The Complete Idiot's Guide to Personal Finance in Your 40s and 50s

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Sarah Young Fisher is the owner of Fisher Advisors, a financial planning firm in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. She is a certified financial planner, a chartered financial consultant with the American College in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, and a certified financial services counselor. Fisher has managed the personal and financial portfolios for hundreds of clients. She is a co-author of Everything You Need to Know About Money and Investing: A Financial Expert Answers the 1001 Most Frequently Asked Questions About Money; The Complete Idiot's Guide to Personal Finance in Your 20s and 30s; and The Complete Idiot's Guide to Starting an Investment Club. She lives with her husband and two children in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Susan Shelly is a freelance writer and researcher. A former newspaper reporter, she has written, co-written, or contributed to 20 books, including The Complete Idiot's Guide to Personal Finance in Your 20s and 30s; The Complete Idiot's Guide to Starting an Investment Club; and The Complete Idiot's Guide to Being an Entrepreneur. Shelly lives with her husband and two children in Shillington, Pennsylvania.

Customer Reviews:

Makes the grade.......2002-05-18

This book was extemely helpful tool that helped me organize my personal finances. The advice was terrific. Easy to follow. It exceeded my expectations. I recommend it wholehearledly. It fits the bill and makes the grade without making you feel like an idiot.

Timely insights.......2002-05-06

When you reach your mid-fourties you tend to think you've sorted out finances. On a lay-over in Chicago I started flipping through the copy of Complete Idiot's Guide to personal finance that a friend had loaned me. I quickly started to realize that there were a number of key areas regarding personal debt load where I'd not paid enough attention. The timely insights regarding the danger of excessive credit card balances made me realize that my dream of a nice cabin by a lake would have to wait. Much thanks to Sarah Young and Susan Shelly for this easy to understand guide.

Valuable resource.......2002-05-01

With 401K's at work, college funds, and the banks advising you on various investments, personal finance can be truly overwhelming. This book sorts it all out and explains options in an easy to understand format. I found it to be a most valuable resource for my future financial planning. Mid-life is hard enough...this book just made it easier!

Amazing!.......2002-04-30

I was amazed at how complete, thorough, and well thought out this book is. There ARE stages of life, and you have to think of money and wealth-building differently at each stage. Anyone in middle age--or approaching it--can benefit from reading this book.

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The authors concentrate on the practicalities of each class of derivative, so that readers can apply the techniques in practice. Product descriptions are supported by detailed spreadsheet models, illustrating the techniques employed, some which are available on the accompanying CD-ROM.

This book is ideal reading for derivatives traders, salespersons, financial engineers, risk managers, and other professionals involved to any extent in the application and analysis of OTC derivatives.

* Combines theory with valuation to provide overall coverage of the topic area
* Provides worked examples and spreadsheet models on CD ROM to help readers understand derivative instruments and their uses
* Covers all the latest developments in derivatives

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On June 26, 1991, after some forty-six years without a war in Europe, violent conflict erupted in the territory of what used to be the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. It took more than four years of atrocities before a peace agreement was finally negotiated in Dayton, Ohio, in November 1995. This book provides a detailed analysis of the response of Western Europe to the disintegration of Yugoslavia. The account pays particular attention to the behaviour of the major Member States of the European Community (later Union), i.e. France, Britain, and Germany, in two crucial moments of debate and decision-making: the diplomatic recognition of Slovenia and Croatia in 1991, and the debate on the desirability and form of a possible military intervention in the warring country. By combining three theoretical approaches to the study of international politics -- neorealism, neoliberal institutionalism, and liberal intergovernmentalism -- Lucarelli provides a theoretically informed analysis of the main forces behind Western Europe's response to the Yugoslav wars. Conclusions are drawn on the major characteristics of Western Europe's management of the conflict, the interplay of international and domestic factors behind the behaviour of Western European states, the relative explanatory power of each of the three theoretical perspectives and their common research tradition, and the perspective of the Common Foreign and Security Policy of the European Union. The book's reconstruction and evaluation of conflict management in ex-Yugoslavia, its attention to the influence of the European integration process on the foreign policy of its Member States, and its innovative use and assessment of International Relations theoretical tools, make it of topical interest for a wide range of scholars interested in both international and European political affairs.

