Alternative investments are assets outside traditional stocks, bonds, and cash — including REITs, commodities, private equity, hedge funds, and private credit. Most "alts" promise diversification, higher returns, or lower correlation to public markets.
Alts are heavily marketed to pre-retirees as a way to "de-risk" or "diversify." Many carry 2–3% annual fees, 20% performance fees, multi-year lockups, and marketing-driven return numbers that don't hold up under scrutiny. Understand what you're buying before you commit capital you may not be able to access for 7–10 years.
A stock is a fractional ownership share in a publicly traded company. Stockholders benefit when the business grows (price appreciation) and,…
A bond is a loan you make to a government or corporation. In exchange, the issuer pays you periodic interest (coupon) and returns your princ…
An annuity is an insurance contract where you pay a lump sum or premiums and receive guaranteed income — either immediately or starting at a…
A structured note is a debt security issued by a bank that pays returns based on the performance of an underlying asset (usually a stock ind…