Shows how to use both ETFs and E-Minis for high-powered results Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) are a remarkable new tool for trading and investing in broad market segments or narrow sectors. ETF trading volume and asset growth continue to soar at record levels. Ideal for speculating in and hedging as well as long-term investing in the broader markets, these index products work together to diversify and balance any global portfolio. Now, one of the top executives (and experts) in the industry reveals the intricacies of the products, how to use them, and what the future holds. Readers will get sample index portfolios and strategies for all market participants–ranging from the short-term trader to the long-term investor; and from the risk taker to the conservative investor. David Lerman (Chicago, IL) is the Senior Director of Equity Index Products Marketing at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. He has traveled around the globe on behalf of the CME, giving seminars and workshops to retail and institutional audiences, including pension funds, corporations, banks and brokers on risk management/trading using equity index futures and options.
Praise for Lecturing Birds On Flying «Finally, a book taking a critical look at quantitative finance models, illuminating both their flawed fantasy assumptions as well as the uncritical use of such models on Wall Street, in many cases, leading to billion dollar losses. Pablo Triana knows both the financial industry and the academic community from the inside. A must-read for anyone interested in finance.» —Dr. Espen Gaarder Haug, trader, thinker, and author of Derivatives Models on Models «A thoroughly readable explanation of the problems that have beset the models and quantitative techniques that have underpinned so much of finance in recent years. If only the bankers had heeded this message a few years before, we might not be in such a big mess today.» —Gillian Tett, Assistant Editor of the Financial Times, overseeing global financial markets coverage, and author of Fool's Gold «Pablo Triana dismembers quantitative finance, in theory and in practice, with expertise, anger,and an excellent eye for the illuminating anecdote. By the time he has finished marshalling his evidence, his call to replace complex equations with something more like common sense sounds like, well, common sense.» —Edward Hadas, Assistant Editor at Breakingviews.com; and author of Human Goods, Economic Evils: A Moral Approach to the Dismal Science «Pablo Triana is an entertaining and engaging writer, even on the dry subject of finance theory. His debunking of conventional wisdom is a treat.» —Pauline Skypala, Editor, FTfm, Financial Times «Triana's book is an unrelenting fusillade of detailed and irrefutable arguments against financial theorems and those who teach them. It should, by rights, spark a revolution in both investment banks and business schools. But, at the very least, it is required reading for anyone who would regulate the finance industry.» —Felix Salmon, Finance Blogger, Reuters
Trusted advice on successful consulting from the authors of the bestselling Guerrilla Marketing series Consulting is entering the era of the guerrilla client-buyers with a glut of information at their fingertips and doubts about the value consultants add. Guerrilla Marketing for Consultants is the first book to reveal how guerrilla marketing can transform today's challenges into golden opportunities for winning profitable work from the new breed of consulting clients. Packed with information, this step-by-step guide details the 12 marketing secrets every consultant should know, the anatomy of a marketing plan, Web sites, sources of free publicity, direct-mail marketing, winning proposals, and more. Jay Conrad Levinson (San Rafael, CA) is the Chairman of the Board of Guerrilla Marketing International and the author or coauthor of more than 30 books, including the bestselling Guerrilla Marketing series. Michael W. McLaughlin (Mill Valley, CA) has been a partner with Deloitte Consulting since 1994.
A practical roadmap for developing successful e-business strategic plans E-Business Expectations provides a critical review of the process of evolving a product or service from prototype to practical technology. Written by renown expert on technology issues, this book provides business executives and managers with tools they can use to position their product or service to best satisfy their customer's needs. It guides readers from unrealistic to realistic expectations of what a firm's technology can bring to its e-business strategy. This book provides managers with a solid foundation for creating realistic technological expectations for their e-business in terms of repeatability, scalability, operating environment, resource requirements, and compatibility issues. Bryan P. Bergeron (Brookline, MA) has over thirty years' experience designing and working with computers and electronics. He teaches technology and business at Harvard Medical School and MIT and is Editor in Chief of e.MD, Technical Editor of Postgraduate Medicine, among others. Dr. Bergeron is President of Archetype Technologies, Inc., a technology consulting firm.
