Each year we highlight some relevant gift ideas for investors & financial professional besides the obvious (liquor). Whether you need ideas for clients, partners, employees, or even for yourself, here's the 2016 guide:
Discounts on Publications
Wall Street Journal Discount - 50% off 12 months
Hedge Fund Wisdom - Our quarterly newsletter summarizing 13F filings
Recommended Books
Margin of Safety - If you have someone to impress, get them a rare physical copy of Seth Klarman's book that has been out of print for many years
So You Want To Start a Hedge Fund - Somewhat cheesy title, but in reality a good book & quick read with lessons on success and failure from major funds (see our review here)
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion - Frequently recommended by Charlie Munger; Enough said
Quality Investing: Owning the Best Companies for the Long Term - Good read by Larry Cunningham
The Undoing Project - Michael Lewis's new book on the beginnings of behavioral finance
The Power of Habit: Why we do what we do in life and business
TV Shows / Movies / Documentaries
Billions (Season 1) - The first major show about a hedge fund manager, starring Paul Giamatti and Damian Lewis. Play catch up before Season 2 starts in 2017
The Big Short - Movie adaptation of Michael Lewis's book of the same name; Starring Christian Bale, Ryan Gosling, Brad Pitt & Steve Carell
Margin Call - One of the few good movies on Wall Street. Features Kevin Spacey and Zachary Quinto, among others
Jiro Dreams of Sushi - There's a lot of parallels to investing in this documentary (we wrote about it here) about one of the world's top sushi chefs and his dedication to perfecting his craft
Technology
Amazon Echo - The famous 'Alexa' personal assistant
Apple Macbook Pro Laptop - The newly released version with Touch Bar
Apple Macbook Laptop - Ultra portable and lightweight laptop with retina display, perfect for travel
24-inch or 27-inch IPS Computer Monitors by Acer - Get 2 or 3 for a great multi-screen setup for work or home office
Sonos Wireless Speakers - Great for streaming music; put one in each room
Miscellaneous
Wall St Bull Mini Statue - Pretend you're David Tepper and rub the bull's balls for good luck on trades
Buy / Sell / Hold Dice - Nice office accessory; Roll the dice for your investment decisions
Lehman Brothers Coffee Mug - Sip ironically
Crystal Whiskey Decanter & Glasses - Class up an office Mad Men-style
"Hedge fund" Piggy Bank - Gag gift
Board Game: Catan - A strategic game where players acquire and trade natural resources to develop holdings
Happy Holidays!
Friday, December 16, 2016
Holiday Gift Guide For Investors & Financial Professionals
Thursday, December 11, 2014
Holiday Gift Ideas For Investors & Financial Professionals
Every year we like to feature relevant gift ideas for investors/financial professionals besides the typical money/gift cards, liquor, dinners, etc. Whether you need ideas for clients, staff, service providers, bosses, colleagues, or even ideas for yourself, here's the 2014 edition:
Discounts on Publications
33% Discount on our Hedge Fund Wisdom newsletter - The sale ends tomorrow night, so take advantage before it's too late.
Wall Street Journal: $12 for 12 weeks - Save on a subscription to one of the necessary publications in finance (includes online access & print).
Barrons: $1 a week for 26 weeks - Another classic option (includes digital & print).
The Economist - Yet another worthwhile publication.
Good Books
The Art of Value Investing: How the World's Best Investors Beat the Market by John Heins & Whitney Tilson: This is a compilation of a ton of quotes from various top hedge fund managers that are often featured on MarketFolly. Highly recommended.
Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future by Peter Thiel: Written by a top entrepreneur/investor.
Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman: A great read that looks at the 2 systems that drive the way we think; applicable to the behavioral/psychological side of investing.
The Education of a Value Investor by Guy Spier: A look at a fund manager's evolution as well as lessons from his mistakes and from the successes of others.
The Art of Short Selling by Kathryn Staley: Recommended by hedge funds like Third Point and Blue Ridge Capital, this is probably *the* book on the subject.
You Can Be a Stock Market Genius by Joel Greenblatt: Cheesy title, but in reality one of the best books on investing; recommended by Seth Klarman, Dan Loeb & many other top investors.
Movies
The Wolf of Wall Street (DVD/Bluray/Digital HD) - Directed by Martin Scorsese and featuring Leonardo DiCaprio. An entertaining movie, but probably not one to send people who don't understand what you do for a living. They'll get the wrong impression.
Jiro Dreams of Sushi (DVD) - There are a lot of investing parallels in this documentary about one of the world's top sushi chefs and his dedication to his craft and pursuit of perfection.
