Online Investing Hacks

Individual investors have become more computer-literate and technology-dependent than ever before. Whether they're looking for suitable investments, studying alternatives, or managing their portfolios, investors need data. The Internet has become their goldmine of financial data and research. But investors also use spreadsheets, databases, and financial applications to select, study and manage their investments. Their proficiency has grown to the point where they crave industrial strength tips and tools to turbo-charge their efforts, and that's precisely what Online Investing Hacks delivers.

After spending 10 years as a project manager and tech writer for Electronic Data Systems, McDonnell Douglas, and others, Bonnie Biafore became a full-time financial-software writer in 1997. She's a columnist for both Quicken.com and Better Investing magazine and the author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Online Personal Finance.

Credits

ix

Preface

xiii

Chapter 1. Screening investments

1. Screen Savings Rates

2

(5)

2. Screen Fixed-Income Investments

7

(4)

3. Screen Loan and Mortgage Rates

11

(6)

4. Fast and Free Stock Screening Tools

17

(4)

5. Build Industrial Strength-Stock Screens

21

(8)

6. Weed Out Results

29

(4)

Chapter 2. Hacking Excel for Financial Analysis

7. Download Data Using Excel Web Queries

33

(7)

8. Make Good and Bad Values Stand Out

40

(3)

9. Make Nested Functions Work in Excel

43

(5)

10. Prevent Growth Calculations from Blowing Up

48

(4)

11. Flexible Techniques for Referencing Data

52

(7)

12. Add Conditional Commentary

59

(2)

13. Create Financial Charts in Excel

61

(7)

Chapter 3. Collecting Financial Data

Introduction: Fathoming Financial Statements

68

(43)

14. Download Mutual Fund Data

75

(4)

15. Choose Your Favorite Flavor of Data

79

(2)

16. Obtain Price Quotes

81

(3)

17. Download Historical Price Files

84

(2)

18. Download Financial Statements

86

(3)

19. The Best Data for Free

89

(2)

20. The Best Data for a Fee

91

(1)

21. Download News

92

(4)

22. Locate the Competition

96

(3)

23. Obtain Averages for an Industry and the Competition

99

(7)

24. Create Alerts

106

(5)

Chapter 4. Analyzing Company Fundamentals

111

(124)

Introduction: Investing in Growth

111

(4)

Introduction: Insisting on Quality

115

(1)

Introduction: Buying Good Value

115

(120)

25. Calculate Percentage Change for Growth and Return

116

(1)

26. Calculate Compound Annual Rates of Growth

117

(5)

27. Calculate Price and Dividend Ratios

122

(8)

28. Calculate Additional Valuation Ratios

130

(8)

29. Calculate Financial Strength Ratios

138

(6)

30. Calculate Management Effectiveness Ratios

144

(7)

31. Calculate Turnover Ratios

151

(6)

32. Calculate Profitability Ratios

157

(7)

33. Compare Year-to-Year Results

164

(6)

34. Compare Several Competitors to Identify the Strongest Candidate

170

(4)

35. Measure Earnings Predictability in Excel

174

(6)

36. Use Rational Values to Buy and Sell Wisely

180

(7)

37. Are You Walking on the Wild Side?

187

(11)

38. Use Ready-Made Fundamental Analysis Applications

198

(5)

39. Spot Hanky Panky with Cash Flow Analysis

203

(5)

40. Use Online Analysis Tools

208

(7)

41. Find the Best Free Excel Tools for Fundamental Analysis

215

(3)

42. Find the Best Excel Tools for Fundamental Analysis for a Fee

218

(1)

43. Analyze Real Estate Investment Trusts

219

(5)

44. Bank on Banks

224

(6)

45. Steps to Building a Financial Analysis Template

230

(5)

Chapter 5. Technical Analysis

235

(35)

Introduction: A Short History of Technical Analysis

236

(1)

Introduction: Computers and Technical Analysis

237

(1)

Introduction: Technical Charts

237

(1)

Introduction: The Importance of Money Management

238

(47)

46. Use Line and Bar Charts

240

(4)

