Alternative Investments

Alternative investments cover a wide range of assets from commodities such as wine, paintings, antiques and gold to buy-to-let property, venture capital and even natural resources.

Gold has been one alternative investment that has seen huge growth in its value over the last ten years. Alternative investments provide different investment strategies to traditional forms of investing such as buying shares, bonds and stocks.

Alternative investments in painting and antiques are considered more stable than investment products traded in more volatile areas such as financial and commodity markets and they allow investors to enjoy their investments as well as maximise returns.

	What are alternative investments? Simon Greenspan, former futures trader at Tullett Brown, explains the concept of Alternative Investments and why they are so important to a diverse portfolio.
	Alternative investments: What are the best options? If stocks and shares don’t look attractive to you and you are put off by the low rate of savings accounts and ISA’s, there are alternatives that can give good returns on your investment.
	Alternative investments can provide a real buzz as well as profit Alternative investments can provide security of holding a physical asset, a sense of worth or even a hobby as well as profit and can also allow investors to bypass banks.
	Ethical investments come of age With trust in the banking sector at an all-time low, more consumers are looking for ethical alternatives. James Howard, from ethical investors Emerald Knight explains.
	Credit unions join together as alternative to payday loan firms The government is providing £35m of backing for credit unions to join together and attract new members as an alternative to using payday loan companies.