Praise for Pension Revolution «When Keith Ambachtsheer puts his keen mind to work on a problem, watch out! Here he exposes today's fragile arrangements for the most serious social dilemma of our times–financing retirement. Then he provides a compelling and powerful set of solutions. His writings are essential reading for all who care about the future of American living standards.» –Peter Bernstein, founder and President, Peter L. Bernstein, Inc., and author of Capital Ideas and Against the Gods «This book describes one of the most ingenious inventions in the history of mankind: pension funds offering credible promises about old-age income. It reads like a thriller: how can well-governed pension funds be created in an imperfect world in which mortals wrestle with foibles and moral shortcomings? One of the world's leading experts on pensions searches for the answer–and finds it.» –Lans Bovenberg, Scientific Director, Network for Studies on Pensions, Aging, and Retirement, Tilburg University, The Netherlands «Pension Revolution exposes the inadequacies of current pension systems and persuasively makes the case for the fundamental changes that are needed. It is essential reading for both the pension industry and policymakers.» –Elizabeth Bryan, Chair, Investment Committee, Unisuper Management PM Ltd, Australia «Most analyses of complicated issues deal with complexity by simplifying or only looking at one piece-part, and, in doing so, provide limited value. In stark contrast, Keith Ambachtsheer boldly wades into the complexity in Pension Revolution to come up with a valuable integrative solution. He is a most welcome revolutionary!» –Roger Martin, Dean, Joseph L. Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto, Canada «We have known Keith for over ten years, and consistently over that time, he has constructively and comprehensively challenged conventional wisdom. He has done this so effectively that many of his initial thoughts have now become universally accepted norms. Such is his energy however that he continues to push the boundaries of pension and investment thinking.» –Peter Moon, Chief Investment Officer, Universities Superannuation Scheme Ltd, UK «Pension Revolution not only explains the shortcomings of the existing pension system and the underlying design features that have resulted in the current pension upheaval. It also offers thoughtful and creative suggestions for prospective pension design. A must-read for anyone interested in the future of retirement finance.» –James Poterba, Professor of Economics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a member of the TIAA-CREF Board of Trustees
International turn-around gurus describe how to rescue a company from the brink of disaster Why, even in the best of economic times, do so many apparently healthy companies fail? The surprising answer offered by the authors of this breakthrough book is «denial,» or more specifically, the inability of top management to acknowledge that they've been backing a losing strategy and to take the necessary, often traumatizing, steps required to set their companies on the right course. Using cogent case studies and lessons learned from working with Fortune 500 executives who have survived tough turnarounds, Pate and Platt vividly describe what happens when good strategies go bad. Drawing upon their experiences at top firms, they develop proven real-world turnaround strategies, tools, and techniques and show readers how to put them to work in their companies.
Business Across Cultures is the keystone book in the Culture for Business series. It provides an overview of all subjects tackled in the other books of the series. Its particular aim is to provide executives with a cross-cultural perspective on how companies meet the diverse needs of customers, investors and employees; to introduce the main ideas in business in a multicultural context; and to show how they all fit together.
Millions of Americans have to train others as part of their jobs. Whether you’re an employee training your co-workers on a new process or skill, a volunteer asked to train new volunteers, a chef training your staff, or a paramedic giving CPR training, it’s just as important to know how to teach others as it is to know what you’re talking about. It doesn’t matter how much you know about your subject if you can’t share it with others. Fortunately, Training For Dummies offers all the nuts and bolts of training for anyone who has to educate others on any subject and in any field. It covers all the modern, interactive instructional methods and dynamic training approaches available and helps you get trainees inspired, involved, and enthused. Training For Dummies will help you: Keep it interesting so trainees learn more eagerly Master the jargon of training Use audio and visual aids effectively Prepare for the training certification process Evaluate your results and improve your tactics Elaine Biech, President and Managing Principal of Ebb Associates, Inc., and known as “the trainer’s trainer” shows you all the tips and tricks of the trade. Based on her long experience as a trainer and her work for clients such as the IRS and many Fortune 500 companies, Biech helps you discover: Tips, techniques, and tidbits for enhancing your training sessions Methods that improve trainee participation Alternatives to the traditional lecture method Tactics for gauging and managing group dynamics Strategies for addressing problems in the classroom Hints for understanding and adapting to different learning styles Helpful resources and other extra material you can put to immediate use No matter what you do for a living, there will probably come a time when you have to teach others what you know. Training For Dummies cuts through the complicated jargon to present the basics of teaching and learning in straightforward, plain English so you can share your specialized knowledge with those who need it.
So you’ve been asked to lead a quality control initiative? Or maybe you’ve been assigned to a quality team. Perhaps you’re a CEO whose main concern is to make your company faster, more efficient, and less expensive. Whatever your role is, quality control is a critical concept in every industry and profession. Quality Control For Dummies is the straightforward, easy guide to improving your company’s quality. It covers all of today’s available options and provides expert techniques for introducing quality methods to your company, collecting data, designing quality processes, and more. This hands-on guide gives you all the tools you’ll ever need to enhance your company’s quality, including: Understanding the importance of quality standards Putting fundamental quality control methods to use Listening to your customer about quality issues Whipping quality control into shape with Lean Working with value stream mapping Focusing on the 5S method Supplement a process with Kanban Fixing tough problems with Six Sigma Using QFD to win customers over Improving you company with TOC This invaluable reference is written from an unbiased viewpoint, giving you all the facts about each theory with no fuzzy coverings. It also includes steps for incorporating quality into a new product and Web sites packed with quality control tips and techniques. With Quality Control For Dummies, you’ll be able to speed up production, eliminate waste, and save money!
Clear-Cut Ways to Manage Project Planning If you're a typical project manager, you're probably aware of the importance of planning but may not have the time or expertise to develop a full-blown strategy. Here's a quick and practical guide to applying the disciplines of proven planning practices without the rigor of complex processes. Part of the Project Manager's Spotlight series from Harbor Light Press, this straightforward book offers solutions to real-life planning scenarios. Author Catherine Tomczyk highlights critical components of project planning and equips you with tools, techniques, checklists, and templates you can put to use immediately. By following a realistic case study from start to finish, you'll see how a project manager deals with each task. Ultimately, this book will help you accurately estimate time and resource requirements, enabling you to implement successful projects. Project Manager's Spotlight on Planning teaches you how to Define project objectives, goals, scope, and requirements Draft plans to manage risk, quality, and procurement Build your dream team Finalize estimates and budgets Create the project schedule And much more!