Margin Call (DVD) - Featuring Kevin Spacey and Zachary Quinto, among many other well known actors. Labeled by one publication as "the best Wall Street movie ever made."
Floored (DVD) - A look at a financial profession that is pretty rare these days: floor traders.
Technology
iPad Air 2 - An even lighter and thinner tablet. For reading SEC filings, investing books, sending scathing emails to CEOs, and more.
Amazon Fire HD 7 - Another tablet option. Alternatively, a good gag gift to send someone who's short AMZN.
Google Chromecast - HDMI Streaming media player.
Miscellaneous
Cards Against Humanity - A ridiculous party game to play with others (preferably after alcohol is consumed).
30 Pack of K-Cups for Keurig Brewers - For the caffeine addicts you know. Or you can copy an unnamed hedge fund's prank and send these to someone you know who is or was short GMCR shares.
Happy Holidays!
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Holiday Gift Ideas For Financial Professionals
Each year we like to highlight relevant gift ideas for investors, traders, and professionals in the financial industry. If you or someone you know loves the markets, then here's some great picks that will arrive in time for the holidays:
Publications
Hedge Fund Wisdom ~ $199: Give someone (or yourself) a 1-year subscription to MarketFolly.com's premium newsletter that examines hedge fund portfolios in-depth.
Wall Street Journal ~ 75% Discount: Save a ton on a subscription to Wall Street's prominent news source.
Barron's ~ 60% Off: More savings on another widely-read financial publication (plus 4 weeks free).
Useful Gadgets
Amazon Kindle with Wi-Fi ~ $139: The new Kindle's e-ink technology doesn't strain your eyes like a monitor & is great for reading e-books. Not to mention, you can even read SEC filings on it! Carry this one device around instead of a ton of books. There is also a Wi-Fi & Free 3G version for $189.
13" Apple Macbook Air: The brand new Macbook Air is their thinnest computer yet & is great for when you're traveling. It also comes in an ultra-portable portable 11-inch model.
Apple iPad: Another great device for on-the-go use with tons of great investing & market-related apps.
Toshiba Portege 13-Inch Laptop ~ $799.99: Another portable option for those who like the Windows operating system.
Apple iPod Touch 32 GB ~ $269.99: Smaller, useful media device for music, movies, & wi-fi web browsing.
Books
If you don't like portable e-readers, you can always go the physical book route as well. Some great market reads we highly recommend:
Top Hedge Fund Investors by Cathleen Rittereiser ~ $35.62: A great book detailing stories, strategies, and advice from top managers.
All the Devils Are Here: The Hidden Story of the Financial Crisis by Bethany McLean and Joe Nocera ~ $17.50: A very comprehensive look at the crisis from a different angle; highly recommended.
The Art of Short Selling by Kathryn Staley ~ $43.66: Probably THE book authority on short selling as it has been recommended by Third Point's Dan Loeb as well as hedge fund Blue Ridge Capital.
Confidence Game: How Hedge Fund Manager Bill Ackman Called Wall Street's Bluff by Christine Richard ~ $18.45: The title says it all.
Fooling Some of the People All of the Time by David Einhorn ~ $11.21: A new paperback version of the hedge fund manager's popular book with an epilogue containing new story information and an intro by Joel Greenblatt.
The Greatest Trade Ever by Gregory Zuckerman ~ $17.16: A fantastic book detailing how John Paulson predicted the housing crisis and profited from shorting subprime.
You Can Be a Stock Market Genius by Joel Greenblatt ~ $10.20: Baupost Group's Seth Klarman actively recommends this book as it details catalyst-based investing such as mergers, spin-offs, and risk arbitrage to exploit market inefficiencies.
For more great book ideas, be sure to check out our comprehensive list of books recommended by hedge fund managers.
DVD/Blu-Ray
Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps (DVD) ~ $15.99: The next installment of Gordon Gekko set to be released on DVD for the holidays. You can also pick up the Blu-Ray version here.
Wall Street (DVD) ~ $7.49: "Greed ... is good." The original movie that people still quote to this day. It is also available on Blu-Ray.
That wraps up our holiday gift guide for those who love financial markets. Happy Holidays everyone!
