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The author discusses long-term investing for the wealth expansion portfolio – assets available after shorter-term needs are met – to capitalize on medium-term market dislocations and opportunities as well as longer-term economic, social and geopolitical trends and themes. Trends from the past 25 years are discussed as well as five investment themes for the decade ahead.

Certain signals suggest that individuals are prepared to return to higher risk, higher reward markets. The combination of conditions in bond markets and the long-term outlook for the global economy have some analysts calling for what has been coined ‘The Great Rotation’ – a transformational shift of capital from bond funds to equity funds.

This study finds optimism returning to Europe’s real estate industry. Sentiment among industry leaders about the prospects for their businesses is more positive than at any time since 2008, despite the uncertain macroeconomic outlook. Equity for investment in prime commercial real estate is expected to increase, but bank debt is predicted to contract further.

Investors and investor representatives are often uncomfortable with managed futures because they believe that it is a "zero sum game." This belief endures in spite of managed futures' consistent long-term returns with lower historical volatility than asset-backed securities such as stocks. This white paper looks at the benefits of futures trading as an investment strategy.

While several key provisions of the ACA take effect in 2013, the broader market impact is likely muted in the near term. Markets are forward-looking, and stocks have had ample time to digest the legislation since it was passed in 2010. Equities showed little movement when the Supreme Court upheld its constitutionality in June, and though the recent election inspired much chatter, it was likely never a game-changer.

A business development company or BDC is a type of investment enterprise that typically lends debt capital to and/or invests in the equity securities of small to mid-size private businesses. This White Paper provides an in-depth introduction to BDCs, including their history, common practices, and risks.

While private equity serves as a compelling addition to a well-structured portfolio, it presents investors with unique challenges in the areas of cash flow management, diversification and liquidity. Implementing private equity secondary funds can help offset some of these challenges while presenting investors with favorable return characteristics.

Master Limited Partnerships (MLPs) offer a unique combination of liquidity and cash flow to investors while serving as preferred access vehicles to capital markets. MLPs trade on major exchanges, like most publicly traded corporations. As partnerships, they avoid corporate income tax at the entity level, affording them a distinct cost of capital advantage over corporations. They predominately invest in energy infrastructure and touch many parts of the domestic energy supply chain, serving as a critical component of the general economy.

This article, originally published in Worth magazine, looks at some do's and don'ts for increasing cash flow in today's low-interest rate environment.

Altair's Jason Laurie details the dangers (and common practice) of chasing higher-yield investments in this Worth magazine article.