Latest news with #UniversaInvestments
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
This hedge fund legend warns US stock market will crash a stunning 80% - here are 3 ways to protect yourself
Moneywise and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue through links in the content below. We adhere to strict standards of editorial integrity to help you make decisions with confidence. Some or all links contained within this article are paid links. The stock market has been volatile during the ongoing tariff disputes between the US and the rest of the world. But according to one prominent market bear, the worst is yet to come. Mark Spitznagel, founder and chief investment officer of Universa Investments, warned that a historic collapse may be looming, in an interview with MarketWatch. "I expect an 80% crash when this is over. I just don't think this is it. This is a trap," he said on April 7. 'This isn't Armageddon. That time will come as the bubble bursts,' he said. Don't miss Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now become a landlord for as little as $100 — and no, you don't have to deal with tenants or fix freezers. Here's how I'm 49 years old and have nothing saved for retirement — what should I do? Don't panic. Here are 6 of the easiest ways you can catch up (and fast) Robert Kiyosaki warns of a 'Greater Depression' coming to the US — with millions of Americans going poor. But he says these 2 'easy-money' assets will bring in 'great wealth'. How to get in now Spitznagel is no stranger to market mayhem. He gained notoriety during the 2020 COVID crash, when Universa's flagship 'Black Swan Protection Protocol' fund posted an eye-popping 4,144% return in the first quarter of that year. Whether or not you buy into Spitznagel's outlook, it might be a good time to consider how to diversify beyond traditional stocks. Here are three simple ways to start. 'A very effective diversifier' for bad times Ray Dalio, founder of the world's largest hedge fund, Bridgewater Associates, recently underscored the importance of diversification — and the enduring value of one classic asset. 'People don't have, typically, an adequate amount of gold in their portfolio,' he said in a February interview with CNBC. 'When bad times come, gold is a very effective diversifier.' He suggests having 10-15% of a portfolio invested in gold. Gold is considered a go-to safe haven. It can't be printed out of thin air like fiat money, and because it's not tied to any single currency or economy, investors often flock to it during periods of economic turmoil or geopolitical uncertainty, driving up its value. Over the past 12 months, gold prices have surged by more than 35%. One way to invest in gold that also provides significant tax advantages is to open a gold IRA with the help of Priority Gold. Gold IRAs allow investors to hold physical gold or gold-related assets within a retirement account, which combines the tax advantages of an IRA with the protective benefits of investing in gold, making it an attractive option for those looking to potentially hedge their retirement funds against economic uncertainties. To learn more, you can get a free information guide that includes details on how to get up to $10,000 in free silver on qualifying purchases. Income, even in a down market Like stocks, real estate has its cycles, but it doesn't rely on a booming market to generate returns. Even during a recession, high quality, essential real estate can continue to produce passive income through rent. In other words, you don't have to wait for prices to rise to see a payoff — the asset itself can work for you. It's also a time-tested hedge against inflation. As the cost of materials, labor, and land rises, property values often increase as well. At the same time, rental income tends to climb, giving landlords a revenue stream that adjusts with inflation. New investing platforms are making it easier than ever to tap into the real estate market. For accredited investors, Homeshares gives access to the $36 trillion U.S. home equity market, which has historically been the exclusive playground of institutional investors. With a minimum investment of $25,000, investors can gain direct exposure to hundreds of owner-occupied homes in top U.S. cities through their U.S. Home Equity Fund — without the headaches of buying, owning or managing property. With risk-adjusted internal returns ranging from 14% to 17%, this approach provides an effective, hands-off way to invest in owner-occupied residential properties across regional markets. If you're not an accredited investor, crowdfunding platforms like Arrived allow you to enter the real estate market for as little as $100. Arrived offers you access to shares of SEC-qualified investments in rental homes and vacation rentals, curated and vetted for their appreciation and income potential. Backed by world-class investors like Jeff Bezos, Arrived makes it easy to fit these properties into your investment portfolio regardless of your income level. Their flexible investment amounts and simplified process allows accredited and non-accredited investors to take advantage of this inflation-hedging asset class without any extra work on your part. The process is simple: browse a curated selection of homes that have been