Investing in property is the largest single financial transaction anyone will make. Property buyers usually concentrate their research on online search engines, looking at glossy photos of beautifully staged homes. Instead, they would be better off working out how much they will need to borrow, how they should structure their loan and who would be the best lender. Author and personal finance expert, Stuart Wemyss, admits that finding the right loan is a bit like a game of snakes and ladders. You run up the ladder when you think you've found the lowest interest rate, only to slide down the snake when you realise the fees are high and conditions are stringent. "Interest is the single largest lifetime expense for investors" says Stuart. "The amount of borrowings investors carry affects their net worth and their cash flow and can make or break their retirement goals. Getting their borrowing right and structuring their investments correctly can save a considerable amount of money - often thousands of dollars per year."To make sure you get your borrowing right, Stuart explains the Rules of the Lending Game in this fascinating book. It contains invaluable information on: Choosing the right loan products Calculating how much to borrow and how to reduce the overall cost Structuring loans to manage cash flow and create wealth Making the most of your equity.

Winning at Monopoly requires having a little bit of luck, making the most of your luck and applying certain rules &– such as buying as much property as possible, not spending all your cash (having some savings) and negotiating to get a full set of properties as soon as you can. Building wealth is no different. You can win at the game of building personal wealth by applying a set of proven rules: the 8 Golden Rules.In Investopoly, Stuart Wemyss explains the rules he has formulated and refined over two decades of practice, observation and experience. They are not just theory, they are rooted in simple maths, academic studies and/or common sense. They are tested and have been proven to work. They are the rules of the investment game. If you are looking to build wealth that will ensure you are financially secure then this is the book for you. Stuart possesses the rare skill of being able to make financial planning interesting. In this engaging and informative book, he gives sound, easy-to-understand information and encouragement to readers to help them with their planning, saving and investing for a comfortable lifestyle in retirement.

This book advocates a holistic reform of the current monetary and financial system dealing with the issues of money creation, central banks, loans, stock markets, tax justice, pension security and the international monetary system - “Bretton Woods II”. Its innovative approach presents several alternatives for each cornerstone, in addition to introducing a participatory democratic process whereby sovereign citizens can themselves determine the rules governing the new financial and monetary system. With “democratic money conventions” in each municipality, where the elements of this new money system are discussed and decided on in a participatory manner, and a federal money covenant which then elaborates a template for a referendum about the future “money constitution”, a true “sovereign” could progressively convert money from a financial weapon into a democratic tool. The envisaged democratic monetary system, by providing equal opportunities for every member of society to participate in the development of the “new rules of the game”, turns money progressively into a public good which increases the freedom for all. The new system furthermore drives the enhancement of constitutional and relational values such as human dignity, solidarity, justice, sustainability, or democracy. Money should serve life and should serve the common good. The “Bank for the Common Good” Project, which was initiated in Austria by the author Christian Felber, represents a practical example of his proposals.

Don't Be a Beardy Gamer "A very funny and useful read on its own, but it also makes a great gift for that sore loser in your life." --The New York Times "An indispensable, laugh-out-loud guide to the pitfalls and pleasures of gaming." ~Graham McNeill, Warhammer Fantasy and Warhammer 40,000 novels author; former Games Workshop designer "For anyone looking to be a part of one of the greatest communities in the world!" ~Brittanie Boe, editor of GameWire "A warm, insightful guide for exploring one of geek culture's oldest realms." ~Aaron Dembski-Bowden, author of New York Times bestselling book The Horus Heresy: The First Heretic Whether you're new to the world of tabletop games or a veteran gamer, The Civilized Guide to Tabletop Gaming is your go-to game-night etiquette guide. Expert gamer Teri Litorco, of the gaming site Geek and Sundry, helps you to get along as you play and make the most out of your time with your gamer group. Packed with insider advice and etiquette tips, this essential guide includes advice on everything from sharing crib sheets and meeples to avoiding drama and poor sportsmanship at the game table. With 100 gaming etiquette rules, The Civilized Guide to Tabletop Gaming provides you and your group with all you need for a fun and respectful game night--without rage-quitters, bad losers, terrible winners, and Incredible Sulks!

