From the category archives:

Alternative Investments

US Debt Now Equivalent to Entire US Economy – Investing in This New Era

The United States has just reached the dreaded 100% Debt-to-GDP ratio with its $15.2 Trillion debt level surpassing the value of all goods and services produced in-country.  This is important because it vaults us into a whole new echelon of debt-ridden societies with financial crises of their own: only Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan and [...]

Read the full article →

9% Risk-Free Return in 1 Month: See How I Did It

It’s very rare that you hear the phrase “risk-free return” these days without it being tied to an FDIC-insured CD yielding south of 3%.  Heck, even US Treasuries are no longer considered risk-free by S&P following the recent credit downgrade and there are only 4 AAA companies left in the S&P500.  So, you’re probably thinking [...]

Read the full article →

This Investment Pays Off 100:1 – The Thesis is Sound, but is the Timing Right?

I was watching CNBC Thursday when an interesting guest presented what may be the “Big Short” incredible play of 2011-2012.  Bill Ackman, the founder of the Pershing Square Hedge Fund presented his thesis on a currency play that will pay out at 100 to 1 if it occurs.  It’s a binary trade where he’ll lose [...]

Read the full article →

I’m Borrowing $50,000 From My 401(k) – It’s My Best Option!

There are tons of articles out there waring about the dire consequences of borrowing from your 401(k) – you know, not earning money on the withdrawn amount, double taxation, early withdrawal penalties and having to repay immediately if separate from the company…I’m going to lay out why my particular situation and outline why none of [...]

Read the full article →

POLL: Do You Actually Own Gold or Silver? Why or Why Not?

It’s tough to turn on the radio or late-night television these days without being bombarded by advertisements for gold and silver.  The commercials usually have the same common themes: The end of the world is near The US dollar has lost buying power against other major currencies Gold and Silver have outperformed equities during the [...]

Read the full article →

Life Settlement Investment – Scam or Legit?

Life Settlement Investment – Scam or Legit? A friend of mine sent me an interesting “investment opportunity” today which entailed what seemed to be some sort of sales pitch, wining and dining with an investment advisor who has access to life settlement products.  What was purported in the PDF invite letter immediately raised a red [...]

Read the full article →

Imagine a World with No Fiat Currency? Here it Is…

There’s a rather interesting video from this Dutch big thinker floating around the web where, among other things, he espouses his vision of a world where we have various bartering systems set up that relegate dollars and cents to the trash heap and rather, groups barter amongst themselves, realizing a multitude of benefits. Bartering Schmartering [...]

Read the full article →

Arbitrage Pricing Theory – MBA Mondays with Darwin

Arbitrage Pricing Theory will be this week’s MBA Monday topic (see full list of MBA Monday posts).   Probably the most common use of the term “arbitrage” is when associated with Merger Arbitrage.  There are other types of arbitrage as well, with entire companies and disciplines dedicated to exploiting arbitrage opportunities. The most common use of [...]

Read the full article →

Here’s Why You Can’t Invest in a Hedge Fund

Every once in a while I read about a hedge fund that has some really unique characteristics and performance.  While many of them are over-rated and are really just collecting fees for mediocre performance, there are a few standouts.  As such, I check out their site and there’s usually some cryptic mention of “accredited investors”, [...]

Read the full article →

Would You Sell 6% of Your Future Earnings for $600,000 Today? Meet Someone Who Just Did

I read an interesting Inc. article recently on some budding entrepreneurs who were looking for funding a new startup but didn’t have the means to raise cash in a conventional manner.  So, they basically sold a percentage of their future earnings for upfront cash now.  This is a really interesting concept.  Businesses do this all [...]

Read the full article →