Praise For THE LITTLE BOOK OF ALTERNATIVE INVESTMENTS "Ben and Phil have done it again. Another lucid, insightful book, designed to enhance your wealth! In today's stock-addled cult of equities, there is a gaping hole in most investors' portfolios...the whole panoply of alternative investments that can simultaneously help us cut our risk, better hedge our inflation risk, and boost our return. This Little Book is filled with big ideas on how to make these markets and strategies a treasured part of our investing toolkit." —Robert Arnott, Chairman, Research Affiliates "I have been reading Ben Stein for thirty-five years and Phil DeMuth since he joined up with Ben ten years ago. They do solid work, and this latest is no exception." —Jim Rogers, author of A Gift to My Children "If anyone can make hedge funds sexy, Stein and DeMuth can, and they've done it with style in this engaging, instructive, and tasteful how-to guide for investing in alternatives. But you should read this Kama Sutra of investment manuals not just for the thrills, but also to learn how to avoid the hazards of promiscuous and unprotected investing." —Andrew Lo, Professor and Director, MIT Laboratory for Financial Engineering

The rewards of carefully chosen alternative investments can be great. But many investors don’t know enough about unfamiliar investments to make wise choices. For that reason, financial advisers Larry Swedroe and Jared Kizer designed this book to bring investors up to speed on the twenty most popular alternative investments: Real estate, Inflation-protected securities, Commodities, International equities, Fixed annuities, Stable-value funds, High-yield (junk) bonds, Private equity (venture capital), Covered calls, Socially responsible mutual funds, Precious metals equities, Preferred stocks, Convertible bonds, Emerging market bonds, Hedge funds, Leveraged buyouts, Variable annuities, Equity-indexed annuities, Structured investment products, Leveraged funds The authors describe how the investments work, the pros and cons of each, which to consider, which to avoid, and how to get started. Swedroe and Kizer evaluate each investment in terms of: Expected returns Volatility Distribution of returns Diversification potential Fees Trading and operating expenses Liquidity Tax efficiency Account location Role in an asset-allocation program Any investor who is considering or just curious about investment opportunities outside the traditional world of stocks, bonds, and bank certificates of deposit would be well-advised to read this book.

The Little Book of Hedge Funds that's big on explanations even the casual investor can use An accessible overview of hedge funds, from their historical origin, to their perceived effect on the global economy, to why individual investors should understand how they work, The Little Book of Hedge Funds is essential reading for anyone seeking the tools and information needed to invest in this lucrative yet mysterious world. Authored by wealth management expert Anthony Scaramucci, and providing a comprehensive overview of this shadowy corner of high finance, the book is written in a straightforward and entertaining style. Packed with introspective commentary, highly applicable advice, and engaging anecdotes, this Little Book: Explains why the future of hedge funds lies in their ability to provide greater transparency and access in order to attract investors currently put off because they do not understand how they work Shows that hedge funds have grown in both size and importance in the investment community and why individual investors need to be aware of their activities Demystifies hedge fund myths, by analyzing the infamous 2 and 20 performance fee and addressing claims that there is an increased risk in investing in hedge funds Explores a variety of financial instruments—including leverage, short selling and hedging—that hedge funds use to reduce risk, enhance returns, and minimize correlation with equity and bond markets Written to provide novice investors, experienced financiers, and financial institutions with the tools and information needed to invest in hedge funds, this book is a must read for anyone with outstanding questions about this key part of the twenty-first century economy.

