Ben S. Branch is Professor of Finance at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, where he has taught finance, investment, banking, and industrial organization for over 30 years. He was previously on the faculty at Dartmouth College, the University of Michigan, and the University of Texas, and has served on the boards of several corporations, including the First Republic Bank, BankEast, Bank of New England, and Proactive Technologies. Currently serving as associate editor of the International Review of Financial Analysis, he has published dozens of journal articles and book reviews, and is the coauthor of Bankruptcy Investing and author of Fundamentals of Investment for Financial Planning.

Branch explains the fundamental principles of successful investing for individuals. Using non-technical language, he reviews the basics of compound interest and introduces readers to stocks, bonds, options, mutual funds, real estate, futures, and other types of investments. He also covers lesser-known opportunities such as bankruptcies and takeovers. An extensive and detailed glossary of terms is found at the back of the volume.

• IntroductionInvestment MechanicsSecuritiesOptions: Puts and CallsSources of CreditTax Sheltered Accountsnvestment SelectionGeneral Investment SelectionMutual Funds, Closed End Funds, and Other Types of Investment FundsInvesting in the Debt MarketBankruptcy InvestingTakeovers and Risk ArbitrageRights Offerings and Share BuybacksInvesting in Real EstateMarket TimingMacroeconomic TrendsTiming Strategies That Don't WorkPotentially Useful Timing RulesRules for Short SellingRules for the Futures MarketConclusionGlossaryResources and Suggested ReadingsIndex

Ben S. Branch is Professor of Finance at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, where he has taught finance, investment, banking, and industrial organization for over 30 years. He was previously on the faculty at Dartmouth College, the University of Michigan, and the University of Texas, and has served on the boards of several corporations, including the First Republic Bank, BankEast, Bank of New England, and Proactive Technologies. Currently serving as associate editor of the International Review of Financial Analysis, he has published dozens of journal articles and book reviews, and is the coauthor of Bankruptcy Investing and author of Fundamentals of Investment for Financial Planning.

Branch explains the fundamental principles of successful investing for individuals. Using non-technical language, he reviews the basics of compound interest and introduces readers to stocks, bonds, options, mutual funds, real estate, futures, and other types of investments. He also covers lesser-known opportunities such as bankruptcies and takeovers. An extensive and detailed glossary of terms is found at the back of the volume.

• IntroductionInvestment MechanicsSecuritiesOptions: Puts and CallsSources of CreditTax Sheltered Accountsnvestment SelectionGeneral Investment SelectionMutual Funds, Closed End Funds, and Other Types of Investment FundsInvesting in the Debt MarketBankruptcy InvestingTakeovers and Risk ArbitrageRights Offerings and Share BuybacksInvesting in Real EstateMarket TimingMacroeconomic TrendsTiming Strategies That Don't WorkPotentially Useful Timing RulesRules for Short SellingRules for the Futures MarketConclusionGlossaryResources and Suggested ReadingsIndex

Ben S. Branch is Professor of Finance at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, where he has taught finance, investment, banking, and industrial organization for over 30 years. He was previously on the faculty at Dartmouth College, the University of Michigan, and the University of Texas, and has served on the boards of several corporations, including the First Republic Bank, BankEast, Bank of New England, and Proactive Technologies. Currently serving as associate editor of the International Review of Financial Analysis, he has published dozens of journal articles and book reviews, and is the coauthor of Bankruptcy Investing and author of Fundamentals of Investment for Financial Planning.

Branch explains the fundamental principles of successful investing for individuals. Using non-technical language, he reviews the basics of compound interest and introduces readers to stocks, bonds, options, mutual funds, real estate, futures, and other types of investments. He also covers lesser-known opportunities such as bankruptcies and takeovers. An extensive and detailed glossary of terms is found at the back of the volume.

• IntroductionInvestment MechanicsSecuritiesOptions: Puts and CallsSources of CreditTax Sheltered Accountsnvestment SelectionGeneral Investment SelectionMutual Funds, Closed End Funds, and Other Types of Investment FundsInvesting in the Debt MarketBankruptcy InvestingTakeovers and Risk ArbitrageRights Offerings and Share BuybacksInvesting in Real EstateMarket TimingMacroeconomic TrendsTiming Strategies That Don't WorkPotentially Useful Timing RulesRules for Short SellingRules for the Futures MarketConclusionGlossaryResources and Suggested ReadingsIndex