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Understanding Investment Risks in Direct Private Investments

Understanding Investment Risks in Direct Private Investments

Understanding Risks in Private Placements Introduction On a recent episode of the Direct Private Investments Show, we dove into a discussion with industry experts, Bruce Smith and Josh Greene, examining some of the risks associated with private placements.  From  investment-related risks to industry risks, management risks, and offering related risks, we offer valuable insights to help you make...

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Measuring Private Investment Returns

Measuring Private Investment Returns

How should you measure investment returns?  This should help you decide.  The pricing of private securities is obscured by several factors: each is unique, analyses available for public securities don’t exist privately, and easy comparisons don’t exist. Let’s make sure that, when we’re talking about a Return on Investment (ROI, return or yield), we’re saying the same thing.  It’s important to...

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Considerations for Family Offices in Direct Private Investing

Considerations for Family Offices in Direct Private Investing

Why Direct Private Investing (DPI)? More and more family offices are including Direct Private Investing in their overall investment portfolio. DPI means investing directly in the equity or debt of a private company (the “issuer”).  Thus, the investors have complete control over what issuers they support, and the returns from the investment are specifically tied to the performance of those...

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Announcing Major Enhancements for Carofin Investors! 

Announcing Major Enhancements for Carofin Investors! 

Carofin is pleased to announce that you now have a complete view of your Carofin investments. Thanks to significant platform enhancements, you have secure access to comprehensive records across your portfolio of private Carofin investments. The Investor Dashboard presents your investment history (including cash flows) as well as issuer updates.     You can access the exclusive,...

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Reducing Expenses and Minimizing Taxes

Reducing Expenses and Minimizing Taxes

Last week, my daughter asked for advice (obviously, she’s no longer a teenager): how can I balance my budget? I told her, among other tips, to control two things – reduce your expenses and minimize your taxes. What works for my family works for others.  That’s why Carofin encourages setting up a Self-Directed IRA custodian account to consider investing in private placements, if allowed, through...

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What do you mean by “Private Equity?”

What do you mean by “Private Equity?”

Investors are increasingly drawn to alternative investments[i] to make them less vulnerable to market volatility and to achieve “absolute returns” (investment returns more directly tied to the underlying company’s financial performance). Within alternative investments, “Private Equity” investment opportunities abound, but what this really means can be confusing.  In this piece, we’ll try to...

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First Principles (#2):  What Opportunity is being pursued?

First Principles (#2): What Opportunity is being pursued?

Consistency is critical in our business. When it comes to investment analysis, this “First Principle” – “What primary business opportunity is the issuer pursuing?” – is the first question successful investors apply in their consistent approach to company analyses. Have you adopted this principle?    Identifying the fundamental rationale for an enterprise is central to helping retain your focus...

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Stock Markets and Safer Choices — There may be a better way

Stock Markets and Safer Choices — There may be a better way

In a recent article in The Economist, the author bemoans the fact that today’s “low interest rates leave savers with few good options.” True, but a limited analysis.  Carofin suggests savvy investors, and particularly relative newcomers to private investments, look closely at private debt.  Let’s dig a little deeper. If they were planning for #retirement, this couple might have turned to U.S....

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INVESTMENT TERMS

In the interest of accessibility, here are some terms that any investor should be familiary with.