Most investors know companies can be public or private, and that businesses sell either common or preferred stock, but Fred Hubler points to a lesser-known option: private preferred stock, which a public company can also issue. Unlike common stock or public preferred stock, which are both exposed to daily market fluctuations, private preferred stock carries all the benefits of a …

New asset classes rarely come along, but Fred Hubler flags one worth a closer look: the collateralized loan obligation, or CLO. Though CLOs date back to the 1990s, when banks and insurers first used the structure for regulatory capital relief, the market has since grown into a $1 trillion industry in the U.S., with product sponsors now opening access to …

Advisor recommendations of alternative investments have more than doubled in just four years, according to a survey Fred Hubler cites, jumping from 25% in 2020 to 55% in 2024. Still, he notes some holdouts remain: 24% of survey respondents hadn’t recommended a non-traded alternative product in the prior year. Hubler breaks down what’s driving advisors toward alternatives, in order of …

Rising interest rates and a shrinking Federal Reserve balance sheet have investors hunting for alternative strategies, and Fred Hubler points to an unexpected beneficiary: gas stations and convenience stores. While most real estate investors focus on multifamily, office, retail, and industrial properties, he argues these overlooked assets are emerging as top contenders in the alternative real estate space. He explains …

Vacation rentals aren’t a new idea, but Fred Hubler explains how entrepreneurs applied the Uber/Lyft playbook to hospitality, turning individual homes into short-term rentals. He notes that one persistent issue for renters booking through these apps is that the quality of the experience depends heavily on the individual host and how well the property is maintained. For property owners, he …

When markets get shaky, endowments and high-net-worth families often turn to private equity, seeking stock-market-like upside with less direct market exposure. Fred Hubler breaks down the three main types of traditional private equity investors typically encounter. Venture capital (VC) involves investing in early-stage startups, the riskiest form of private equity, though diversifying across multiple startups increases the odds that one …

Ever come across the term “promote” in an alternative investment pitch and wonder what it actually means? Fred Hubler breaks down this key concept, common in deals structured with general partner (GP) and limited partner (LP) shares. A promote is the GP’s share of profits above a predetermined threshold, often also called carried interest. He walks through how it’s calculated …

Banks have gotten stingier with lending lately, and Fred Hubler explains that’s exactly the gap private credit is stepping in to fill. He defines private credit as a directly negotiated loan offered by non-bank institutions, not issued or traded on public markets, hence the “private” label. He explains why a business might choose this route over a bank: beyond banks …

As the new year begins, Fred Hubler makes the case for using it as a checkpoint to review your portfolio and investment strategy, particularly when it comes to alternative investments, arguing that reflection brings clarity even when plans and outcomes don’t match up. He highlights two key areas to review. First, analyzing what worked: evaluating whether a strategy can be …

Donald Trump’s return to the presidency could reshape the alternative investment landscape, according to Fred Hubler, who notes that the actual impact depends on how policies are implemented, market expectations, and global economic conditions. He argues that some sectors could benefit from deregulation or tax incentives while others may lose government support, so investors should proactively adjust their portfolios toward …