How the Stock Market Works

By: Ramon P. DeGennaro, The Great Courses

Narrated by: Ramon P. DeGennaro

This course is an introduction to the stock market and stock investing for novices and experienced investors alike. Professor DeGennaro uses simple analogies to explain the origin of stocks and other securities, as well as their relative risks. He stresses the danger of trying to beat the market by trying to pick winners, predict price trends, or otherwise find opportunities that other investors have missed. Far better, he counsels, to own a well-diversified portfolio of individual stocks or stock funds, which tend to grow as the economy grows. He offers detailed guidance on how to pursue this course.

Among the topics covered in these 18 lectures are how to open a brokerage account and choose a financial advisor; the essentials of mutual funds, including index funds, and exchange traded funds (ETFs); how to trade individual stocks, including how to use options; the relative advantages of traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs, and 401(k) plans; how to minimize transaction costs and use tax laws for your benefit; the dangers of frequent trading; and the basics of corporate balance sheets, income statements, and cash flow statements.

For anyone who owns stocks or is thinking of entering the market, this course provides indispensable advice. If you entrust the management of your assets to a financial advisor, this course will give you the background you need to communicate more knowledgeably with him or her and be an informed participant in your own financial well-being.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2014 The Great Courses (P)2014 The Teaching Company, LLC

Intro to Stock Market

The professor is an investor not a trader, so if you have aspirations to be a trader then this might not be for you. Most of the course was a refresher for me but got me to think about how to get my kids to start saving in tools like ROTH's.

I will have to try the other parts of the series, economics are rather confusing but it seems to be worth having a better understanding of the topic so that you won't make the dumb mistakes that most people make because they have no understanding of money at all.

A truly exceptional guide to investing.

This books goes way beyond how the stock market works. Professor DeGennaro does a superb job in both content and narration. His lectures are well-spirited, direct to point, highly understandable, even for the layman/laywoman. Knowledge builds with each chapter and teh good news is that It comes with a course guidebook which includes approximately 80% of what is said. Overall, this audiobook is extremely useful to understand investing in general and is worth more than many of the books/audiobooks that are currently available. Be smart and don't overlook this course.

You can’t and won’t

All the book is saying you’re not going to make much. I felt that meant the author can’t make much. Then I wondered why learn from someone who can’t make much if I’m trying to learn how to make much.

I was listening to a book on warren buffet on parallel to this book. Definitely have conflicting recommendations.

When fully trained the student will be like his teacher. Who is your teacher?

it was drawn out yet covered what was needed

it was drawn out yet covered some good points eventually. I guess that's efficient for a beginner.

me likey

Great and very informative course, from an enthusiastic and incredibly knowledgeable professor. Tthis audio book is a fantastic way to get a foot in to the world of stocks.