Got alts? Rydex rolls out alternative investment site for advisers

Rydex SGI has taken its alternative investment message to a new medium with the launch of a new website, GetAlts.com. The site, which went live today, is aimed directly at financial advisers, who Rydex believes are increasingly interested in non-correlated investment strategies. “We think we're at the very beginning of a wave of interactive education in the alternatives space,” said Sanjay Yodh, managing director of alternatives at Rydex. Mr. Yodh said the website, which had been in the works for more than eight months, was developed after Rydex representatives holding educational seminars noted that advisers wanted more information about alternative strategies. “We truly believe alternatives will eventually become a staple of asset allocation,” he said. “And the questions won't relate to ‘Should you use alternatives?' but rather, ‘Do you need more alternatives?'” “The idea behind using alternatives is obviously to try and make money in up or down markets,” he continued. “But the first objective is to not lose money.” The website is designed to educate advisers and is not aimed at consumers, although there are no restrictions that prohibit investors from visiting the site. “The site is not going to be marketed directly to consumers, because it is designed to facilitate a conversation with their financial advisers, but the site is retail-approved,” said Rydex marketing director Dawn Kahler, who was instrumental in developing the site. In addition to detailing the definitions and history of alternative investments, the site includes an interactive calculator that shows how a portfolio might react with varying exposure to alternatives. Also covered are ways to gain access to alternatives, diversification, risk-versus-reward scenarios, and several interactive examples of comparisons between alternative and traditional investments.