 | Summaries and Customer Reviews are supplied by Amazon.com In times of uncertainty, investors look for ways to protect their principal and still earn a good return. Financial advisers Larry Swedroe and Jared Kizer say the best approach is to add carefully chosen alternative investments to traditional stock and bond portfolios. In this, the third book in the popular The Only Guide Youll Ever Need series, the authors detail twenty alternative investments, explaining which to consider seriously and which to avoid entirely. They make specific recommendations about the best ways to access each investment, address tax and liquidity issues, and create an allocation and implementation strategy. Average Customer Rating: 
The Trilogy is Complete
| Customer Rating: | This book forms the third of a trilogy that began with "The Only Guide to a Winning Investment Strategy You'll Ever Need," which primarily (though not exclusively) is a treatise on intelligent mutual fund investing--particularly on the equities that drive much of the return investors hope to acquire. "The Only Guide to a Winning Bond Strategy You'll Ever Need," focuses on the fixed income component--the hopefully stable "rock" of many investors' portfolios. " This book, with Jared Kizer, completes the coursework, indeed, such as most investors will ever need.
While Swedroe touches on these "alternatives" in his two other books, this one provides a detailed treatment and understanding of the whys, why nots, and maybes of 20 popular investment considerations. As always, the info is accessibly presented, thorough, and well-supported with the latest academic research--such support being a particularly important, but often ignored requirement by some other popular investment authors and speakers.
I was surprised to find that some of the recommended alternative investments in his "Good" category are actually common asset allocations for those familiar with Swedroe's other work, though they remain fringe investments with mainstream fund managers and other uninformed folk, and are thus properly re-examined here. I suppose if one focuses on those few choices in his "Good" category and shuns the rest, all would be well. But knowing the reasoning behind each choice is valuable, especially if one wishes to save oneself, a friend, or a loved one from being snookered into a truly "Bad" investment, inevitably dressed in attractive garb.
The chapter on hedge funds is worth the price of the book, because most people I know, starting with me, imagined these investment "vehicles" to be something other than what they actually are. Swedroe demystifies these with punitive brilliance--rendering such fund managers emperors without clothes, who actually hedge nothing at all.
The Swedroe trilogy is essential for any investor, certainly for most folk, but ironically yet more needed by the many expert managers who seem to muck things up for the rest of us in our 401ks and IRAs. Arrogant as his book titles seem pertaining to our needs, if you own these three books on investing, you really can throw most of the other books away.
Arty |
Now More Than Ever You Need This Book
| Customer Rating: | The Only Guide to Alternative Investments You'll Ever Need: The Good, the Flawed, the Bad, and the Ugly
"The Only Guide to Alternative Investments You Will Ever Need" lives up to its name. Investors looking to diversify beyond the traditional stock markets will find this an invaluable resource. Whether you are an investment professional, or a layman, this book will be a highly useful reference. Swedroe's style is approachable, entertaining, and non-threatening. But, he gives you all the information you need to approach asset classes that can be great additions to your portfolio. And, of course, knowing how to avoid a total disaster in your investment plan is priceless! Highly recommended for anyone interested in any of the alternative asset classes.
Frank Armstrong, CFP, AIFA
President and Founder
Investor Solutions, Inc.
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Larry and Jared have done it again
| Customer Rating: | | As a writer/editor, I've long noticed that articles about those oh, so enticing alternative investments are perennial favorite reads. I suppose we're always chasing that better mousetrap even in the face of age-old wisdom: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. In delightful and clear detail, Larry and Jared help us understand why this wisdom remains as important today as ever, and how to use it to avoid the landmines buried under Wall Street. All you have to do is read a few headlines these days to realize what happens to those who visit the financial district unforewarned. |
Terrific Treatise
| Customer Rating: | | Absolutely terrific review of the various alternative asset classes. A great complement to books like the 4 Pillars by William Bernstein. |
Alternatives to equities aren't just for bad times
| Customer Rating: | With the stock market in turmoil, investors are looking for alternatives. Larry Swedroe's latest book with Jared Kizer suggests some alternatives that probably belong in our portfolios regardless of what the market decides to do.
Larry Swedroe and Jared Kizer examine twenty different alternative investments, and arrive at six that may be keepers for your portfolio. They also point out those that should be avoided like the flu, regardless of how exciting the sales pitch is. Professionally and personally, I've always found that advice on what to avoid can often be more valuable than advice on what to buy.
Swedroe and Kizer note the roles that real estate, TIPS, commodities, international stocks, fixed annuities, and stable-value funds can successfully play in our portfolios. If we buy them, they should be for the right reasons as performance-chasing occurs across all asset classes.
Current market conditions make this book very timely as it does a great job of explaining how you can implement alternative investments into your portfolio now and in the future.
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