Outlines the benefits of leasing, examines different types of leasing arrangements, and discusses the tax considerations

Leasing of capital assets has become an important financing method, not only in the United States but in most West European countries as well. As a result, more and more often, practitioners and theorists are confronted with the lease-or-purchase issue. It may be rather difficult, however, to resolve this issue since there is a multitude of lease-or-purchase models that vary widely in assumed initial conditions, form, and content. In this book, I review and evaluate a number of these models, paying attention to financial leases as well as to operating leases. The models will be analyzed verbally, by means of a numerical example and utilizing uniform mathematical nota tion. After having discussed the theoretical achievements in this area, I investigate the reasons why preference is given to leasing in real-world situa tions and then look into any differences in legal provisions, income tax systems, and accounting regulations in various countries as they may affect the leasing of capital assets. Consequently, I feel that this book is a helpful instrument for both theorists and practitioners confronted with the lease-or purchase decision. Many people made valuable contributions toward developing this book, among others my colleagues of the Department of Business Finance of Erasmus University, Rotterdam. Besides, I am especially indebted to Pro fessor Dr. A. I. Diepenhorst for his advice and suggestions, to an anonymous reviewer for helpful comments, and to Mrs. M. Leutscher-Van den Berg for her patient help in preparing the various versions of the manuscript.

The problem of capital budgeting; Illustrating the measures of investment worth; Present value versus rate of return; The meaning of present value; Classifying investments; The use of cash flows in evaluating investments; Corporate income taxes and investment decisions; Capital budgeting under capital rationing; An introduction to uncertainty; Introduction to portfolio analysis; The capital asset pricing model; Application of the capital asset pricing model to multiperiod investments; Uncertainty and undiversified investors; Buy or lease; Accounting concepts consistent with present-value calculations; Capital budgeting and inflation; Investment timing; Evaluation private investment proposals: a national economic point of view; Fluctuating rates of output; using investment portfolios to change risk; Models for portfolio analysis; Capital rationing: a programming approach.

A simple guide to a smarter strategy for the individual investor A Wealth of Common Sense sheds a refreshing light on investing, and shows you how a simplicity-based framework can lead to better investment decisions. The financial market is a complex system, but that doesn't mean it requires a complex strategy; in fact, this false premise is the driving force behind many investors' market "mistakes." Information is important, but understanding and perspective are the keys to better decision-making. This book describes the proper way to view the markets and your portfolio, and show you the simple strategies that make investing more profitable, less confusing, and less time-consuming. Without the burden of short-term performance benchmarks, individual investors have the advantage of focusing on the long view, and the freedom to construct the kind of portfolio that will serve their investment goals best. This book proves how complex strategies essentially waste these advantages, and provides an alternative game plan for those ready to simplify. Complexity is often used as a mechanism for talking investors into unnecessary purchases, when all most need is a deeper understanding of conventional options. This book explains which issues you actually should pay attention to, and which ones are simply used for an illusion of intelligence and control. Keep up with—or beat—professional money managers Exploit stock market volatility to your utmost advantage Learn where advisors and consultants fit into smart strategy Build a portfolio that makes sense for your particular situation You don't have to outsmart the market if you can simply outperform it. Cut through the confusion and noise and focus on what actually matters. A Wealth of Common Sense clears the air, and gives you the insight you need to become a smarter, more successful investor.

Known for encouraging step-by-step problem solving and for connecting techniques to real-world scenarios, David Ammons’ Tools for Decision Making covers a wide range of local government practices—from the foundational to the advanced. Brief and readable, each chapter opens with a problem in a hypothetical city and then introduces a tool to address it. Thoroughly updated with new local government examples, the second edition also incorporates chapters devoted to such additional techniques as sampling analysis, sensitivity analysis, financial condition analysis, and forecasting via trend analysis. Numerous tables, figures, exhibits, equations, and worksheets walk readers through the application of tools, and boxed features throughout each chapter present other uses for techniques, helpful online resources, and common errors. A handy guide for students and an invaluable resource and reference for practitioners.