Posts belonging to Category Preferred Stocks



Alternative Investments – Big Problems

 

According to financial advisers, do not be fooled by the recent market in stocks into believing that we are in for a continuing period of sustained low volatility.  Those advisers want you to expect lots of volatility and market corrections and to invest accordingly. In light of the foregoing, investors should adopt alternative investment strategies […]

Alternative Investments are no Panacea

 

Why do investors continue to be enamored with hedge funds and other alternative investments? The press recently reported that institutional investors are expected to increase allocations to hedge funs by 300% this year, and hedge fund assets are expected to increase by 11% to $2.5 trillion, according to the 11th annual survey of institutional investors […]

Most Financial Advisers Don’t Understand Alternative Investments According To John Hancock Survey

 

Given the array of exotic alternative investments being sold to the public, it’s logical that many investors often don’t understand what they are buying. What is even scarier is that it is likely their professional investment adviser doesn’t understand the alternative investment either. Investment advisers ? 75 percent of them ? admit they do not […]

Corporate Bankruptcies Expected to Increase

 

An increase in corporate borrowing costs and Eastman Kodak’s recent bankruptcy filing have set off a round of speculation about whether it is the start of a growing trend in corporate bankruptcy filings. While Chapter 11 bankruptcy filings have been falling since 2009, George Putnam of BankruptcyData.com is expecting an uptick in corporate bankruptcy filings. […]

Investment Corruption Reportedly Reaches the Highest Levels of Government

 

A recent Bloomberg Markets Magazine article raises troubling questions about investment corruption at the highest levels of government. In July 2008, as market fears mounted, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson reportedly met with a group of hedge fund managers (five of whom were former officers of Goldman Sachs, where Paulson was CEO), and described a scenario […]

High Correlations Among Asset Classes Means There’s No Place To Hide

 

When world markets move significantly in apparent response to major macroeconomic news, even supposedly “uncorrelated assets” move in unison with them, according to Jason Zweig’s Wall Street Journal article, “Caging Raging Contagion.” Such a significant move occurred last week when the Italian government and bonds collapsed over its fiscal problems, and everything else fell, too.

Alternative Investments – High Risk ‘Pigs in a Poke’

 

Many investors in alternative investments are in for unpleasant surprises. Alternative investments are very popular these days, as traditional stock and bond investments are not doing well. Alternative Investments include a wide variety of investments that fall outside the traditional stock and bond categories. Examples include structured products (such as principal protected notes and reverse […]

Alternative Investments Are Very Complex and Involve Significant Risks

 

Many registered investment advisors and brokerage firms have increased their use of alternative investments for clients, many of whom are retired and lack the knowledge and sophistication to understand the complex investments, according to Liz Skinner’s InvestmentNews article entitled “Clients clamoring for alternative investments and advisers obliging.” But are alternative investments suitable for most investors? […]

Institutional Investors Are Filing Big Claims Against Financial Services Firms

 

Defense-minded institutions that have long remained on the sidelines when defrauded have finally woken up and are jumping on the plaintiff-recovery bandwagon as they seek to protect themselves against a variety of wrongdoing, according to Vanessa O’Connell’s Wall Street Journal article entitled “Company Lawyers Sniff Out Revenue.” These actions include waves of claims against Wall […]

Victims of Investment Malpractice or Other Financial Misconduct During the Recent Financial Crisis May Be on the Verge of Losing Legal Rights

 

If you are an investor who lost money in the financial crisis, your stockbroker or investment advisor may owe you money. There are a variety of legal claims that can be brought for investment malpractice, ranging from fraud and misrepresentation to making unsuitable investment recommendations. But there are also legal deadlines for bringing such claims, […]