The Only Guide to Alternative Investments You'll Ever Need: The Good, the Flawed, the Bad, and the Ugly (Hardcover)

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Key Phrases: variable annuities, sample portfolios, index fund, The Good, The Flawed, The Bad (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

A major success of this book is its demonstration of how to obtain the purported benefits of nontraditional asset classes more cost-effectively through adjustments to the reliable old stock-bond-cash allocation. --Martin Fridson, The Investment Professional

The authors provide a wealth of information, provocative insight, and simple 'food for thought' that can encourage both the novice investor or the financial professional to 'think outside the box' and fashion more creative and effective investment strategies for this volatile time. Required reading in this new era of personal finance. --Estate Planning Magazine

Review

“A timely and valuable book. These are good-sense judgments that every investor should pay attention to.”—Jane Bryant Quinn, author, “Smart and Simple Financial Strategies for Busy People”

“There is plenty of good information in this book for sophisticated investors to consider. The authors make this information accessible to novices as well by explaining everything in plain language, including a long glossary that demystifies the terms used in the book, annotating their text with the sources of their research and offering a reading list for  ‘serious investors’ (even though they believe ‘there should be no other kind’).”—Hazel Becker, www.nuwireinvestor.com

“A major success of  [this book] is its demonstration of how to obtain the purported benefits of nontraditional asset classes more cost-effectively through adjustments to the reliable old stock-bond- cash allocation.”—Martin Fridson, “The Investment Professional”

"A timely and valuable book. These are good-sense judgments that every investor should pay attention to." (Jane Bryant Quinn )

"There is plenty of good information in this book for sophisticated investors to consider. The authors make this information accessible to novices as well by explaining everything in plain language, including a long glossary that demystifies the terms used in the book, annotating their text with the sources of their research and offering a reading list for `serious investors' (even though they believe `there should be no other kind')." (Hazel Becker www.nuwireinvestor.com )

"A major success of [this book] is its demonstration of how to obtain the purported benefits of nontraditional asset classes more cost-effectively through adjustments to the reliable old stock-bond- cash allocation." (Martin Fridson The Investment Professional )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 289 pages
• Publisher: Bloomberg Press; illustrated edition edition (November 12, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1576603105
• ISBN-13: 978-1576603109
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #12,618 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Great Book by Larry Swedroe, November 5, 2008

By	An Educated Investor (Tucson, AZ, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This book is so well written and educational that I read it from cover to cover in only a few days. I found the arguments for the "good" investments well supported, and the explanation for the "flawed," "bad" and "ugly" convincing and supported by facts and research. I only wish that this book was available before I bought some of the bad and ugly investments in the past. As with Swedroe's other publications, he has again provided the average investor with valuable knowledge without any hype or noise.

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Alternatives to equities aren't just for bad times, November 24, 2008

By	Allan S. Roth "dare_to_be_dull" (Colorado Springs, CO United States) - See all my reviews

With the stock market in turmoil, investors are looking for alternatives. Larry Swedroe's latest book with Jared Kizer suggests some alternatives that probably belong in our portfolios regardless of what the market decides to do.

Larry Swedroe and Jared Kizer examine twenty different alternative investments, and arrive at six that may be keepers for your portfolio. They also point out those that should be avoided like the flu, regardless of how exciting the sales pitch is. Professionally and personally, I've always found that advice on what to avoid can often be more valuable than advice on what to buy.

Swedroe and Kizer note the roles that real estate, TIPS, commodities, international stocks, fixed annuities, and stable-value funds can successfully play in our portfolios. If we buy them, they should be for the right reasons as performance-chasing occurs across all asset classes.

Current market conditions make this book very timely as it does a great job of explaining how you can implement alternative investments into your portfolio now and in the future.

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book on Alternative Investments!, November 14, 2008

By	Kenneth R. Smith (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

As an investment advisor and co-host of a financial radio program I have read a voluminous amount of investment material from a host of authors over the years. Larry is clearly one of the best financial writers I have come across. This book illuminates the reader on a myriad of investment strategies that are rarely understood by most investors and financial professionals. His writing style is entertaining, informative and supported by solid empirical evidence. Summarizing a quote from Larry Swedroe, "there is a difference between information and knowledge, information is a fact or piece of data, knowledge is information that can be put into practical use to make better decisions". This book provides the reader with practical knowledge on less understood, alternative investments. I recommend this book to all investors and I would also recommend checking out Larry's other books.

Kenneth R. Smith. CFP®, MS
CEO Empirical Wealth Management LLC