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PHILADELPHIA, PA [OnlyInPhiladelphia.com]

Stocks and bonds got you down? Do you think of your golden “nest egg” only in terms of what your stacking away into your IRA or 401k? There’s another type of investment — alternative investments — that you NEED to be thinking about. It’s just what your portfolio is howling for. Alternative investments can provide potential:

• Reductions in downside risk.
• Excellent increases in diversification.
• Outstanding hedge against inflation.
• Increases in your net worth!

Alternative investments make up a diverse and exciting investment space with some hip and genuinely unique investment choices, beside stocks and bonds. Classic alternative investments fit into the categories of real estate, alternative capital and store of value assets, hedge funds, commodities such as oil and gold, futures, private equity, and credit derivatives.

“In other cases, alternative investing borders on collecting (art, stamps, coins, books, musical instruments, antiques). It can also be something of a hobby or an outright business (motorcycles, wines, memorabilia, film,real estate) or dovetail with lifestyle or plain style (antiques, theatre, cars, jewelry and clothing).

In any case, however, it is about putting money to work and taking a risk in the hope of making a profit. And it’s not just for the wealthy, although that certainly helps. There’s usually an entry point for any savvy, bold and passionate investor” says Albert Bozzo, senior editor at CNBC.

“We view art as a very interesting long-term asset class,” says the head of an international investment partnership in London. “There are a lot of opportunities to make significant capital growth if you know how to buy and sell.”

And of course, a good return on your investment is important, but there is also passion (theatre), adventure (shipwreck antiquities) and competition (horses) involved, Boozo continues.

As with any investment, it is important that you do your research and identify and manage risks early and avoid potential fraud, or being overly optimistic and overpaying. You’re looking for a deal, to purchase undervalued, undiscovered niche investments that will gain value over time.

You need to take a longer investment horizon and not panic on the downturns or decreases in value. Yet think of dips in prices a buying opportunities or a “sale”.

Taking a long-term disciplined view on investing in alternative investments will not only provide great downside protect for your portfolio and amazing diversification benefits, but will also pay you dividends in the long run.

“Simply, the additional of alternative investing into a portfolio of stocks and bonds increases of the level of return for a given level of risk, or reduces the level of risk for a given level of return” – a powerful combination says Mark Anson, President and Executive Direct of Investment Services at Nuveen Investments.

Kick off your alternative investment thinking and keep investing!

Good Luck-

Christopher Nutt – Financial Analyst

China’s richest citizens are even wealthier than the statistics suggest, and may hold as much as 9.3 trillion yuan ($1.4 trillion) of hidden assets, according to a Credit Suisse-sponsored study by a top economic think-tank.

Official statistics for 2008 failed to capture income equivalent to about 30 percent of China’s gross domestic product, the “Analysing Chinese Grey Income” report found.

And nearly two thirds of that unreported income goes into the pockets of the richest 10 percent, widening China’s already troubling wealth gap, said Wang Xiaolu, the economist at the China Society of Economic Reform (CSER), who headed the survey.

The findings may explain in part Beijing’s tolerance of recent strikes in manufacturing zones, and official emphasis on ensuring more equitable division of wealth, the report added.

Average per-capital income for the richest 10 percent, at 97,000 yuan, was 65 times of that of the poorest 10 percent, Wang’s survey showed — instead of the 23 times figure given by official National Statistics Bureau’s household income survey.

“It means the wealth gap is widening, and the distribution of national income is becoming more and more unfair,” it concluded.

A fairer income distribution could ease social tensions and support Beijing’s plan to boost domestic consumption.

“One very interesting observation to argue for the highly uneven income distribution in China is reflected in the strong buying power of its richest people,” the report said.

China accounted for 3 percent of sales for a brand like Volkswagen and 5 percent for Pepsi, while for luxury retailers like Richemont and Swatch Group, it made up 20 and 28 percent respectively.

“So if income distribution becomes more equitable, it would help boost the consumer market.”

Ask Your Friends

The team that did the research chose an unusual method to counter a perceived tendency, particularly among high-income families, to lie about the “grey income” that makes up the majority of their earnings.

The survey team contacted only family, friends and colleagues, who would be more likely to tell the truth, trust that data would be kept anonymous and whose answers could more easily be assessed for veracity.

The report suggested actual urban income was around double official levels. The gap between earnings recorded in National Bureau of Statistics Data, and Chinese citizens’ real earnings and assets, also grew rapidly from the “middle income group” and up, to become a yawning gulf for the richest.

The grey income comes from sources including stock market manipulation, property deals, vast bonuses from state-owned firms with a monopoly on the market, and even large wedding and other gifts to powerful officials and their relatives.

“Grey money is usually closely connected to the following: corruption, abuse of power, public investment, shares in land development (projects) and other monopoly interests,” Wang told the Beijing Evening News.

The report predicted stronger government efforts to rebalance income, because of the negative impact of the yawning gap on both stability and economic growth.

“It is very likely that unlike normal capital return, grey income usually does not help improve competitiveness and efficiency,” the report said.