Friday, December 4, 2009
Holiday Wishlist: Gift Ideas For Those In Finance
It's time again for our annual recommendations of gift ideas for those of you involved in the wonderful world of finance. If you're in need of holiday gift ideas for colleagues, clients, bosses, friends, or just yourself, then we've got some items lined up below. Our first recommendation is a 40% discounted ticket to the Value Investing Congress in Pasadena California on May 4th & 5th where you can hear investment ideas from some of the smartest hedge fund managers out there. Here are some more suggestions:
Gadgets:
Amazon Kindle: These 6-inch e-book readers are on fire right now as some hedgies we know can't stop raving about them. Instead of lugging around all those financial reads, just opt for the portable Kindle and have tons of books at your disposal.
Amazon Kindle DX: The same as the Kindle above, except it's 9.7 inches rather than 6.
Apple iPod Touch: Listen to music, watch movies, play games, download apps... you name it.
DVDs / Blu-ray:
Wall Street (Blu-ray): With Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps set to come out next year, brush up on the original storyline and see Gordon Gekko at his finest in high definition.
Wall Street (20th Anniversary DVD): "Greed is good." A nice commemorative edition of the epic movie on finance that is still being quoted to this day.
Boiler Room on Blu-ray and also on DVD: Another one of the movies focused on stock brokers and the finance industry.
Electronics:
Asus Black Netbook: 10.1 inch black netbook with Windows 7. These are great for 'on-the-go.' Enough said.
Dell Adamo Laptop: Dell's new 13.4" sleek laptop that looks unlike anything they've ever made.
Apple MacBook Air: Or if you/they prefer Mac to Windows, here's Apple's 13.3 inch laptop that's highly portable & is ideal for those who travel frequently.
Dell 22" Widescreen Monitor: Dell's UltraSharp monitors are great and are used at hedge funds and trading floors all over. Setup two or three of these badboys together and you've got quite the market command center.
Books:
Too Big Too Fail by Andrew Ross Sorkin: In his brand new book, The New York Times Dealbook Editor details the inside story of how Wall Street and Washington fought to save the financial system - and themselves.
Hedge Hunters by Katherine Burton: The Bloomberg author provides us with in-depth profiles on some of the hedge fund masters in the industry.
Bailout Nation by Barry Ritholtz: The popular financial blogger's take on how greed and easy money corrupted Wall Street and shook the world economy.
Market Wizards by Jack D. Schwager: One of our favorite reads because it interviews some of the top traders and hedge fund managers in the game.
The Sellout by Charlie Gasparino. In his brand new book, the CNBC reporter tells us how three decades of Wall Street greed and government mismanagement destroyed the global financial system.
Margin of Safety by Seth Klarman: If you can get your hands on a copy we highly recommend reading it because it is THE premier text on risk averse investing.
The Greatest Trade Ever by Gregory Zuckerman: Here's your chance to go inside hedge fund Paulson & Co as John Paulson devised and placed his trade against subprime that made him billions.
And as always, there are a ton of other great books out there that we've compiled in our recommended reading lists including picks from Warren Buffett, Dan Loeb of hedge fund Third Point, as well as selections from hedge fund Blue Ridge Capital.
Publications:
Wall Street Journal: For someone who doesn't already have a subscription, you can now pick one up for an 80% discount.
The Economist: A 12 month subscription to one of the best reads left in financial print.
Smartphones:
Practically everyone in the finance industry has a Blackberry in their pocket these days. Here's some of the popular models. The Blackberry Tour (Verizon) is one of their latest smartphones. You can also get the Tour with Sprint. Additionally, the Blackberry Curve Javelin is a big favorite these days. And if you want to go with the larger model in their smartphone lineup then check out the Blackberry Bold (AT&T).
HTC Droid Eris (Verizon): The latest phone with Google's Android system.
Motorola Droid (Verizon): Motorola's hardware combined with Google's software.
Palm Pre (Sprint): Palm's new creation for the smartphone market.
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And that wraps up our list!
Friday, December 5, 2008
Holiday Gift Ideas: Financial Edition
Last week, we highlighted some Holiday Sales & Deals (Financial Edition) on some bargains for investors and traders. This week, we're turning our focus to a Holiday Wishlist: Financial Edition. With the holidays upon us, we figured it'd be a good idea to toss out some good gift ideas for that savvy investor or trader your know. Or, just for yourself hah.
To the list!
Trading Hardware/Software
- Samsung SyncMaster 2253BW 22-inch LCD Monitor. If you're in the markets, you can never have enough screen real-estate for charts, 10Q's, streaming quotes... you name it. Samsung are some of the best screens out there and this 22-inch monitor will get the job done for you. Heck, pick up two of them for the dual-screen setup. (Or, if you need even bigger, go with the Samsung 24-inch LCD Monitor). Dual or Tri-screen is the way to go, I'm telling you. I know I'll never go back to just one monitor.
