Johnathan Rickman | Blue Vault
Most advisors know by now that alternatives are more than just a buzzword or passing fad. But not all advisors have learned how to start a conversation about “alts” with their clients. At least one recent independent survey has shown that more than half (62%) of financial advisors currently only allocate as little as 6% of clients’ portfolios to alternative asset classes.1
Those allocations are expected to grow over time, as are the underlying investment opportunities. But learning how alts work and which offerings work best for your client base isn’t easy. Of course, being a Blue Vault member gives you a significant leg up! But there’s more to alternative investments than data and impenetrable prospectus legalese: there are the people. And many with alts expertise to spare will be attending this year’s Blue Vault Bowman Alts Summit! Join us March 11-13 at the Omni PGA Resort in Frisco, TX, and become a part of an select group of wealth advisors taking their practice to the next level. This year’s stacked agenda includes several members of Blue Vault’s Advisory Committee, including Fred Hubler, CEO & Chief Wealth Strategist, Creative Capital Wealth Management Group. Hubler, who will be leading a preconference workshop on the future of financial services, says the Alts Summit is great way for those with even intermediate alts knowledge to gain new industry insights.
“One of the best reasons to attend the upcoming Alts Summit is to make connections with sponsors that you don’t already know about,” he said. “Really good alternative investments have a finite equity raise, so having exposure to those opportunities in the early stages of development is really important.”
“There’s nothing I’m doing that I’m not going to share with somebody. The scarcity mindset is real, but the people that come to the Alts Summit that get the most out of it are those that are open to sharing. But finding out what other advisors are doing is not an agenda item; networking at the conference happens organically.”
– Fred Hubler
CEO & Chief Wealth Strategist, Creative Capital Wealth Management Group
Hubler added that the Summit attracts experienced advisors who are happy to share what they know free of competitive tension. He counted himself among those willing to pass along what they’ve learned.
Hubler also says is the Blue Vault team’s wealth of experience and openness to change brings an added benefit to the annual event: “They know that life’s a contact sport, that you grow or you don’t, so they’re always asking their own advisors for input,” he said. “That’s refreshing and anyone who connects with the Blue Vault team benefits from that.”
Another Blue Vault Advisory Committee member and presenter at this year’s event is Larry Barocas, Senior Partner, Managing Director, Snowden Lane Partners. Barocas will lead the preconference workshop on constructing alts portfolios.
Prior to his current role at Snowden Lane, Barocas worked for Merrill Lynch where he served ultra-wealthy individuals, families, and nonprofits. He remembers when alts were largely available only to institutions. “Merrill Lynch was restrictive with their offerings, as all wirehouses are,” Barocas notes. Having left the large, influential firm seven years ago, he says he’s free to broaden his offerings to clients.
“A bigger alternative investment manager is not always better,” Barocas says. “The arena in which the Blackstones of the world operate has become overly crowded and so a lot of funds are now trying to get a foot in the door. That means advisors have to be good at discerning who is doing what, why, and how.”
Alts Summit 2024, now in a new, central location, is the place to gain knowledge and network with experienced asset managers and industry experts. Find more information about Alts Summit 2024 and register today!
