Alternative Investments

We believe that today’s markets require effective diversification beyond stocks, bonds, and cash. We prudently incorporate “alternative investments” from asset classes that historically perform differently than stocks and bonds. While we view traditional equities and fixed income securities as the “core” of most portfolios, we are increasingly recommending alternative asset classes to clients as a hedge against stock market and interest rate risks.

We research and invest in a variety of alternative investments, including:

• Commodities
  
• Gold and Precious Metals
  
• Public and Private REITs
  
• Private Equity
  
• Managed Futures
  
• Multi-Strategy Hedge Funds
  
• Long-Short Hedge Funds
  
• Oil & Gas Partnerships
  
• Master Limited Partnerships
  
• Structured Products

We also understand that each of these alternative investments is subject to its own set of risk factors, and we fully evaluate these risks and the overall effect on the entire portfolio.