How to Make a Fortune from the Biggest Bailout in U.S. History: A Guide to the 7 Greatest Bargains from Main Street to Wall Street

by Ron Insana

Book Overview

For those in the know, today's financial headlines don't spell disaster--they spell the sale of the century. But it takes a trustworthy veteran of the trading trenches to guide investors through these... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1583333649
• ISBN13: 9781583333648
• Release Date: December 2009
• Publisher: Avery Publishing Group
• Length: 200 Pages
• Weight: 0.88 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.8" x 8.3"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

Insana offers a postive look at investing in these uncertain times

How to Make a Fortune from the Biggest Bailout in U.S. History is divided into seven parts: * The Sub-Prime Primer * Don't Look Back! (Well, Look Back a Little) * Dressed for Distress * Wall Street in Distress * A Crisis in Credit * Homes, Suites, Homes * The Really Big Bailout Insana starts by briefly explaining how this current recession fits in the U.S.'s economic history, then describes how people like Warren Buffett and Sam Zell use these difficult times to scout for value opportunities. Insana then points out that Uncle Sam's present help is creating unique opportunities at this time through the"drop in interest rates, government support programs or assistance to buy both old and new assets." Insana organizes a resource guide at the start of the book to help readers prepare for and research investment opportunities. The guide includes: (1) financial news websites like CNBC.com and TheStreet.com; (2) the basic array of periodicals, like The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Financial Times, The Washington Post, and The Drudge Report; (3) research services like Morningstar; (4) sites specific to real estate and foreclosure opportunities; and helpful sites provided by a wide range of government agencies and institutions. Insana urges the consumer/"average investor" to recognize that while the average investor's response to this decline in stock and asset prices is to run from the decline, a rational and professional investor would recognize that "America is on sale" and look around to identify bargains. Insana claims that "many asset classes remain 40 to 50 percent below their all-time highs." Insana points out how the average investor behaves differently when buying on Main Street versus on Wall Street: she hurries to drops in prices of electronics or home goods but when investing, she usually buys when the prices rise instead of when they dip. Insana warns that as inflation accelerates the value of cash will be reduced considerably and recommends that investors explore investing in stocks, Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS), municipal bonds, and new federal bonds ("Obama Bonds"). To help the average investor evaluate stocks, Insana compares the current "Great Recession" to the Great Depression and points out areas of risk. He includes clear explanations of investment concepts such as dollar cost averaging and "buying the market" through choosing proxies for market averages through index funds and ETFs (exchange-traded funds) by way of explaining how an average investor might invest without having to select specific stocks. Insana explains the concept behind TIPS, which are Treasury bonds that pay a nominal yield and a premium for rising inflation. Since interest rates are at historic lows, Insana points out that they can only be expected to rise, but the TIPS protect the investor from the risk of inflation. In Homes, Suites, Homes, Insana delves into his family's experience with homeow

Quick, easy primer in a messy market era

For a quick, well-written look into how one well-connected wall streeter thinks you might invest your way out of the recent financial crash - THIS is a really useful easy read. Sometimes brevity is the better part of wisdom.