In The Other Path, Robert J. Klosterman’s follow-up to The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, the author once again offers his astute financial and investment advice. The book’s subtitle, “Illuminating the Path Toward Volatility While Achieving Equity-Type Returns,” is apt, as that is just what Klosterman advocates that investors do to achieve optimal monetary gains with their investment portfolios. Klosterman gets his title from Robert Frost’s famous poem, “The Road Not Taken,” which he quotes at the beginning of The Other Path, a highly interesting book that offers investors insights into a different sort of investment approach than they might be used to, though a very effective one that is designed to aid investors to earn equity-type returns while reducing the volatility that many other investors experience who only try more traditional approaches when it comes to planning their portfolios.Klosterman’s book, The Other Path, is relatively short, coming in at just 60 pages, not counting the Appendices at the conclusion of it, but his approach to investing which he details in it is one which is very informative. The book is sure to interest and be beneficial to anyone who would like to lower his/her investment risks while maximizing his/her potential monetary returns.The very title of Klosterman’s book, The Other Path, alludes to an investment strategy, or road, that most people have traditionally followed, which is investing their money entirely in stocks, bonds and cash. Such an approach is a tried-and-true one that has proven beneficial to many investors, but it has also proven to be a sometimes volatile path for others. Investing in stocks, bonds and cash, Klosterman argues, is an important part of an overall investment strategy, though there are other opportunities for diversifying one’s investments and reducing the volatility many portfolios unfortunately undergo, a volatility which can cause the monetary value of one’s portfolio to experience a disastrous nosedive.Still, the main leg of the milk stool, that is, investing in stocks, bonds and cash, is a vital component in a wise investment strategy, according to Klosterman’s assessment in The Other Path. He calls it the core leg of a metaphorical three-legged milk stool, with each leg in the metaphor referring to a different but complimentary strategy when it comes to investing. If an investor diversifies his/her portfolio and does not solely focus on the main leg of stocks, bonds and cash, but also invests his/her money in nontraditional ways, Klosterman argues, using a series of useful and informative charts and graphs, that one’s portfolio is much less liable to experience a disastrous financial loss and the volatility of one’s portfolio will be reduced.The second of the three legs of the milk stool is “Diversifiers,” and the third leg is “Absolute Returns.” Klosterman argues that “Diversifiers,” or alternative or nontraditional Investments, help reduce the volatility of an overall investment portfolio. Some examples that the author gives of nontraditional investments include real estate, private equity, “developed and emerging international equities,” distressed debt, and managed futures. These sorts of nontraditional investments can reduce volatility by either having a “very low correlation with traditional markets,” as Klosterman writes, or by delivering “consistent returns year after year, with little or no volatility.”The third leg of the milk stool, “Absolute Returns,” is also the name of Chapter Four of The Other Path. Absolute returns are investments, according to Klosterman, which “demonstrate the same qualities of a bond with the assurance of return of principle and consistent payment of interest.” The author writes that they are similar to ten-year treasury bonds but “they are not backed by the full faith and credit of the United States.” Despite this, Klosterman states that aspect of absolute return vehicles can be considered to be an advantage. That is because strategies involving absolute return vehicles, as the author writes, “can invest in sound ideas and not have to fit restrictions that other institutions have.”One example is investing in companies that lend money to small businesses and house flippers. These companies can work fast and close loans faster than banks. These companies have the ability to provide quick access to loans for money to people like real estate developers or house flippers, in comparison to banks.In The Other Path, author Robert J. Klosterman writes about a no-nonsense approach to nontraditional investing and how it can benefit one’s investment portfolio and help reduce volatility. The book also examines and identifies “trouble signs” besides volatility when planning one’s portfolio, like groupthink, market disruptions and inflation. While Klosterman recommends that investors follow the advice of professionals who are experts in planning investment portfolios and have proven track records over at least a decade, The Other Path is an interesting and insightful look at adding nontraditional investments to an individual’s portfolio. Whether investors want and like to plan their investment strategies on their own, or with the advice of professionals, The Other Path is an eye-opening Must Read designed to inform investors of types of alternative investments that can balance out their portfolios and reduce the negative effects of market volatility. It is a book I would highly recommend to anyone who has ever considered expanding their investment portfolios and adding nontraditional investments to them.

