This book is intended for the many people who already know the basics of investing in shares and property, but who want to broaden their knowledge of this important subject. In forty chapters and seven appendices the book discusses many practical aspects not normally dealt with in other books on investment matters.

The topics covered include how to easily calculate the returns on a share portfolio using an Excel spreadsheet, how to get more out of reading a listed company's annual report, how to react to a takeover offer and how to find out more about a company by participating in its annual general meeting.

Other assorted subjects dealt with include income tax deductions for investors in property, family trusts, margin loans, capital gains tax, avoiding dud stocks and coping with bad tenants.

Some ethical issues are analysed in detail and a number of confusing investment jargon terms are explained. There are also two illustrative case studies of companies which failed, causing their investors to lose large amounts of money.

Everyone from novice "mum and dad" investors to experienced old hands, and from students to retired persons, will find many things of interest.

This book complements the author's well-known and popular UNDERSTANDING THE STOCK EXCHANGE, UNDERSTANDING INVESTMENT PROPERTY and DICTIONARY OF STOCK EXCHANGE AND INVESTMENT TERMS.

CONTENTS

Foreword
Preface

Chapter 01 A Short Cut to Reading Financial Statements
Chapter 02 Valuing Shares like a Professional Analyst
Chapter 03 Comparing Stocks in a Sector
Chapter 04 Avoiding Dud Stocks
Chapter 05 Telltale Signs to Sell a Stock
Chapter 06 Cycles
Chapter 07 Takeovers
Chapter 08 Long Term Investments
Chapter 09 Inflation and Investors
Chapter 10 Portfolio Performance
Chapter 11 Growth versus Value Investing
Chapter 12 The Return on Assets - and Other Ratios
Chapter 13 The PE Ratio of the Overall Market
Chapter 14 What is the PEG Ratio?
Chapter 15 Dividends
Chapter 16 Returns from Investment Property
Chapter 17 How Share Investors can reduce their Tax Bills
Chapter 18 Tax Concessions on Property
Chapter 19 Capital Gains Tax leaves Investors bewildered
Chapter 20 Family Trusts
Chapter 21 Investors should never Panic
Chapter 22 The Superannuation Dilemma
Chapter 23 The RBA should let Market Forces decide Interest Rates
Chapter 24 Margin Loans
Chapter 25 Instalment Warrants
Chapter 26 Dividend Reinvestment Plans
Chapter 27 The Fincorp Disaster
Chapter 28 Pyramid: What might have been
Chapter 29 Shareholder Meetings: Basics
Chapter 30 Shareholder Meetings: Oppressive Conduct
Chapter 31 Shareholder Meetings: Other Aspects
Chapter 32 Coping with Jargon
Chapter 33 CORPORATE DONATIONS
Chapter 34 Some Ethical Issues
Chapter 35 The First Home Owner Grant Scheme
Chapter 36 Bad Tenants
Chapter 37 Managed Funds
Chapter 38 Points to ponder when making a Will
Chapter 39 The Financial Services Reform Act 2001
Chapter 40 Miscellaneous
Chapter 41 Many Companies are Cheating their Loyal Shareholders
Chapter 42 Executive Remuneration Packages

Appendix A  THE EFFECT OF INFLATION
Appendix B  THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX
Appendix C  AVERAGE WEEKLY EARNINGS
Appendix D  WILLS AND TRUSTS COMPARED AND CONTRASTED
Appendix E  ASX MARKET STATISTICS
Appendix F  USEFUL INTERNET LINKS
Appendix G  FURTHER INFORMATION

Glossary
Tailpiece
Index