- Asus Eee Netbook for checking up on the market while you're on the road. Full specs: Asus Eee PC 900HA 8.9 inch Netbook (1.6 GHz Intel ATOM N270 Processor, 1 GB Ram, 160 GB Hard Drive, Windows XP Home) Color: Black.
- Apple MacBook Air for those who prefer Apple. Check the markets while travelling with this ultra-lightweight laptop. Full Specs: 13.3 Inch, 1.6 GHz Intel Core2Duo Processor, 2 GB Ram, 80 GB Hard Drive, Color: Silver.
- Blackberry Storm. Keep up with the markets with the new touchscreen Blackberry. Or, if you're not a fan of touchscreens, then go with the all-new Blackberry Bold.
- TradingSolutions technical analysis. Advanced technical analysis trading software for all you traders out there.
Books
- Amazon's Kindle: Wireless Reading Device. You could buy all the physical books listed below... or you could just buy the Kindle and take all your books with you wirelessly on one device. Kindle has been getting rave reviews and simplifies your investing & trading bookshelf into one simple device that stores all your books.
- When Markets Collide by Mohamed El-Erian. This book written by PIMCO head El-Erian discusses the current fundamental changes going on in the global economy and financial markets/systems. Also, this book recently won the Business Book of the Year for 2008.
- Margin of Safety: Risk-Averse Value Investing Strategies for the Thoughtful Investor by Seth Klarman. This is written by hedge fund manager Seth Klarman, who runs Baupost Group. Definitely a great read that not every investor has on their bookshelf.
- Market Wizards by Jack D. Schwager. If you or someone you know wants to learn from some of the best in the markets, then this is the book for you. Top traders and hedge fund managers discuss topics such as discipline, risk management, consistency, and capital preservation among others.
- Fooling Some of the People All of the Time: A Long Short Story
by David Einhorn. This book gives you an inside perspective as to how hedge fund Greenlight Capital constructs and researches their investment theses and we highly recommend it.
- Confessions of a Street Addict by Jim Cramer. Say what you will about Cramer's antics, but this book gives unique insight into the time at his hedge fund.
- The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life. The account of Warren Buffett's life, as written by his hand-selected biographer Alice Schroeder.
Newspapers
- The Wall Street Journal for 75% off. This is a great idea because it is on sale and its a good gift for someone constantly around the markets! (Or Wall Street Journal Europe for our European readers).
- The same applies for $60 off Investors Business Daily. Great deal and a great gift idea.
Magazines
- Hedge Fund and Investment Technology. 12 month subscription with 12 issues. News and analysis of everything shaping the industry.
- Hedge Fund Manager Magazine: 40 issues over 12 months discussing all the essentials to running a hedge fund.
- Hedge Fund Journal. 10 issues over 12 months
- The Economist. A 12 month subscription (51 issues) to a great magazine, that's all there is to it.
- Forbes. 26 issues over 12 months. A mainstay financial read.
DVDs / Bluray
- Wall Street (20th Anniversary Edition) DVD. "Greed is good." THE movie for anyone involved in the markets. Period. Michael Douglas, Charlie Sheen, and more.
- Wall Street (on Bluray). Same as above, but in high definition.
- Wall Street Warriors Season 1 (TV Show) DVD. Reality show detailing the lives of various people on Wall Street, including Timothy Sykes.
- Wall Street Warriors Season 2 (TV Show) DVD. Second season of the reality show... this time following new people around the markets.
- Charlie Rose - Crisis on Wall Street DVD (September 2008).
Also, if you missed them, make sure to check out our post on Holiday Deals: Financial Edition, and our Investing & Trading Recommended Reading List for some more gift ideas.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Holiday Deals: Financial Edition
Since Black Friday and all the Holiday sales are upon us, we've decided to just highlight a few deals we're seeing on the financial side of things.
- The Wall Street Journal for 75% off. Includes both the print and online editions. The rough economy has hit advertising budgets, so WSJ and other publications are cranking out the deals.
- FREE Quicken Online. A great tool for managing all your finances... and best of all its now completely free.
- $60 off Investors Business Daily. Another good deal on a well-known financial publication. Not to mention, you get 4 bonus weeks free too.
- Free Stock Trades with Zecco. No joke, 10 free trades a month with Zecco. I use them as one of my brokers and the $50-60 you save in commissions each month adds up quick. That's easily $650+ in savings each year.
Stay tuned next week for when we debut our Holiday Wishlist: Financial Edition, for some gift ideas for that savvy investor/trader you know.... or just for yourself hah.