REITs

Investors have several different types of real estate funds to consider, but the elements that make a good investment remain consistent.

The latest revision to state regulators' guidelines for non-traded real estate investment trusts could change who can invest and how advisors can recommend the products to clients.

They can be illiquid, pricey and opaque, and some advisors say the performance doesn't justify the hype. Others say the assets can offer meaningful advantages.

Amid a tough year for property investors, discerning advisors could still uncover some solid returns.

The real estate sector has been rocky in recent years. But for those investors willing to ride out the ups and downs, these 20 funds have paid off.

With return targets growing ever more elusive, many investors are willing to take their chances with private debt and equity.

Cash-hungry REITs are selling their portfolios at steep discounts as talks heat up over similar deals and even equity stakes in the companies themselves.

“It’s like shopping on Amazon for real estate,” says one investor. But clients pay a premium for the access and convenience.

Closed-end funds can allow all clients — not just HNW ones — to invest in alternatives

One of the clients who filed the claim is still trying to withdraw money from non-traded investments he says were never explained to him.

A PKS rep allegedly sold $190 million worth of non-traded REITs and BDCs without disclosing the commissions.

The discussions, which have since been abandoned, centered on a REIT with a market value of $2 billion, according to people familiar with the matter.

The funds include a wide range of offerings from emerging markets to precious metals, multi-strategy and REITs.

The firm says clients can achieve similar risk-return exposures and long-term returns with a well-diversified portfolio.

With the number of U.S. indexes far outstripping stocks, anxiety is mounting over whether the funds artificially inflate share prices, fueling bubbles.

Certain clients may consider donating directly from their IRAs.

The effective tax rate on qualified dividends for those in the highest income tax bracket fell.

But the benefits are not evenly distributed among taxpayers.

A settlement with Massachusetts regulators resolved a nontraded REIT case, but NPH’s terminations from FINRA and a handful of states are still pending.

Many investors remember that the S&P 500 lost 39% in 2008, but few recall that the 10-year government bond gained 21% that year.