lipper. The roles played by fund managers, investment advisors, custodial banks, distributors, transfer agents, and other third-party service providers. If you want a definitive reference on the mutual fund industry, this is the book for you.

Two and Twenty

Two and Twenty
Author: Sachin Khajuria
Publisher: Currency
Total Pages: 272
Release: 2022-06-14
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 0593239601

The first true insider’s account of private equity, revealing what it takes to thrive among the world’s hungriest dealmakers “Brilliant . . . eloquently takes readers inside the heroic world of private equity . . . [an] essential read.”—Forbes ONE OF THE MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS OF THE SUMMER—Bloomberg Private equity was once an investment niche. Today, the wealth controlled by its leading firms surpasses the GDP of some nations. Private equity has overtaken investment banking—and well-known names like Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley—as the premier destination for ambitious financial talent, as well as the investment dollars of some of the world’s largest pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, and endowments. At the industry’s pinnacle are the firms’ partners, happy to earn “two and twenty”—that is, a flat yearly fee of 2 percent of a fund’s capital, on top of 20 percent of the investment spoils. Private equity has succeeded in near-stealth—until now. In Two and Twenty, Sachin Khajuria, a former partner at Apollo, gives readers an unprecedented view inside this opaque global economic engine, which plays a vital role underpinning our retirement systems. From illuminating the rituals of firms’ all-powerful investment committees to exploring key precepts (“think like a principal, not an advisor”), Khajuria brings the traits, culture, and temperament of the industry’s leading practitioners to life through a series of vivid and unvarnished deal sketches. Two and Twenty is an unflinching examination of the mindset that drives the world’s most aggressive financial animals to consistently deliver market-beating returns.

The Myth of Private Equity

The Myth of Private Equity
Author: Jeffrey C. Hooke
Publisher: Columbia University Press
Total Pages: 282
Release: 2021-10-05
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 0231552823

Once an obscure niche of the investment world, private equity has grown into a juggernaut, with consequences for a wide range of industries as well as the financial markets. Private equity funds control companies that represent trillions of dollars in assets, millions of employees, and the well-being of thousands of institutional investors and their beneficiaries. Even as the ruthlessness of some funds has made private equity a poster child for the harms of unfettered capitalism, many aspects of the industry remain opaque, hidden from the normal bounds of accountability. The Myth of Private Equity is a hard-hitting and meticulous exposé from an insider’s viewpoint. Jeffrey C. Hooke—a former private equity executive and investment banker with deep knowledge of the industry—examines the negative effects of private equity and the ways in which it has avoided scrutiny. He unravels the exaggerations that the industry has spun to its customers and the business media, scrutinizing its claims of lucrative investment returns and financial wizardry and showing the stark realities that are concealed by the funds’ self-mythologizing and penchant for secrecy. Hooke details the flaws in private equity’s investment strategies, critically examines its day-to-day operations, and reveals the broad spectrum of its enablers. A bracing and essential read for both the financial profession and the broader public, this book pulls back the curtain on one of the most controversial areas of finance.

Don't Count on It!

Don't Count on It!
Author: John C. Bogle
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 640
Release: 2010-10-26
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 0470949023

Praise for Don't Count On It! "This collection of Jack Bogle's writings couldn't be more timely. The clarity of his thinking—and his insistence on the relevance of ethical standards—are totally relevant as we strive to rebuild a broken financial system. For too many years, his strong voice has been lost amid the cacophony of competing self-interests, misdirected complexity, and unbounded greed. Read, learn, and support Jack's mission to reform the industry that has been his life's work." —PAUL VOLCKER, Chairman of the President's Economic Recovery Advisory Board and former Chairman of the Federal Reserve (1979–1987) "Jack Bogle has given investors throughout the world more wisdom and plain financial 'horse sense' than any person in the history of markets. This compendium of his best writings, particularly his post-crisis guidance, is absolutely essential reading for investors and those who care about the future of our society." —ARTHUR LEVITT, former Chairman, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission "Jack Bogle is one of the most lucid men in finance." —NASSIM N.TALEB, PhD, author of The Black Swan "Jack Bogle is one of the financial wise men whose experience spans the post–World War II years. This book, encompassing his insights on financial behavior, pitfalls, and remedies, with a special focus on mutual funds, is an essential read. We can only benefit from his observations." —HENRY KAUFMAN, President, Henry Kaufman & Company, Inc. "It was not an easy sell. The joke at first was that only finance professors invested in Vanguard's original index fund. But what a triumph it has been. And what a focused and passionate drive it took: it is a zero-sum game and only costs are certain. Thank you, Jack." —JEREMY GRANTHAM, Cofounder and Chairman, GMO "On finance, Jack Bogle thinks unconventionally. So, this sound rebel turns out to be right most of the time. Meanwhile, many of us sometimes engage in self-deception. So, this book will set us straight. And in the last few pages, Jack writes, and I agree, that Peter Bernstein was a giant. So is Jack Bogle." —JEAN-MARIE EVEILLARD, Senior Adviser, First Eagle Investment Management Insights into investing and leadership from the founder of The Vanguard Group Throughout his legendary career, John Bogle-founder of the Vanguard mutual fund group and creator of the first index mutual fund-has helped investors build wealth the right way, while, at the same time, leading a tireless campaign to restore common sense to the investment world. A collection of essays based on speeches delivered to professional groups and college students in recent years, in Don't Count on It is organized around eight themes Illusion versus reality in investing Indexing to market returns Failures of capitalism The flawed structure of the mutual fund industry The spirit of entrepreneurship What is enough in business, and in life Advice to America's future leaders The unforgettable characters who have shaped his career Widely acclaimed for his role as the conscience of the mutual fund industry and a relentless advocate for individual investors, in Don't Count on It, Bogle continues to inspire, while pushing the mutual fund industry to measure up to their promise.