47. Light the Way with Candlestick Charts

244

(2)

48. Point and Figure Charts

246

(4)

49. Look for Patterns in Technical Charts

250

(6)

50. What's Volume Got to Do with It?

256

(2)

51. How to Use Indicators and Oscillators

258

(7)

52. Support and Resistance

265

(2)

53. The Best Tools for Technical Analysis

267

(3)

Chapter 6. Executing Trades

270

(15)

54. Pick the Right Type of Trade

271

(5)

55. Execute After-Hours Trades

276

(3)

56. Sell Fractional Shares

279

(1)

57. Build Your Own Mutual Funds

280

(2)

58. Buy Bonds Online

282

(3)

Chapter 7. Investing in Mutual Funds

Introduction: Mutual Funds Are Here to Stay

285

(1)

Introduction: It's Your Money

286

(1)

Introduction: Index Funds, Anyone?

286

(61)

59. Why Don't My Funds Perform as Well as Others?

287

(5)

60. Calculate the Damage of Mutual Fund Expenses

292

(6)

61. Analyze the Hidden Costs of Fund Turnover

298

(4)

62. The Taxman Cometh for Your Fund Returns

302

(5)

63. Evaluate Short-Term and Long-Term Returns

307

(5)

64. Manage Interest Rate Risk with Bond Fund Duration

312

(4)

65. Evaluate Mutual Funds

316

(3)

66. The Best Mutual Fund Screens for Free

319

(4)

67. The Best Mutual Fund Screens for a Fee

323

(3)

68. Beware of the Closet Index Fund

326

(5)

69. Spot Mutual Funds That Don't Play Fair

331

(4)

70. Know When to Fold 'Em

335

(5)

71. Comparison-Shop for Mutual Funds

340

(4)

72. Compare Mutual Funds Online

344

(3)

Chapter 8. Managing Your Portfolio

347

(59)

Introduction: What Is Portfolio Management?

347

(2)

Introduction: Tracking Results

349

(57)

73. Build an Online Portfolio

351

(3)

74. Asset Allocation: Less Risk on the Road to Returns

354

(6)

75. Keep Allocation in Line

360

(3)

76. The Best Portfolio Management Tools for Free

363

(4)

77. The Best Portfolio Management Tools for a Fee

367

(3)

78. Portfolio Management with Excel

370

(3)

79. Take the Sting Out of Portfolio Management

373

(7)

80. Use Bonds in a Portfolio

380

(3)

81. Calculate Investment Return Over Different Time Periods

383

(3)

82. Compare Your Return to a Benchmark

386

(5)

83. Forecast Future Returns

391

(3)

84. Compare Returns for Alternative Investments

394

(4)

85. Assess Portfolio Quality

398

(4)

86. Flag Fundamental Sell Signals

402

(4)

Chapter 9. Financial Planning

87. Choose the Right Type of Account

406

(4)

88. Choose an Online Broker

410

(5)

89. Pick the Best Broker for Your Trading Style

415

(4)

90. Save Up for Something Good

419

(5)

91. Up, Up, and Away: The Cost of College

424

(6)

92. Let Me Count the Ways to Save for College

430

(3)

93. A College Savings Plan in Every State

433

(4)

94. Balance Risk and Return for College Costs

437

(6)

95. When It's Time to Break the College Savings Piggy Bank

443

(3)

96. Save for Retirement While Still Enjoying Yourself

446

(5)

97. Juggle Multiple Objectives

451

(3)

98. Get Out of Debt Before Debt Takes It Out of You

454

(3)

99. Find a Financial Planner

457

(6)

100. Build a Ladder of Fixed-Income Investments

463

(4)

Index

467

What is included with this book?

The New copy of this book will include any supplemental materials advertised. Please check the title of the book to determine if it should include any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

The Used, Rental and eBook copies of this book are not guaranteed to include any supplemental materials. Typically, only the book itself is included. This is true even if the title states it includes any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

FREE SHIPPING

Amazon no longer offers textbook rentals. We do!

Online Investing Hacks

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials