1. Fin254f:Financial Spring 2010(2)  Blake LeBaron  blebaron@brandeis.edu  www.brandeis.edu/~blebaron/classes/fin254f www.brandeis.edu/~blebaron/classes/fin254f  TA: Xia Meng

2. Introduction  Description  Prerequisites  Readings  Grading  Outline

3. What is this course?  History  Economics  Finance  Psychology

4. Prerequisites  Required: Fin201, Financial Theory Econ201, Global Economic Environment Useful, but not required:  Econ202: Applied International Macroeconomics  Probability/Statistics (Econ211f)  Who can take this course? 2 nd year MA, MBAi MSF, BA/MA 2 nd year and beyond Ph.D

5. Course Materials  Required Books Kindleberger and Aliber, Manias, Panics, and Crashes Reinhart and Rogoff, This Time is Different Shiller, Irrational Exuberance Nofsingner, The Psychology of Investing

6. Course Materials  Completely optional books Minsky, Stabilizing an Unstable Economy Mackay, Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds, 1841

7. More Course Materials  Lecture notes: web  Readings: web Public Brandeis library tools

8. Grading  Problem sets (33%)  Midterm exam (33%)  Final exam (33%) May 12, 1:30-4:30

9. Course Outline  Website