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In this week’s podcast, we’re talking about alternative investments.
If you’re like most people, stocks, bonds and savings accounts are the foundation of your investments. Nothing wrong with that: All three are important for a comfortable, secure retirement.
But they’re not the only game in town.
There are plenty of investments that don’t involve banks, stocks or bonds. And they could be important. Alternate investments can be used as a way to produce additional returns, as a hedge to offset declines in traditional markets, or even as a way to add a little spice to your investment life.
As usual, host Stacy Johnson is joined by financial journalist Miranda Marquit. Listening in and sometimes contributing is producer Aaron Freeman. We’ve got not one but two special guests this week: Pam Krueger from Wealthramp and Erik Olson from Arete Wealth Advisors.
Remember, even though we sometimes talk about money and specific investments on this show, don’t take them as recommendations. Before investing in anything or making any other money moves, do your own research and make your own decisions.
You can watch this episode below, or if you’d prefer to listen, you can do that with the player at the top of this article or download the episode wherever you get your podcasts:
Don’t forget to check out our podcast page for more episodes designed to help you make the most of your money and our YouTube page for more videos.
What are alternative investments?
We take a look at alternative investments. Basically, they’re anything that isn’t stocks, bonds and cash. Some common alternative investments include precious metals, real estate, artwork, collectibles, wine, tax liens, business partnerships and crypto assets.
Here are some resources to help you learn about both traditional and alternative investments.
How to invest in alternative assets
If you decide you’re ready to invest in alternatives, we have some ideas for you. Realize, however, that some alternative asset investments require you to be an accredited investor. We talk about what it takes to be an accredited investor and mention ways to invest in alternative assets without meeting these requirements. In the show, we mention Masterworks.io (artwork), Vinovest (wine) and Fundrise (real estate).
Here are some additional resources on how to invest, and ideas for making the most of your money.
Meet this week’s guest, Pam Krueger
Pam Krueger is a recognized investor advocate and award-winning personal finance journalist and author.
She is the founder and CEO of Wealthramp, an advisor matching platform that connects consumers with rigorously vetted and qualified fee-only financial advisors. It is the only advisor referral service that gives people full control over when and how they talk to their referred advisors.
Pam is also the creator and co-host of MoneyTrack and the podcast Friends Talk Money, now in its seventh season. MoneyTrack aired on 250-plus public stations on PBS from 2005 to 2019 and was funded by the Investor Protection Trust.
With more than 25 years in investor advocacy, Pam is one of the leading voices on financial literacy and financial empowerment. She’s been the recipient of two Gracie Awards for educating the public about personal investing and received the 2021 NAPFA Special Achievement Award for her work educating individuals about the value of fee-only financial advice.
Her perspectives on personal finance regularly appear in MarketWatch, Forbes and PBS Next Avenue, and she is a frequent speaker on fiduciary financial advice.
In addition, Pam is an active volunteer member of the Retirement Income Committee at the Defined Contribution Institutional Investment Association (DCIIA), a nonprofit dedicated to enhancing the retirement security of America’s workers. She has also served on the California Jump$tart Coalition, an organization dedicated to increasing financial literacy among children and teens, where she created one of their most successful curricula available for K-12 teachers called Investing Pays Off For Kids.
Each year, she spends part of her time in San Francisco and lives in Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
Meet this week’s guest, Erik Olson
Erik Olson is a certified financial planner and former director of research and international field studies at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business’ Global Leadership Program. He also serves as a Chicago-based consultant to senior executives of global companies.
Erik moved from the research side to the client side, applying his analytical bent to the needs of individual clients for well integrated, comprehensive financial planning and wealth management as an advisor at Arete Wealth Advisors. Erik can also be found on the Wealthramp network of fiduciary advisors.
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About the hosts
Stacy Johnson founded Money Talks News in 1991. He’s a CPA, and he has also earned licenses in stocks, commodities, options principal, mutual funds, life insurance, securities supervisor and real estate.
Miranda Marquit, MBA, is a financial expert, writer and speaker. She’s been covering personal finance and investing topics for almost 20 years. When not writing and podcasting, she enjoys travel, reading and the outdoors.