With the weakening dollar a hot topic for retirees, savers, and investors, this Little Book delves into the economic turmoil in the U.S. and shows how to survive it The United States dollar is losing value at an alarming rate. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) index, the U.S. currency is 37 percent below fair value against the Australian dollar and 20 percent versus the Canadian dollar. The decline of the U.S. dollar is one of the biggest threats facing American investors today, but with the Little Book of the Shrinking Dollar: What You Can do to Protect Your Money Now in hand, you have the knowledge and the expertise you need to fight back. Written by New York Times bestselling author Addison Wiggin, a leading economic forecaster, the book explores the reasons for the dollar's decline, and its precarious relationship to other currencies around the world. Filled with invaluable strategies for retirees, savers, and investors who want to keep their money safe no matter what lies ahead, the book is your one-stop guide to weathering the storm. Covers strategies for safeguarding your wealth, including safer havens for money, alternative investments, and other opportunities Written by Addison Wiggin, a three-time New York Times bestselling author and leading economic forecaster Wiggin's predictions about the decline of the dollar have proven true time and again, making him the right man for the job when it comes to predicting what lies ahead The U.S. dollar is no longer the secure and stable currency that most Americans grew up believing in. Even after recent gains, the dollar remains weak. But with the Little Book of the Shrinking Dollar you have a concise guide to what's driving its demise and everything you need to protect your money today and in the years to come.

The first comprehensive guide to all types of alternative investments The Handbook of Alternative Investments is an indispensable working resource for investment managers, financial advisors, pension and endowment fund trustees, corporate treasurers, consultants, and estate planners. Authored by an all-star team of investment professionals and academics from across North America, the contributions featured in this groundbreaking guide were carefully selected. Darrell Jobman is a writer and editorial consultant in Deerfield, Illinois, dealing primarily with financial and futures markets. He is an acknowledged authority on derivative markets and has spent his career writing and publishing about them. He formerly was editor-in-chief of Futures Magazine and is currently a contributing editor. He has been an author, co-author, editor, or ghost-writer for a number of books, including The Handbook of Technical Analysis.

The world has changed and so too has investing. The market is shell shocked and yesterday's momentum stocks are today's slow-motion stocks. But in the new reality of low-growth investing, commodities are hot and getting hotter. A rapidly industrializing and urbanizing Asia will be demanding lots more copper, zinc, iron ore, coal, fertilizers, gold and oil to transform their societies. Commodities are it and that's great news for investors who want to profit from the next great bull market in commodities. In fact, commodities may be about the only asset class that is likely to outperform the broad market in the future. Although they are without a doubt important to the global economy, commodities are among the most misunderstood of all asset classes. Stocks, bonds and real estate all have legions of followers and plenty of experts agree on their importance within an investment portfolio, but venture into the world of commodities and you are into an area that's intimidating to the average investor, where suspicions run deep and understanding is limited. As a result, commodities get short-shrift in most investment accounts and investors miss out on some important opportunities. The Little Book of Commodity Investing is an indispensible guide to learning the ins and outs of commodity investing. It's about identifying opportunities to profit from the coming bull market in commodities. It explains the benefits of commodities as part of a well diversified investment portfolio; covers all of the major commodities markets; what makes commodities and the companies that produce them tick; why commodities sometimes zig and then zag; what to buy and when to buy it; and why commodities are the next big thing. Today's world is a very different world-a world where an understanding of commodities is a prerequisite for investment success. And The Little Book of Commodity Investing is the roadmap you need to discover where the opportunities of the future lie, and what to do about it.

The key to building wealth the low-priced stock way Low-priced gems, or what author Hilary Kramer calls "breakout stocks" come in all kinds of shapes and sizes but they all have three things in common: (1) they are mostly under $10; (2) they are undervalued; and (3) they have specific catalysts in the near future that put them on the threshold of breaking out to much higher prices. In The Little Book of Big Profits from Small Stocks, small stock expert Hilary Kramer looks for stocks with fifty to two hundred percent upside potential! From drug stocks that may have been punished because an FDA approval failed to materialize when Wall Street expected it to, to the overly zealous selling off of Ford, there are many great low-priced stock opportunities. In this Little Book you'll learn: How to identify the low cost stocks that have the potential to yield big profits The most important secret to making money in stock investing Plus, you'll gain instant access to a website with educational videos, interactive tools and stock recommendations The Little Book of Big Profits from Small Stocks explains Kramer's methodology and gives you the ability to analyze the opportunities to pick your own winners.