The Tips

by Bill Walker

The stock market is the backbone of the country’s financial market. Pension accounts, 401(k) accounts, individual retirement accounts—depend on having successful investments in the stock market. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD) govern the protection of the stock market. We trust them to protect our investments from fraud, scams, and illegal acts, and punish those who do wrong and oversee the orderly marketplace. But what happens when those who are there to protect look the other way and take bribes? The brokerage firm of Jones & Wood Securities, with headquarters in Florida, has just hired Johnathan Nelson. He is a stockbroker working with clients and helping them make successful investments. Johnathan’s trainer is one of the most successful brokers in the firm, and the tips he gives his clients are always right. How can a broker always be right? But corruption is eventually brought to his attention. A man only known as the informant claims to know of corruption in the SEC and NASD agencies, that police the brokerage firms for illegal acts. The stock tips are not successful because of brilliant brokers but the result of a crooked firm. What is the source of these successful tips? Information comes from the heads of the SEC and NASD to the firm before it becomes public knowledge. This an illegal act of insider information. The firm never gets caught because of its connections to the ruling body of the stock market. Everyone gets rich, and retirement on some tropical island for all involved is around the corner. There is a need for one more score. But Johnathan wants to put a stop to it. He knows that the way others get rich is at the sacrifice of the losses of others. Not everyone can make a profit. He wants to expose the firm and those involved in this scheme so he can protect the public that will be the losers. Danger can be involved in this for himself and those he cares about. The help of the informant, now known to Johnathan, and others must act quickly before it is too late. This will require them all to move to Australia for safety.

Paperback

Published February 10, 2019

About the author

Bill Walker was raised in Macon, Georgia and attended the University of Georgia, where he earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Accounting. He traded U.S. Treasury Bonds at the Chicago Board of Trade for 10 years. He then moved to London where he traded German Bonds for Nomura International at the London International Futures Exchange for four years.

Upon leaving the trading business, Bill took a radical turn. He served for a year as a volunteer in a welfare reform program in South Texas. He then taught English as a second language in Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Peru.

He came to hiking late in life, but has tried to make up for it. In 2005 he thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail. In 2006, he hiked the Long Trail. In 2009, he hiked the Pacific Crest Trail. In 2010, he hiked the spiritual pilgrimage (European Divorcee Trail!), El Camino de Santiago, which crosses the northern arc of Spain.

He has written the outdoor narratives, Skywalker–Close Encounters on the Appalachian Trail (2008), and Skywalker–Highs and Lows on the Pacific Crest Trail (2010). Bill is currently working on two books–one about height (he is 6’11”) and the other about his pilgrimage on El Camino de Santiago. He lives in Asheville, North Carolina.

Reviews

[Steven Jorgenson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked reading The Tips by Bill Walker at first. Than I noticed the clumsy sentence construction. At one point in The Tips it's clear the author became confused. I found myself reading one paragraph a few times because it just did not make sense. The author also just does not know to relay or properly write what the characters are thinking... It's so awkward and really took away any enjoyment I got from reading The Tips. I'm guessing this is author Bill Walker's first novel. I looked for contact info, a website, to see what else he has written and could not find any info about this author. Of course, Bill Walker is a fairly common name. The author biography at the end of The Tips says the author is working on a new novel . No contact info is provided there or at the Covenant Books website.