Ask HN: As a hacker and “math person”, how do I learn about finance? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: As a hacker and “math person”, how do I learn about finance?

40 pointsmrkgnao15 comments

I'm not exactly looking for textbooks, but more along the lines of information-heavy material to learn what "derivatives" and "options" and the like are.

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Investopedia is quite a good resource http://www.investopedia.com/ as are just news organizations like http://moringstar.com and The Motley Fool.

Also, this isn't quite what you're looking for, but I've been listening to the Marketplace podcast recently from NPR and really enjoy the accessible coverage of complex financial topics. Kai Ryssdal's voice is very soothing as well. I highly recommend it.

I think you need to narrow the scope of your question. It's like saying I'm in finance and I want to learn about computers. You'd say, do you what to know how to code, the history of computers, do you want to know how to work with operating systems do you want to fix computers.

First I'd ask what you want to learn finance for. Do you want to be a banker, do you want to be a stock trader, do you want to know economic theory, do you want to understand particular asset classes, do you want to just be better with your own finance. Micro macro? Once you narrow it down you can find some literature on the sub topic.

I'm mostly interested in the kind of work a lot of Haskell/OCaml users do as "quants".

Is say your first step would be to understand the mechanics of trading (exchange, OTC, speculative arbitrage trading). Then, you'd need both a broad understanding of different asset classes and instruments and a deep understanding on where you want to focus (i.e. macroeconomics would need you to grok instruments like FX swaps). Then you need to learn the mathematical models on how to price these instruments and how to derive their value.

I would recommend reading 'Options, Futures and Other Derivatives' as a starting point, and getting the companion solution booklet so you can check your assignment answers.

Yes. Hull is the canonical, if dry, text graduates in banks are told to read.

http://lectures.quantecon.org/

For personal finance, I find The Automatic Millionaire gives usful and pragmatic advice: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/621.The_Automatic_Million...

First, a cautionary quote from "the bible," Reminiscences of a Stock Operator:

"Of course the same things happen in all speculative markets. The message of the tape is the same. That will be perfectly plain to anyone who will take the trouble to think. He will find if he asks himself questions and considers conditions, that the answers will supply themselves directly. But people never take the trouble to ask questions, leave alone seeking answers. The average American is from Missouri everywhere and at all times except when he goes to the brokers' offices and looks at the tape, whether it is stocks or commodities. The one game of all games that really requires study before making a play is the one he goes into without his usual highly intelligent preliminary and precautionary doubts. He will risk half his fortune in the stock market with less reflection than he devotes to the selection of a medium-priced automobile." (Emphasis mine.)

A good place to start might be by reading the Market Wizards series by Jack Schwager. (There are 4, all highly recommended.) Take note of the traders whose views you identify with, and research them, their strategies, and follow their recommendations down the rabbit hole.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/966769.Market_Wizards

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/787719.The_New_Market_Wi...

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/164131.Stock_Market_Wiza...

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13664829-hedge-fund-mark...

Youtube, reddit/r/options, http://www.cboe.com/, etc . Plenty of resources online.

If you want to learn about investing, there are plenty of books out by Benjamin Graham on value investing.

If your looking to learn how the back end processes work, Trading & Exchanges by Larry Harris is a good book to start with.

I think for a Hollywood movie, The Big Short has a lot of great tidbits of information and lessons in the housing market, especially if you're in North America. Worth watching when you're unwinding from all that learning. :)

https://www.khanacademy.org/economics-finance-domain/core-fi...

For options try: https://www.tastytrade.com/tt/learn. It takes some time commitment.

I actually found several YouTube videos that covered some of the more complex things I had questions about.

Wilmotts CQF program. Expensive but totally worth it

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