Index Mutual Funds

Index Mutual Funds
Author: Wendell Scott Simon
Publisher:
Total Pages: 0
Release: 1998
Genre: Mutual funds
ISBN: 9780966117271

Dean LeBaron's Book of Investment Quotations

Dean LeBaron's Book of Investment Quotations
Author: Dean LeBaron
Publisher: Wiley
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2002-01-04
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 9780471153504

Praise for Dean LeBaron s Book of Investment Quotations "Looking for a pungent quote to help round out a speech or paper? You ll find it here. Looking for a pleasant, enlightening reading experience? You ll find that here too. Enjoy Dean LeBaron s fine compendium at your leisure." John C. Bogle, Founder, The Vanguard Group "A delightful compilation of humorous and thought-provoking quotations on all aspects of investment management from one of the legends of the investment business." Burton G. Malkiel, author of A Random Walk Down Wall Street "Humorous and humbling. This must be the greatest collection of words that I wish I had said, expressing insights that I wish that I had had. To open the book to any page is to assure yourself of joy." Bob Monks, Chairman of Lens Investment Management LLC and Publisher, www.ragm.com "A delightful and remarkably insightful collection of aphorisms, adages, and epigrams lovingly hand-collected over the years by the dean of modern investment management." Andrew W. Lo, Harris & Harris Group Professor of Finance, MIT Sloan School of Management "From Warren Buffett to Jack Welch, Dean LeBaron has assembled a vast collection of insightful and wry quotes about investing in particular and life in general. It s great fun to browse, and an invaluable resource for speeches and articles." Martin Barnes, Managing Editor, The Bank Credit Analyst "A veritable march through a battery of apt quotations. They have been judiciously drawn from a wide variety of sources, old and new, combining humor with wisdom. I don t know what quote addicts did before Dean LeBaron began collecting. This treasure chest, with its very personal touch, supersedes all earlier efforts at collecting investment quotations. With its broad coverage and thoughtful section summaries, I find it an extremely helpful and enjoyable desk companion." William Wirth, Credit Suisse Group

Data-Driven Investing, + Website

Data-Driven Investing, + Website
Author: Matei Zatreanu
Publisher: Wiley
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2025-04-29
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 9781119429630

Implement a data-driven investment strategy The investing landscape is increasingly driven by big data and artificial intelligence. For most finance professionals, big data, statistics, and programming are outside their comfort zone. Yet, proficiency in these areas is becoming a prerequisite for successful investing. And while there are plenty of resources on these individual topics, what is missing is a framework for combining these disciplines for investment purposes. Data-Driven Investing shows readers how investment decisions can be made or improved through the use of alternative datasets and inference techniques. The author covers artificial intelligence algorithms, data visualization, and data sourcing to show how these components come together to form a more robust investment strategy. The goal is to help finance professionals prepare for an investing landscape increasingly driven by big data and artificial intelligence. Shows how investing wisdom can be harnessed through science and augmented by data Demonstrates how an augmented investing philosophy promises a deeper understanding of future economic performance Is essential reading for fund managers, research analysts, quantitative investors, data scientists, and general finance professionals Includes a companion website with code, data sets, and videos providing more in-depth information on augmented/data-driven investing This book comes at a time of increasing investor anxiety with lackluster hedge fund performance, which is causing many funds to explore data-driven investing as a possible evolution of their strategies.

The Great Mutual Fund Trap

The Great Mutual Fund Trap
Author: Gregory Arthur Baer
Publisher: Broadway
Total Pages: 335
Release: 2002
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 9780767910712

Drawing on years of experience, two financial experts warn investors of the potential financial hazards of mutual funds, discussing the hidden costs of such funds, providing realistic insights into how such funds operate, and offering helpful advice on how to protect one's investments.