Three Objectives of This Site
HOW TO USE DATA: There is way too much financial data on the web. This site gives you forms and procedures for collecting, organizing and using data effectively in decisions. It gives you tools for proper measurement so you can compare investments and keep track of your results.
CRITICAL THINKING: Most retail investors learn from the media and web sites (like those listed below) where an accepted doctrine is repeated. This site presents counter arguments to confront and contradict the errors in that doctrine that are wrong logically and wrong factually. Hopefully you think through the issues for yourself and weigh the evidence without bowing to ‘the popular’ opinion. This was the driving force behind the creation of this web site.
IMPLICATIONS AND SOLUTIONS: Definitions and factual presentations of financial products and processes are everywhere on the web. This site takes you beyond the facts to understand and appreciate the implications of those facts and the issues you must anticipate. It presents your choices for dealing with those problems. This Site is for Advanced Investors (except for the first section).
This site presumes you already listen to investing news; you already know the lingo and basic issues; you are familiar with financial statements and the calculations for ratios. If you are still learning the basics read the first section of pages here. Then go to the following sites. WARNING – no one should consider themselves qualified to pick individual stocks based on the knowledge from these sites only.
- Shakespeare – Canadian POV: Read like a book start to finish.
- GreekShares – articles by multiple authors. Editor makes good selections.
- Independent Investor – about half way between Shakespeare and this site’s complexity.
- FINRA – US site funded by their tech crash legal settlements.
- Investor Education Fund – pretty useless. Cdn site funded by legal settlements from the Tech crash. A lot of busy-work clicking.
- Path To Investing – again pretty basic.
- About.com – more detail but on the lines of “How to make a $Million” sales pitch.
What’s On This Site
All the web pages are listed in the index to the right. Some large pages have their own menu at the top. Some of the links are to spreadsheets, documents, PDFs and PowerPoints. They can all be opened with the free and reputable software suite from OpenOffice. Some of the charts created on the Excel 97 spreadsheets do not show correctly with OpenOffice though. Other spreadsheets use advanced functions in their calculation. Be sure you have the Analysis Toolbar enabled ( >>Tools >> Add-Ins).
The two most important pages are Understand Equity and Comprehensive EPS. Have FUN
- It’s fun to match wits with ‘the market’.
- It’s fun to learn about different companies and different business problems.
- It’s fun to test your mental toughness.
- It’s fun to win and make money!