Customer Reviews:

The limits of theory in explaining the breakup of YU.......2003-04-01

This is a very well researched book that relies on complex theoretical framework to explain the breakup of Yugoslavia. Lucarelli's argument is persuasive. The only weakness of her work is over-reliance on the theory since a historical narrative could have provided equally valid explanation. However, this is a valuable scholarly work.

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This digital document is a journal article from Hormones and Behavior, published by Elsevier in 2004. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

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In male golden hamsters, agonistic behavior matures during puberty, changing from play fighting to adult-like aggression. In addition, this transition is accelerated by repeated social subjugation early in puberty. However, little is known about the development of agonistic behavior in females. In the present study, we compared the development of agonistic behavior in male and female golden hamsters. Furthermore, we also tested the effects of repeated social subjugation on the development of agonistic behavior during puberty. Hamsters were tested for agonistic behavior in the presence of a smaller intruder at different intervals during puberty. Several observations were made. First, the frequency of attacks remained stable in females, while varying in males. Second, the transition from play fighting to adult-like aggression occurred at earlier time periods in females than in males. Finally, a clear transitional period marked by attacks focused on the flanks was observable in males around mid-puberty. However, this transitional period was not apparent in females. In addition, juvenile females were exposed to aggressive adult males or females. In both cases, repeated exposure to stress had no statistically significant effect on the development of agonistic behavior. After 2 weeks of subjugation, exposure to aggressive adults had no effect on serum cortisol levels, indicating that juvenile females habituate to repeated social stress. These data show significant sex differences in the development of agonistic behavior and adaptation to repeated stress in juvenile golden hamsters.

Cortisol administration to pregnant sows affects novelty-induced locomotion, aggressive behaviour, and blunts gender differences in their offspring [An article from: Hormones and Behavior]

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Cortisol administration to pregnant sows affects novelty-induced locomotion, aggressive behaviour, and blunts gender differences in their offspring [An article from: Hormones and Behavior]
G. Kranendonk , H. Hopster , M. Fillerup , and E.D Ekkel
Manufacturer: Elsevier
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Elsevier | By Publisher | e-Docs | Formats | Books
ASIN: B000RR8NUU

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This digital document is a journal article from Hormones and Behavior, published by Elsevier in 2006. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

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Several behavioural effects of prenatal stress are reported in literature, and these seem to depend, among other factors, on the gender studied and the period of gestation in which prenatal stress is applied. In the present study, oral administration of hydrocortisone-acetate (HCA) to 41 pregnant sows was used as a model for prenatal stress, since corticosteroids are considered a key mediator in the effects of prenatal stress. HCA was orally administered to pregnant sows during three periods of gestation: 21-50 (period 1, P1, n = 10), 51-80 (period 2, P2, n = 10) and 81-110 (period 3, P3, n = 10) days after insemination (term 115 days). Control sows (n = 11) received vehicle from 21 to 110 days after insemination. Between days 9 and 48 after birth, treatment effects on male and female piglet behaviour were determined in the home pen and in four different behavioural tests. During the backtest, no gender differences were observed in vocalisations in HCA-piglets, while control males vocalised more than control females. In the home pen at 14 days of age, HCA-piglets spent less time in social interactions than control piglets. During the novel environment test, P1- and P3-piglets walked more than control piglets, but this was not observed during the novel object test, four days later. At weaning, P2- and P3-piglets performed less individual play. Prior to mixing with an unfamiliar piglet (male piglets only), HCA-piglets had lower salivary cortisol concentrations than control piglets, but no difference was observed after mixing. P1-, P2-, and P3- piglets had fewer non-aggressive encounters, and P2-piglets continued fighting longer than control piglets. The present study demonstrates that elevated maternal cortisol concentrations during gestation affect piglet behaviour, and effects do differ between male and female piglets. In addition, effects depend on the period of cortisol administration.