As the term implies, commercial bridge loans are temporary financing secured by commercial real estate that bridge gaps for you as the borrower that muscle their way in between you and your next deal. This type of commercial funding allows you to surmount any liquidity constraints and make the most of time-sensitive opportunities in a relatively timely and efficient manner.Commercial bridge loans enable you to access temporary funds that bridge cash flow timing gaps allowing you or your Firm to complete some form of interim task. For example, if you have a balloon payment that’s coming due on an existing loan, you could handle that payment until you obtain permanent financing. Or if there is an extremely limited time-frame during which a particular piece of commercial real estate is available, you could use bridge financing to purchase that asset, then pay off your bridge loan with part of the proceeds from your permanent financing. So, basically, commercial bridge loans are temporary funding that you can use until you sell, refinance, make improvements on, complete, or sell your property.As a way to compensate for their short-term characteristic and their greater risk factor, bridge loans are apt to have greater rates of interest than permanent loans. Typically, commercial bridge loans have terms which range from 6-12 months. Lots of commercial lenders allow you as the borrower to extend your bridge financing for an additional 6 months to 1 year for an additional fee that commonly ranges from a half-point to 2 points on a basis.This sort of financing is ordinarily paid off when the borrower places permanent financing on the subject property, after the actual improvements are finished and new tenants move in. On account of their short-term attribute, commercial bridge loans usually will not have any prepayment penalties.Here’s a typical scenario: Let’s suppose you have a 250-unit run-down apartment complex operating at 60% occupancy in a really nice location under contract for $10 million. Your in depth due diligence has shown that the property will likely be worth $22 million after just $3 million in renovation work that can take 7 months to do, after which you are likely to be able to increase the rents to justify the higher post-renovation valuation. Then, you collateralize your apartment complex to secure a $13 million commercial bridge loan to handle the purchase plus renovations, carry out the work, lease-up the apartment complex to over a 90% occupancy rate, then 7 months later, you refinance it with $22 million permanent financing usually as a conventional commercial mortgage loan based upon the greater after renovation valuation from which you repay your original bridge loan in full.Therefore, commercial bridge loans provide you with short-term funding when you need to have time to fill gaps with regard to your cash flow from operations while you complete such tasks as doing improvements, finding new tenants, selling, purchasing, or refinancing real estate, then simultaneously pay off your commercial bridge lender utilizing a portion of the proceeds from permanent financing that you manage to obtain.

Guernsey, one of the islands in the English Channel, is a well-respected international finance hub. Many international banks, such as those with head offices in locations such as the United States and Europe, have opened branches on the island with much success. The banks in Guernsey provide a wide range of services to both locals and tourists, including specialist lending, wealth management and savings. These establishments also service many other companies that fall under the umbrella of finance in Guernsey, such as those that specialize in insurance, trust and investing. If you’re looking for help managing your investments, or you’re looking to begin investing in Guernsey, these are the top investment firms on the island.Nova Investment Management LimitedNova Investment Management Limited, located in St. Martin, is an investment company that is both regulated and licensed by the Financial Services Commission of Guernsey. Nova Investment offers individualized investment services to a wide range of clients, including those situated internationally. An independent company, Nova Investment focuses on using their knowledge of investment strategies and styles, and assets, to generate positive outcomes for clients. These positive outcomes include both preserving and gaining wealth, regardless of whether the current market conditions are favourable. This Guernsey company also offers discretionary management services, including providing tailored portfolio investments, and portfolio evaluations, to ensure that current investment portfolios continue to meet the needs of the client.Cenkos Stockbrokers and Investment ManagersCenkos Stockbrokers and Investment Managers is a financial company in Guernsey with a broad scope. In addition to stockbroking services, such as trading accounts and market making, Cenkos provides islanders with a broad scope of investment management services. The company’s investment management sector offers investing through many different types of products and portfolios, and strives to help their clients invest in asset classes that will provide long term results. Their services include income and diversity funds, global equity funds, Bailiwick investments and CI property funds. Located in St. Peter Port, and with a location on the island of Jersey as well, Cenkos Stockbrokers and Investment Managers also runs two Channel Islands funds with a specialist focus.Brewin DolphinBrewin Dolphin, an independent, investment management company for private clients, is one of the top investment firms in the United Kingdom. Their Guernsey office, located on Lefebvre Street in St. Peter Port, was established in 1997 and is widely popular on the island. Brewin Dolphin’s Guernsey location services private clients and intermediaries, as well as international and local financial establishments. Their range of services include dealing accounts, advisory dealing and both advisory and discretionary investment management. Licensed to provide investment business by Financial Services Commission in Guernsey, Brewin Dolphin has won many awards, including “Best Wealth Manager for Alternative Investments” and the Citywire “Large Firm Award.”If you are in need of investment management services, there are many options available in Guernsey. The island’s stable banking sector and diversity of companies is key to the great reputation of finance in Guernsey, and their services are some of the best available. If you are interested in investing in Guernsey, or if you are looking to switch investment providers, Nova Investment, Brewin Dolphin and Cenkos Stockbrokers and Managers get the job done professionally and properly.