No Fear Finance is an accessible guide to the essentials of the finance and investment sectors for individuals who may be approaching the subject for the first time, or who are coming to it from a non-finance background. Covering the fundamentals of finance - including an overview of business finance, the basics of accountancy, financial risk and investment vehicles - the book removes much of the fear experienced by many people when confronted with complex financial issues, and enables them to gain a clear understanding of the basic principles of finance, to which more complicated financial models can then be applied.

Learning about finance -- Types of business -- How business is financed -- Accounting basics (1): the balance sheet -- Accounting basics (2): the profit and loss account -- Working capital and further financial analysis -- The time value of money -- Special uses of discounting -- Risk -- Return -- Bonds (1): basic principles -- Bonds (2): discounting, redemption, pricing and valuation -- Equities -- Alpha and beta: active and passive investment -- Derivatives (1): futures and options -- Derivatives (2): swaps, futures, options and how to use them -- Capital markets and M & A transactions: events in the corporate life-cycle -- Asset allocation.

Includes bibliographical references and index.