Historical contributions of research on reptiles to behavioral neuroendocrinology [An article from: Hormones and Behavior]

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Historical contributions of research on reptiles to behavioral neuroendocrinology [An article from: Hormones and Behavior]
D. Crews , and M.C. Moore
Manufacturer: Elsevier
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B000RR78OC

Book Description

This digital document is a journal article from Hormones and Behavior, published by Elsevier in . The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

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Some of the first experiments in behavioral endocrinology in the 1930s were conducted with lizards, but events led to a hiatus that lasted for 30 years. In the 1960s, research resumed using techniques current at the time, but it was not until the mid-1970s that behavioral neuroendocrinology ''discovered'' reptiles as animal model systems. This historical review summarizes this period of work, illustrating an enormous increase in research that have led to conclusions such as (1) the phenomenon of dissociated reproductive strategies and hormone-independent behaviors, which have aided our understanding of how the ''memory'' of sex steroid actions is maintained. (2) Progesterone plays an important role in the organization and activation of sexual behavior in males. Progesterone also synergizes with T to control male courtship much as does estrogen and progesterone to control sexual receptivity in females. Thus, progesterone is as much a ''male'' hormone as it is a ''female'' hormone. (3) Use of cytochrome oxidase histochemistry to study the role of experience over the long term in modifying brain activity. (4) Hormone manipulations as a powerful tool to test hypotheses about the evolution of behavior in free-living animals.

The hormonal control of begging and early aggressive behavior: Experiments in black-headed gull chicks [An article from: Hormones and Behavior]

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The hormonal control of begging and early aggressive behavior: Experiments in black-headed gull chicks [An article from: Hormones and Behavior]
T.G.G. Groothuis , and A.F.H. Ros
Manufacturer: Elsevier
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B000RR78KG

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This digital document is a journal article from Hormones and Behavior, published by Elsevier in . The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

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The hormonal control of begging and sibling competition is largely unknown, but recent evidence suggests a role for steroid hormones. We tested the influence of the aromatizable androgen testosterone (T), the non-aromatizable androgen 5@a-dihydrotestosterone (DHT), and 17@b-estradiol (E) on both begging behavior and aggressive behavior in black-headed gull chicks (Larus ridibundus). Chicks of this species have a conspicuous begging display, while their frequently performed early aggressive behavior is facilitated by testosterone and important for territorial defense. Hormone treatment was applied by implants between days 6 and 16 after hatching. Behavior was tested by means of standard stimulus tests. The results were validated in a second experiment under semi-natural conditions. Begging was suppressed by T and DHT and not affected by E. Aggressive Pecking was strongly facilitated by T. The erect threat posture, characteristic for older chicks, was facilitated by T, DHT, and E and the nest-oriented threat display, typical for young chicks, only by T and DHT. Growth was suppressed in the T group. The results indicate that androgen production, needed for territorial defense, has costs in terms of a suppression of begging and growth. It is discussed to what extent older chicks may avoid these costs by converting testosterone to estrogen and why pre-natal and post-natal exposure to androgens differ in their effect on begging behavior.