“On the contrary, a large amount of it is likely to come from loss of enterprise and government income or usurpation and plunder of ordinary household income and property. This hampers justice, undermines economic efficiency and becomes a major factor for social conflict and instability.”

By: Christopher Nutt
Financial Analyst

(Onlyinphiladelphia.com) — Far away from the trading floors and plush offices of top executives, the slashing of normal working class jobs in project management, technology, and operation roles in the financial industry is a harsh new reality.

The financial crisis has caused an impact that has reverberated from Center City, Philadelphia to the Icelandic financial crisis 3,000 miles across the globe. No country, economy, industry, or company has been immune to the crisis of confidence that will be felt for years to come.

One industry to bear a heavy toll is Wall Street. From the fire sale acquisition of Bear Sterns, collapse of Lehman Brothers, merger of titan Merrill Lynch, purchase of Wachovia, or the buyout of Washington Mutual, many of these jobs will never return.

This leaves people once employed by these financial institutions faced with some very hard choices.

“Some Wall Streeters have found new jobs in the financial sector. Others have moved on to different career choices. And some still haven’t decided what to do with the rest of their lives. Nearly 200,000 financial professionals lost their jobs in New York alone—500,000 nationwide.”

Everyone from the traders on Wall Street, to President Obama, will continue to keep a close eye on the unemployment report, hoping to see some improvement in the jobs picture. The current unemployment rate stands steady at 9.7 percent.

Reuters reports that since the start of the recession, 8.36 million jobs have been lost. The labor market has been gradually improving and the pace of layoffs has slowed markedly from early 2009 when the economy was losing 750,000 jobs on average a month.

Regardless, “Many Americans are still struggling to find work. And Wall Street is no different, despite the sharp rebound in the stock market and strong earnings at many big financial institutions,” says Mark Koba, Senior Editor at CNBC.

Many individuals who lost their Wall Street jobs are seeking a new career path, or have no desire ever to return. We can only guess how the impact of an influx of ex-Wall Streeters into new career paths will impact main street.

4 Steps to Reaching Your Financial Success

Written by Christopher Nutt, (OnlyinPhiladelphia.com) – “Most successful people would not begin an important journey without first having a plan that identifies where they are going, how they will get there, and when they will arrive. Building a secure financial future is no different.

The journey to financial independence is a long road filled with opportunities, detours, and challenges. Having a plan that will take advantage of the opportunities and meet the challenges is crucial.” 1

There are four key financial planning steps that can help in keeping your financial future roadblock free and heading in the right direction.

Step 1 – Cash Reserve

Depending of your unique situation, your cash reserve should cover 3 to 6 months of living expenses. This would be cash in savings or checking accounts, CD‘s, or short term investments. An emergency fund to take care of short-term emergencies such as repairs to your home or automobile, so you don‘t need to rely on your Visa card.

Step 2 – Protection Planning

This is protecting your financial plan from unexpected events, and to provide for you and your loved ones in the face of uncertainty.

A sufficient insurance plans is often the most overlooked roadblock in people reaching their financial goals. Examples are adequate disability insurance, life insurance, and health insurance coverage. So if you were hurt and couldn’t work, you could still be able to continue your desired lifestyle.

Having a short term cash reserve and adequate protection plan is an essential part of your financial success. In comparison to a sturdy building, this would be your solid foundation.

Step 3 – Tax Planning

Taxes are an important consideration in any financial plan. Having a tax strategy that allows you to plan for tax controls, now and in the future is critical.

A good tax strategy minimizes your tax burden today, and takes into consideration how your decisions today will impact your tax situation in the future.

There are a number of tax adventitious savings vehicles that you can use.

401k’s and IRA’s -

-Allows you to save money before taxes are taken out.
-Investment growth tax deferred.
-Withdraws are taxed as ordinary income.

Roth 401k’s and Roth IRA’s

-Allows your own investment money after taxes have been taken out.
-Investment growth tax deferred.
-Withdraws are tax free.

Step 4 – Equity and Fixed Income Investments

Fixed income investments pay a certain fixed or floating amount on a set date. An example of this would be a bond, which is a company’s promise to repay the purchaser a prearranged payment(s) in the future.

Equity investments, such as stocks, mutual funds, and exchange traded funds allow you to participate in a company’s increase, or possible decrease in share value.

Diversification

Having a mix of bonds and equity investments in your retirement portfolio allows you to diversify your investment risk over a number of different companies and industries.

Your goal would be to have a optimal portfolio that maximizes investment return with a given amount of risk. This mix of bonds and equities will transition from growth to income as your retirement nears.

Bringing It All Together

Remember, the earlier you start saving, the more time your nest egg will have to grow. Automatic saving programs, such as deducting money every paycheck and automatically investing in a 401k or IRA, is an excellent way to start accumulating funds for your golden years.

Also, taking the time and actually writing down your financial goals and having a plan, is a good step to moving your financial future in the right direction. “Having the right financial plan with ongoing monitoring can mean the difference when it comes to realizing your future goals“. 2