This study has been long in the making, and the world has changed dramatically while we have been at work. We initially anticipated a substantial section on the Soviet-dominated Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (CMEA or "COMECON"), which offered an interesting contrast to the kind of international business regime typically found among market-oriented countries and industries. As we moved toward publi- tion, the CMEA vanished, and so we mention it only in passing. The USSR subsequently disintegrated into a Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). On the other hand, we began with the assumption that the historic "rule of capture" no long played a significant role in international economic relations. The seizure of Kuwait's territory and wealth by the government of Iraq suggests that this assumption was heavily influenced by wishful thinking. Even though this seizure has been reversed by military action, the experience remains a challenge to generally held beliefs about the strength of "order" versus "chaos" in contemporary international affairs. Some readers of this volume have suggested that it gives insufficient attention to the fact that many of the important business and economic regimes of the postwar period are currently under significant pressure, perhaps even in danger of collapse. We acknowledge that there are many evidences of strain in, for example, the free trade and money exchange regimes, and in many areas of environmental protection.

How games are built on the foundations of rules, and how rules—of which there are only five kinds—really work. Board games to sports, digital games to party games, gambling to role-playing games. They all share one thing in common: rules. Indeed, rules are the one and only thing game scholars agree is central to games. But what, in fact, are rules? In The Rule Book, Jaakko Stenros and Markus Montola explore how different kinds of rules work as building blocks of games. Rules are constraints placed on us while we play, carving a limited possibility space for us. They also inject meaning into our play: without rules there is no queen in chess, no ball in Pong, and no hole in one in golf. Stenros and Montola discuss how rules constitute games through five foundational types: the explicit statements listed in the official rules, the private limitations and goals players place on themselves, the social and cultural norms that guide gameplay, the external regulation the surrounding society places on playing, and the material embodiments of rules. Depending on the game, rules can be formal, internal, social, external, or material. By considering the similarities and differences of wildly different games and rules within a shared theoretical framework, The Rule Book renders all games more legible.

Before the publication of the first edition of my book Loan Sharks I heard some very well meaning criticisms of my work, along the lines of the following: we realise that payday lending is bad but it is only a symptom, not a cause, of the economic crisis we find ourselves in today - therefore should we not focus our attention on taking down the whole system which has allowed this type of industry to proliferate? However we still need to account for why it is that predatory lenders have profited so much off the back of the financially vulnerable, and hold companies to account for their codes of conduct... Banks fall over themselves to lend to rich customers who promise large glittering deposits and low risks. They tempt them with sweet deals and low rates. The less well-off are treated very differently. Many at the bottom are denied credit from mainstream lenders, or forced to pay higher premiums. In the wake of the financial crisis, more of us are slipping into this category. We are compelled to find credit elsewhere. Payday loans are therefore on the rise.

Chuluunbaatar Enkhzaya examines the "inadequate" behaviour of banks in Mongolia by analysing the institutional framework of the banking system, especially in lending. She focuses on the genesis of informal institutions of lending and their interaction with formal institutions of lending. Herewith, informal institutions such as the attitude to risk were indirectly observed by diagnosing the "action-regulating" knowledge of bankers. In order to ensure an effective allocation of the scarce financial resources of Mongolia the author therefore suggests a change - as simultaneous as possible - of formal and informal rules.

In this book Christian Prem features new innovations on several levels. On a conceptual level he presents a complete restructuring and modularisation of the field of lending theory. On a formal level he bestows great care on providing precise definitions and promotes notational standardisation. On a technical level the development of an algorithm to solve repayment games automatically is thoroughly documented. Eventually, new theoretic results on the performance of various credit schemes are established, the quality of existing lending schemes is scrutinised and new more efficient mechanisms are presented. The content therefore inspires theorists as well as it provides well-grounded advice to practitioners in the lending industry. Altogether this thesis is a major step towards improving the quality and applicability of lending theory.

Have you ever wondered what the Great Depression and the 2009 Great Recession have in common? Then wonder no more; please join me and explore significant contributors to the Great Depression and the 2009 Great Recession. Just as important, I have given you a few phrases of wisdom to help get you through those trying times after you have lost all motivation and purpose. In addition, I boldly offer two paradigm shifts that our political leaders, teachers, parents, economists, etc... need to observe ASAP!