Increased aggressive behavior and decreased affiliative behavior in adult male monkeys after long-term consumption of diets rich in soy protein and isoflavones [An article from: Hormones and Behavior]

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Increased aggressive behavior and decreased affiliative behavior in adult male monkeys after long-term consumption of diets rich in soy protein and isoflavones [An article from: Hormones and Behavior]
N.G. Simon , J.R. Kaplan , S. Hu , T.C. Register , and Ada
Manufacturer: Elsevier
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Book Description

This digital document is a journal article from Hormones and Behavior, published by Elsevier in 2004. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Description:
Estrogen produced by aromatization of gonadal androgen has an important facilitative role in male-typical aggressive behavior that is mediated through its interaction with estrogen receptors (ER) in the brain. Isoflavones found in soybeans and soy-based dietary supplements bind ER and have dose- and tissue-dependent effects on estrogen-mediated responses. Yet, effects of isoflavone-rich diets on social and aggressive behavior have not been studied. We studied the effects of long-term (15 months) consumption of diets rich in soy isoflavones on spontaneous social behavior among adult male cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis) (n = 44) living in nine stable social groups. There were three experimental conditions which differed only by the source of dietary protein: casein and lactalbumin (no isoflavones), soy protein isolate containing 0.94 mg isoflavones/g protein, and soy protein isolate containing 1.88 mg isoflavones/g protein. In the monkeys fed the higher amount of isoflavones, frequencies of intense aggressive (67% higher) and submissive (203% higher) behavior were elevated relative to monkeys fed the control diet (P's < 0.05). In addition, the proportion of time spent by these monkeys in physical contact with other monkeys was reduced by 68%, time spent in proximity to other monkeys was reduced 50%, and time spent alone was increased 30% (P's < 0.02). There were no effects of treatment on serum testosterone or estradiol concentrations or the response of plasma testosterone to exogenous gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH). The results indicate that long-term consumption of a diet rich in soy isoflavones can have marked influences on patterns of aggressive and social behavior.

Long-term effects of pubertal anabolic-androgenic steroid exposure on reproductive and aggressive behaviors in male rats [An article from: Hormones and Behavior]

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Long-term effects of pubertal anabolic-androgenic steroid exposure on reproductive and aggressive behaviors in male rats [An article from: Hormones and Behavior]
S.F. Farrell , and M.Y. McGinnis
Manufacturer: Elsevier
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B000RR0AJM

Book Description

This digital document is a journal article from Hormones and Behavior, published by Elsevier in 2004. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

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The current study examined acute and long-term effects of anabolic-androgenic steroid (AAS) exposure during puberty on copulation, vocalizations, scent marking, and intermale aggression, both with and without tail pinch, in intact male rats. Animals received 5 mg/kg of testosterone, nandrolone, stanozolol, or vehicle, beginning at puberty. After 5 weeks, behavior tests were performed while continuing AAS injections. AAS treatment was then discontinued. Behaviors were tested during 3-5 weeks, 9-11 weeks, and 15-17 weeks of withdrawal. During AAS administration, stanozolol males showed significant reductions in all behaviors compared with controls, except aggression with tail pinch. Nandrolone treatment significantly reduced vocalizations and scent marking, and testosterone had no significant effect on behavior. During withdrawal, behaviors in stanozolol males recovered to control levels at variable rates: aggression at 4 weeks; mounts, vocalizations, and scent marking at 9 weeks; and ejaculations at 15 weeks of withdrawal. Stanozolol males showed significantly higher levels of tail pinch-induced aggression during every withdrawal test. Nandrolone-treated males scent-marked at control levels by 9 weeks withdrawal but displayed significantly fewer vocalizations and significantly more tail pinch-induced aggression than controls for the entire study. Testosterone-treated males scent-marked significantly below controls at 3 weeks withdrawal and showed significantly more tail pinch-induced aggression at 5 weeks withdrawal. All three AAS significantly increased tail pinch-induced aggression compared with corresponding nontail pinch tests, even at study endpoint. These results suggest that alterations in androgen-dependent behaviors by pubertal AAS exposure can persist long after drug exposure, and some effects may even be permanent.

