Welcome to Sophisticated Investor
We are the web's premier portal for sophisticated, accredited and institutional investors. Our mission is to educate investors worldwide on the topics of offshore investing, cryptocurrencies, precious metals, hedge funds, angel investing, commodity investing and other alternative investments. Join Our NewsletterContact UsFEATURED ON
The 4% Rule of Retirement Withdrawals: What Is It, and Is It Still Legit? (2021 Update)
If you've been reading about retirement investing strategies, you've probably heard of the so-called 4% rule by now. For over two decades, this concept has dominated the conversation around optimizing retirement savings withdrawals. Proponents of the 4% rule insist...
May 2021 Newsletter: Bitcoin to $400,000? Institutional Money Pours Into Crypto While Analysts Predict The Ultimate Bull Run
We've heard a lot about cryptocurrency this year. The digital asset has hogged a lot of media attention as it rocketed into the financial mainstream. Since only New Years', Bitcoin is up 80%, and that's including last month's price dip. It's not too late to get on...
Protecting Your IRA/401(k): “Have a strong mindset.” An interview with Rick Salmeron, CFP®.
This week I had the pleasure to interview Rick Salmeron, CFP®, president and owner of Salmeron Financial, a wealth management firm in Dallas, TX. Rick helps others create personal financial wealth so that they can worry less about their money. Photo courtesy of...
April 2021 Newsletter: The NFT Craze Powers Bitcoin/Ether Growth; Precious Metals See Excellent Buying Opportunity This Spring
You might've heard about the “NFT craze” that's going on right now. NFTs, or “non-fungible tokens'', skyrocketed in popularity in March, with $220 million in sales in the month of March alone—for reference, the entire year 2020 saw only $250 million in NFT...
Are We In A Stock Market Bubble? (2021 Update) + How To Invest Safely in U.S. and Global Equities Markets
The accelerated growth of the U.S. tech sector has, by many accounts, created an unstable investment environment. Although the S&P 500 is led by U.S. tech stocks with long runways, there's no guarantee that they can be trusted to keep your money safe in the...
March 2021 Newsletter: Doom for the Dollar? Meanwhile, Bitcoin Rides All-Time Highs
February was a record month for Bitcoin, as BTC hit $50,000 (wait, $58,000) for the first time in its existence. Momentum is on Bitcoin's side, and there's no indication that the cryptocurrency will hit the brakes any time soon. It looks as though institutional money...
Investing Diversification Strategy: The Definitive Guide to Risk-Conscious Retirement Investing in 2021
Warren Buffet famously said that diversification is protection against ignorance. For Buffet, diversification is like an insurance policy for those of us who don't have the time, opportunity, or patience to thoroughly research the fundamentals of every stock. What...
February 2021 Newsletter: Trading Platforms Shutdown AMC, GME Stocks Amid Phony Manipulation Charges; Is Crypto The Only Bastion of Freedom Left?
The stock market is being manipulated before our eyes. Just this week, GameStop (GME) and AMC Entertainment (AMC) were at the center of major pump and dump and short squeeze events. Chaos in the market brought their implied volatility levels to 400—we're talking...
REIT Index Explained: How to Understand and Make Money Using REITs/REIT Indices
A real estate investment trust (REIT) is like an index fund for residential, commercial, and industrial real estate. Managed by professionals, REITs let investors land a dividend-paying inflation hedge without the stress of being a landlord and the obligations that...
January 2021 Newsletter: Bitcoin Set for a Record Year in 2021 as Whales Get on Board; Stock Market and Dollar Eyeing Collapse
Bitcoin had a record-breaking year, quadrupling in value and, in the last month alone, hitting a 47% gain. If you're kicking yourself about missing out in 2020, the good news is that the party's not over. At least not according to JPMorgan, who predicts BTC could...
Retirement Investing Strategy: 6 Key Principles + STARTER GUIDE For Retirement Investing At Any Age
It doesn’t matter whether you’re late to the game or if you’re still in college, it’s never too late or too early to invest for your retirement. But no matter how young you feel, your retirement investing strategy has to reflect your age. Your exposure to risk should...
American Investors Believe Real Estate, Stocks, & Bonds Will Be The Safest Investments In 2021
At Sophisticated Investor, we understand in this utterly unprecedented year that has been 2020, Americans are striving to find investments that will prove to be the best option at keeping their hard-earned money safe. We conducted a survey asking 5,001 Americans which...
December 2020 Newsletter: Stocks Soar to Unsustainable Heights In November, Entering Bubble Territory; Precious Metals and Crypto Hold Steady
The U.S. economy is dominated by zombie companies with more debt interest than they have operating income. There’s over $1.4 trillion in outstanding debt between them. This spells doom for the sustainability of our financial system. It seems likely that the financial...
Self-Directed 401(k): The Ultimate Guide for 2020-2021
Retirement investors are often stuck having to choose between the volatility of the stock market and the underwhelming stability of money markets and bond yields. Self-directed retirement savings accounts are the perfect middle ground solution between these two...
Global Investment Demand For Gold Soars In Q3 Despite Repercussions From COVID-19 Pandemic – World Gold Council
The global investment demand for gold in Q3 was significantly higher than this time last year, said the World Gold Council (WGC) in its Gold Demand Trends Q3 2020 report. Specifically, investment in gold-backed ETFs surged to an all-time high during this quarter. In...
Buckle Up, We’ve Got A Contested Election: Here’s What This Means for Precious Metals, Stocks, IRAs, and More
It’s the day after election day in the United States and all signs point toward a long, protracted vote-counting process and successive court challenges launched by the incumbent government. News of a contested election that will take days, if not weeks, to settle has...
Gold Storage Vaults: 4 Companies You Can Trust To Hold Your Gold
For millennia, gold has proven to be a consistently beneficial hedge against tumult and economic uncertainty. In view of these unparalleled times, it is unsurprising that the price of gold has soared, and savvy investors are allotting a portion of their portfolios to...
Gold IRA Home Storage: Legit or Scam?
Given the unparalleled uncertainties of this brave, new age of ours, it should come as little surprise that investment hedges such as gold are soaring in value. At present, the price of gold is pushing $2,000 an ounce. Suffice to say, there is no better time than now...
