Alternative Investments

Investing in Art and Collectibles

August 12, 2012

There is something about art that I just can’t describe. I hear the words “fine art” and think immediately to cigars and wines, golf and polo – old wealth “stuff” that is more than a way to cover a wall. Art is a unique kind of investment. It never generates an income (unless you have […]

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Target Date Funds: Is Convenience Worth the Cost?

June 18, 2012

Target date mutual funds seek to make retirement planning as easy as ever. Simply pick a date and a contribution level to let the target date fund manager do the rest for you. The goal for any fund company is to become a “one stop shop” for their clients. A target date fund gives much […]

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Pairs Trade: Real Examples and Profit Potential

April 3, 2012

Pairs trades can be a great supplement to your investment portfolio if you’re just a passive investor or an active trader.  I’ve personally done several different types of pairs trades over the years and have had varying degrees of success.  Below, I’ll lay out some real-life examples and some recent trades in the news that […]

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Diversification Strategies for Better Bond Upside

February 5, 2012

Fixed-income investments like bonds may have beaten equities (stocks) over the past 30 years, but there are few analysts who would expect the same performance over the next 30 years. Fixed-income investors benefited from perennially falling interest rates, which send bond values higher as interest rates drop (read more on bond strategies and how they […]

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

January 9, 2012

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 […]

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

September 25, 2011

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 […]

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