vetted for their appreciation and income potential. Once you find a property you like, you can select the number of shares you'd like to purchase. Another option is First National Realty Partners (FNRP), which allows accredited investors to diversify their portfolio through grocery-anchored commercial properties, without taking on the responsibilities of being a landlord. With a minimum investment of $50,000, investors can own a share of properties leased by national brands like Whole Foods, Kroger and Walmart, which provide essential goods to their communities. Thanks to Triple Net (NNN) leases, accredited investors are able to invest in these properties without worrying about tenant costs cutting into their potential returns. Simply answer a few questions – including how much you would like to invest – to start browsing their full list of available properties. Stay in the know. Join 200,000+ readers and get the best of Moneywise sent straight to your inbox every week for free. Mogul Club is a real estate investment platform offering fractional ownership in blue-chip rental properties, which gives investors monthly rental income, real-time appreciation and tax benefits — without the need for a $250,000 down payment or 3 A.M. tenant calls. Founded by former Goldman Sachs real estate investors, the team hand-picks the top 1% of single-family rental homes nationwide, guided by proprietary underwriting and market analytics typically used by large institutions. Each property undergoes a vetting process, requiring a minimum 12% return even in downside scenarios. Across the board, the platform features an average annual IRR of 18.8%. Their cash-on-cash yields, meanwhile, average between 10-12% annually. Every investment is secured by real assets, not dependent on the platform's viability. Each property is held in a standalone Propco LLC, so investors own the property — not the platform. Blockchain-based fractionalization adds a layer of safety, ensuring a permanent, verifiable record of each stake. Getting started is a quick and easy process. All you need to do is sign up for an account and then browse available properties. Once you verify your information with their team, you can invest in the properties of your choice in as little as 30 seconds. A finer alternative It's easy to see why great works of art tend to appreciate over time. Supply is limited and many famous pieces have already been snatched up by museums and collectors. Art also has a low correlation with stocks and bonds, which helps with diversification. But it's not without drawbacks: fine art is an illiquid, high-risk asset whose value can be influenced by shifting tastes, trends and the art world's inner circle. It also requires proper storage, insurance and care — adding to the cost and complexity. In 2022, a collection of art owned by the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen sold for $1.5 billion at Christie's New York, making it the most valuable collection in auction history. Investing in art was traditionally a privilege reserved for the ultra-wealthy. Now, that's changed with Masterworks — a platform for investing in shares of blue-chip artwork by renowned artists, including Pablo Picasso, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Banksy. They charge a 1.5% annual management fee and receive 20% of the profit when a painting sells. It's easy to use, and there have been 23 successful exits to date that have distributed roughly $61 million back to investors. Simply browse their impressive portfolio of paintings and choose how many shares you'd like to buy. Masterworks will handle all the details, making high-end art investments both accessible and effortless. New offerings have sold out in minutes, but you can skip their waitlist here. See important Regulation A disclosures at What to read next Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says this 7-step plan 'works every single time' to kill debt, get rich in America — and that 'anyone' can do it Here are 5 simple ways to grow rich with real estate if you don't want to play landlord. And you can even start with as little as $10 Rich, young Americans are ditching the stormy stock market — here are the alternative assets they're banking on instead Here are 5 'must have' items that Americans (almost) always overpay for — and very quickly regret. How many are hurting you? This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
Business Insider
18-07-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
'Black Swan' author Nassim Taleb shares 4 life lessons — and reveals what keeps him awake at night
