Epoch Times asked how to prepare your investment portfolio

Investor,   Recently, The Epoch Times asked me "How should investors prepare if we go into a recession?." They included one of my quotes, but I also had other suggestions that I think are important to consider. So I thought I'd briefly share more thoughts here: First, I'm not yet convinced the U.S. economy is going into a recession. There are definitely concerning indicators, but they are far from one-sided, as there continues to be much underlying strength in the economy, likely resulting in a mild recession, if any at all. Regardless, the question about investing in a recession is a helpful thought experiment to take a step back and look at your overall investing strategy. Thoughtful diversification across multiple asset classes and strategies (specifically into alternative and private investments) will reduce variance of return, or risk. Investing in alternative assets is a key part of a well-balanced portfolio. One of the primary benefits (aside from better returns) is that private alternatives can buffer against volatility that is prevalent in the public markets. Volatility is a killer of compounding and is paramount to reduce as much as possible. Always important, but more so now, it's imperative to understand where you are investing in the "capital stack." This is a concept we discuss at length in this podcast episode, but the concept is you need to diversify not just your assets, but also what you're investing in – i.e. common equity, preferred equity, debt. Finally, while it can feel scary to invest in turbulent times, some of the best opportunities become available. Ultra-wealth investors keep an opportunistic eye open and looking for strong risk-adjusted returns. Especially now, with historically high inflation, putting your money to work has never been more important. You can read the whole article here. If you'd like to talk with my team about diversifying your portfolio or new deals that are coming down the pike, you can easily schedule a call with this link. Best, Ben Fraser Managing Director, Chief Investment Officer Aspen Funds ben@aspenfunds.us Aspen Funds, 5700 112th St., Overland Park, KS 66211, 800-940-1510 Unsubscribe Manage preferences