Social parameters and urinary testosterone level in male chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) [An article from: Hormones and Behavior]

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Social parameters and urinary testosterone level in male chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) [An article from: Hormones and Behavior]
E. Klinkova , M. Heistermann , and J. Hodges
Manufacturer: Elsevier
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B000RR0AG0

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Steroid hormone mediation of limbic brain plasticity and aggression in free-living tree lizards, Urosaurus ornatus [An article from: Hormones and Behavior]

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Steroid hormone mediation of limbic brain plasticity and aggression in free-living tree lizards, Urosaurus ornatus [An article from: Hormones and Behavior]
D. Kabelik , S.L. Weiss , and M.C. Moore
Manufacturer: Elsevier
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B000RR8NSM

Book Description

This digital document is a journal article from Hormones and Behavior, published by Elsevier in 2006. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

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The neural mechanisms by which steroid hormones regulate aggression are unclear. Although testosterone and its metabolites are involved in both the regulation of aggression and the maintenance of neural morphology, it is unknown whether these changes are functionally related. We addressed the hypothesis that parallel changes in steroid levels and brain volumes are involved in the regulation of adult aggression. We examined the relationships between seasonal hormone changes, aggressive behavior, and the volumes of limbic brain regions in free-living male and female tree lizards (Urosaurus ornatus). The brain nuclei that we examined included the lateral septum (LS), preoptic area (POA), amygdala (AMY), and ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH). We showed that the volumes of the POA and AMY in males and the POA in females vary with season. However, reproductive state (and thus hormonal state) was incompletely predictive of these seasonal changes in males and completely unrelated to changes in females. We also detected male-biased dimorphisms in volume of the POA, AMY, and a dorsolateral subnucleus of the VMH but did not detect a dimorphism between alternate male morphological phenotypes. Finally, we showed that circulating testosterone levels were higher in males exhibiting higher frequency and intensity of aggressive display to a conspecific, though brain nucleus volumes were unrelated to behavior. Our findings fail to support our hypothesis and suggest instead that plasma testosterone level covaries with aggression level and in a limited capacity with brain nucleus volumes but that these are largely unrelated relationships.

Testosterone reduces responsiveness to nociceptive stimuli in a wild bird [An article from: Hormones and Behavior]

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Testosterone reduces responsiveness to nociceptive stimuli in a wild bird [An article from: Hormones and Behavior]
M. Hau , O.A. Dominguez , and H.C. Evrard
Manufacturer: Elsevier
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Spinal Cord Injuries | Disorders & Diseases | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000RR0AJC

Book Description

This digital document is a journal article from Hormones and Behavior, published by Elsevier in 2004. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Description:
The hormone testosterone (T) is involved in the control of aggressive behavior in male vertebrates. T enhances the frequency and intensity of aggressive behaviors during competitive interactions among males. By promoting high-intensity aggression, T also increases the risk of injury and presumably the perception of painful stimuli. However, perception of painful stimuli during fights could counteract the expression of further aggressive behavior. We therefore hypothesize that one function of T during aggressive interactions is to reduce nociception (pain sensitivity). Here, we experimentally document that T indeed reduces behavioral responsiveness to a thermal painful stimulus in captive male house sparrows (Passer domesticus). Skin nociception was quantified by foot immersion into a hot water bath, a benign thermal stimulus. Males treated with exogenous testosterone left their foot longer in hot water than control birds. Conversely, males in which the physiological actions of testosterone were pharmacologically blocked withdrew their foot faster than control birds. Testosterone might exert its effects on pain sensitivity through conversion into estradiol in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord. Decreased nociception during aggressive encounters may promote the immediate and future willingness of males to engage in high-intensity fights.

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All papers were peer reviewed. The ISIAME symposium is concerned with the application of a nuclear technique, Mössbauer Spectroscopy, to investigate industrially related problems. This technique yields information on certain elements in the solid state, with iron being the most rewarding element. Since iron is an abundant element with many important uses, the reader of these Proceedings will find on its pages a large variety of contributions devoted to such diverse areas as catalysis, magnetism, biology and planetary science (e.g., studies of minerals on the surface of Mars).

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