Nassim Nicholas Taleb, the author of "The Black Swan" and "Antifragile," has advice for navigating this period of economic instability, geopolitical upset, and technological upheaval: Stick to what you believe in, future-proof yourself against AI, exercise your mind and body, and have a holistic view of success. The scholar, statistician, and former hedge fund manager also shared what keeps him up at night. Here are four life lessons he shared during a wide-ranging interview with Business Insider. 1. Have the discipline to stick to what you said you'd do A cornerstone of success is having the "discipline to stick to what you promise you're going to do, and do it in the best possible way," Taleb said. Universa Investments, a "Black Swan" fund where he serves as a distinguished scientific advisor, specializes in protecting client portfolios against rare and extreme market events. It now has more than $20 billion in assets under management. The fund has spent "two decades doing the same trades, and we haven't drifted," Taleb said. "If you stick to something that you really believe in, you should never stray," he continued. 2. Future-proof yourself against AI Taleb championed the "Lindy Effect," the theory that the longer an idea, technology, or cultural practice has survived, the longer it is likely to continue to survive. "AI is not denting Lindy skills," he said, advising people to work in "robust" professions less likely to be displaced by AI. He pointed to gardening, nursing, cooking, plumbing, and masonry as "essential" skills that AI can't replace for now. The AI revolution marks the "first time in history" that white-collar knowledge professions are "in danger" relative to manual trades, he said. 3. Exercise your mind and body Taleb told BI that he does 10 to 15 hours of exercise a week, and emphasized that working both the mind and body is essential to living a good, long life. "We all underestimate how much exercise we need," Taleb said. "Being sedentary requires a lot more exercise than we think." He praised Wall Street legend Ed Thorp, 92, for remaining "athletic, in shape, mentally sharp." Now that Taleb is no longer running a hedge fund, he relishes having more free time to read widely and dig into anything that intrigues him, he said. 4. Redefine success as more than getting rich "What I consider success is looking at yourself in the mirror and not being ashamed," Taleb told BI. Taleb, who was born in Lebanon, said his concept of success extends beyond having a great career and making money. It also involves behaving ethically, being useful to others, surrounding yourself with grandchildren and other family members, and being loved by your community. What keeps him awake at night When asked what keeps him awake at night, Taleb said he fretted over the "physical and financial health" of friends and family. Taleb said it's troubling when he sees older people "realize they don't have enough for retirement." A key underlying issue is that advanced economies "struggle to keep the momentum going" as they mature, leading to slower growth and "less of a good future" for their citizens. "They don't realize the dangers," Taleb said. "That worries me." The system "worked for a few generations because people were always doing better than their parents," but that's no longer true for many, he said.
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
'Black Swan' author Nassim Taleb tells BI he agrees with Elon Musk on debt, saying a 'crisis' is looming
"The Black Swan" author Nassim Taleb spoke to BI about tariffs, Elon Musk, dollar woes, and crypto. Taleb raised the prospect of a "debt crisis" fueled by America's runaway deficit spending. He rang the alarm on the national debt and was dismissive of bitcoin even as it hit record highs. Elon Musk is right to worry about America's debt problem — and bitcoin is no more valuable than a flower, author Nassim Nicholas Taleb said in a wide-ranging interview with Business Insider. Taleb popularized the term "Black Swan" to refer to rare, extreme, unexpected events that are seen as less surprising in hindsight. He's a distinguished scientific advisor to Universa Investments, a "Black Swan" hedge fund that manages over $20 billion in client assets and specializes in hedging against "tail risks" — rare and extreme market events. Taleb spoke about Donald Trump's tariff fights, Musk's deficit angst, declining trust in the US dollar, and why he remains deeply skeptical of bitcoin even as it rises to new highs. Debt spiral Taleb told BI there's "plenty of risk" but it's "not necessarily linked to things you read in the paper every day." He singled out the US federal debt, which has more than tripled to around $37 trillion within the past 25 years, and is set to rise further with Trump's "big, beautiful bill" forecast to add another $3 trillion at least over the next decade. The US government paid $881 billion of interest on its debt in fiscal 2024 — more than the $865 billion it spent on Medicare or its $850 billion outlay on defense, per the Congressional Budget Office. "We have enormously burdenous debt," Taleb said. "Elon's quite justified to be upset with the two-party system," he added, nodding to the Tesla CEO and ex-DOGE boss who formed an "America Party" after falling out with Trump over his bill. Concerns about America's debt, and other factors, including Trump's tariffs, have fueled a roughly 10% decline in the dollar against a basket of global currencies this year. Taleb said the dollar "ceased to be the reserve currency" when the US said it would freeze assets with ties to the Russian government following the country's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Many people were "uncomfortable" at what they perceived to be an overreach, Taleb said, adding this prompted several central banks to swap dollars for gold, contributing to a broader de-dollarization trend. Taleb added that Trump was "antagonizing" US trade partners with import taxes. He