Trends and analysis of non-correlated asset strategies, such as commodities (from metals to “soft,” such as wheat), real estate (REITs, public and private), currencies, private equity, hedge funds and hedge funds of funds. Market neutral and absolute return strategies are also addressed, as well as stamps, coins and art.

Commodity Funds or Commodity Exchange-traded Products? 

By Brad Zigler

There's very little real difference between the performance of mutual funds and ETPs in the commodity space, but there's a whole lot of difference in the products' risk characteristics....

Indexing Hedge Funds 

By Stan Luxenberg

Hedge fund-replicating mutual funds for the retail set are young, but they have demonstrated an ability to limit losses in downturns....

UBS Beefs Up Alt Investments for Risk Reduction  

By John Aidan Byrne

The brokerage unit of Swiss banking giant, UBS AG, is beefing up its alternative investments to meet growing demand for risk-reduction and portfolio diversification strategies, especially among its affluent clients....

Commodity Funds or Commodity Exchange-traded Products? 

By Brad Zigler

There’s very little real difference between the performance of mutual funds and ETPs in the commodity space, but there’s a whole lot of difference in the products’ risk characteristics....

Does Your Portfolio Really Need All Those Commodities? 

By Brad Zigler

Or are gold futures the simple answer?...

LoanMeMoney.com 

By Christina Mucciolo

Online social networking creates the peer-to-peer lending industry....

China Bulls Still Running Rampant 

By Nate Wendler

In recent months the chorus of skepticism regarding Chinese economic and stock market performance has reached a greater crescendo. But there are plenty of bulls left....

REITs, Goodbye or Good Buys?  

By Jennifer Popovec

I’ve been full of optimism when it comes to U.S. real estate investment trusts (REITs) --- and have been since December 2008. People called me crazy, but I was right. Here is my story....

Cold Call with Bob Whalen 

David A. Geracioti

The executive vice president of Brewer Investment Group talks about managed accounts....

Buy Farmland, Gold and Run for the Hills, says Dr. Doom  

By David A. Geracioti, VonAldo.com

Dr. Marc Faber, who predicted the 1987 crash and the recent financial crisis, is predictably gloomy. Buy farmland, gold and head into the country to avoid a "dirty" war, he told a conference. For more, please go to VonAldo.com, the blog of Registered Rep. Editor-in-Chief David A. Geracioti....

How To Size Up An ETF 

By Stan Luxenberg

The best ETFs are cheap to buy, easy to trade and benchmarked to quality indices. ...

60 Seconds 

By Kristen French

with Paul Hickey of Bespoke Investment Group on China ADR performance. ...

SRI Funds Beat The Market  

By Christina Mucciolo

The Curtain Lifted 

Hedge funds may be secretive, but alternative mutual funds, their (distant) cousins, are not....

China ADRs Soar 

By Kristen French

The graph below measures the performance of the Shanghai Composite Index against a basket of Chinese ADRs selected by Bespoke Investment from Jan. 2,...