told BI that he has "nothing against tariffs in principle," but the president's use of them to strike deals is "not very coherent and spooks the rest of the world." Deteriorating trust in the dollar and America is "bad because we have to borrow and we don't want a debt crisis," Taleb said, pointing to soaring interest costs that make the debt a "source of fragility." Crypto critique Taleb has been a vocal critic of bitcoin for years, calling it a "cult," a "tumor," and a "magnet for imbeciles." Speaking as it continued to hit record highs of more than $120,000, Taleb told BI that bitcoin was an "electronic tulip" — a reference to the Dutch Tulip Bubble in the 17th century that saw a speculative frenzy lift the price of tulips to eye-watering levels. Taleb again said that bitcoin "cannot be a currency," highlighting its volatility and crypto fans' desire for it to keep rising, when stability is core to being a reliable medium of exchange. He also questioned how the coin could be widely adopted when many governments would be loath to undermine their currencies by supporting it. Read the original article on Business Insider Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Business Insider
16-07-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
'Black Swan' author Nassim Taleb tells BI he agrees with Elon Musk on debt, saying a 'crisis' is looming
America has a massive debt problem — and bitcoin is no more valuable than a flower, author Nassim Nicholas Taleb said in a wide-ranging interview with Business Insider. Taleb popularized the term " Black Swan" to refer to rare, extreme, unexpected events that are seen as less surprising in hindsight. He's a distinguished scientific advisor to Universa Investments, a "Black Swan" hedge fund that manages over $20 billion in client assets and specializes in hedging against "tail risks" — rare and extreme market events. Taleb spoke about Donald Trump's tariff fights, Elon Musk's deficit angst, declining trust in the US dollar, and why he remains deeply skeptical of bitcoin even as it rises to new highs. Debt spiral Taleb told BI there's "plenty of risk" but it's "not necessarily linked to things you read in the paper every day." He singled out the US federal debt, which has more than tripled to around $37 trillion within the past 25 years, and is set to rise further with Trump's " big, beautiful bill" forecast to add another $3 trillion at least over the next decade. The US government paid $881 billion of interest on its debt in fiscal 2024 — more than the $865 billion it spent on Medicare or its $850 billion outlay on defense, per the Congressional Budget Office. "We have enormously burdenous debt," Taleb said. "Elon's quite justified to be upset with the two-party system," he added, nodding to the Tesla CEO and ex-DOGE boss who formed an "America Party" after falling out with Trump over his bill. Concerns about America's debt, and other factors, including Trump's tariffs, have fueled a roughly 10% decline in the dollar against a basket of global currencies this year. Taleb said the dollar "ceased to be the reserve currency" when the US said it would freeze assets with ties to the Russian government following the country's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Many people were "uncomfortable" at what they perceived to be an overreach, Taleb said, adding this prompted several central banks to swap dollars for gold, contributing to a broader de-dollarization trend. Taleb added that Trump was "antagonizing" US trade partners with import taxes. He told BI that he has "nothing against tariffs in principle," but the president's use of them to strike deals is "not very coherent and spooks the rest of the world." Deteriorating trust in the dollar and America is "bad because we have to borrow and we don't want a debt crisis," Taleb said, pointing to soaring interest costs that make the debt a "source of fragility." Crypto critique Taleb has been a vocal critic of bitcoin for years, calling it a "cult," a "tumor," and a "magnet for imbeciles." Speaking as it continued to hit record highs of more than $120,000, Taleb told BI that bitcoin was an "electronic tulip" — a reference to the Dutch Tulip Bubble in the 17th century that saw a speculative frenzy lift the price of tulips to eye-watering levels. Taleb again said that bitcoin "cannot be a currency," highlighting its volatility and crypto fans' desire for it to keep rising, when stability is core to being a reliable medium of exchange. He also questioned how the coin could be widely adopted when many governments would be loath to undermine their currencies by supporting it.
Bloomberg
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Bloomberg
Odd Lots: Nassim Taleb on Living a Good Life in an Age of Volatility
Every day we're inundated with headlines that are seemingly unbelievable. Multiple major wars are ongoing. Politics is erratic. Markets are scrambling everyone's brains. So how should we live and feel good? How should we think about the world around us, and the various perceived risks out there. In yet another episode from our live Odd Lots special in New York City last month, we speak with famed author Nassim Nicholas Taleb, the scientific advisor at Universa Investments, who shares his perspective on all things.
