Venture Capital: Oligarch Money Games (E9)
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Hypo Venture Capital Zurich, Switzerland Retirement Investing Tips
Consider Many Retirement Investment Options and Diversify Portfolio
Here at Hypo Venture Capital Zurich we are committed to offering our clients access to the latest and broadest range of financial services and products on the market. We know that choosing the right strategy, the right investment and the right product is no easy task in this day and age! Whether its advice, investments or financial planning we are here to answer all your questions and facilitate all your financial needs.
There are so many options for retirement investment planning that even the most ambitious person can feel daunted. But learning about retirement investment strategies as a young or middle-aged adult can save all kinds of financial worries later. The soundest approach to investing for retirement is to save slowly but persistently, and invest widely with as much information as possible.
The Best Approach to Retirement Investing
Every expert has a different recommendation for the best retirement investment decisions, but some advice is universal:
1. Figure out how much retirement income will be needed. Retirement investment calculators are available online that can predict how much a given investment will be worth or how much retirement income will be needed to maintain quality of life by retirement.
2. Start now by opening an investment retirement savings account. Even a small amount, deposited every week or every paycheck, eventually adds up to substantial savings that can be used to fund a comfortable retirement.
3. Knowledge is power. Take every opportunity to learn about retirement investments, as well as the best investment planning in general, and invest money from the aforementioned retirement account wisely as opportunities appear.
4. Create a diverse portfolio. Some stocks will go up while others go down. The real estate market might be booming while sales in other areas fall. The best retirement investment planning takes this into account and invests in several different options at once to ensure a solid investment portfolio that will do well, no matter what.
Retirement Investment Options
There are many retirement investment strategies available. While the best investment plan is always to diversify, with several investments, the following options are a key part of most investment strategies aimed at yielding retirement income:
• Annuities – An annuity works like the opposite of a mortgage. Money is invested in advance, and in retirement years the annuity pays out principle and interest on the investment.
• GICs – GICs guarantee a fixed rate of interest if money is left in an investment for a pre-arranged period. Once the term of the GIC is up, retirement funds can be reinvested again until needed.
• Stocks, Bonds, and Mutual Funds – While there are differences, each of these investment vehicles is a way to speculate by investing money where it may grow – or may, possibly, shrink. The riskier the investment, the greater the potential earning. It’s wise to invest a portion of retirement savings in riskier investments like stocks and mutual funds, if thorough research suggests that they have a good chance of succeeding in delivering a healthy return on investment.
• Home Equity – Real estate is always a smart investment, and paying off the family home before retirement is one of the smartest investments. House values will only rise over time, and home equity can also be used in a reverse mortgage or withdrawn in a lump sum home equity loan if money is needed to supplement retirement income.
The best move, for anyone thinking about investing for retirement, is to learn as much as possible about retirement investment strategies and consider all the options in selecting investments. Speaking with a qualified financial advisor is a first step on the way to a solid investment strategy, and the first step to a profitable retirement portfolio.
About the Author:
Stephen Holmes is a Senior Vice President at World Assets Advisory, with experience in the Financial Services industry spanning over 25ys and 3 Continents. Stephen currently directs the Portfolio Risk Management Group after moving from the Equity Derivatives Research Group 3yrs ago. He has a PhD in Experimental Particle Physics and has been working in the alternative investment industry since 1992. His interests include classical music, reading and he often is a guest speaker at corporate functions with a focus on ‘Technology in Society’.
Want to know more?
Hypo Venture Capital Zurich, Switzerland is an independent investment advisory firm which focuses on global equities and options markets. Our analytical tools, screening techniques, rigorous research methods and committed staff provide solid information to help our clients make the best possible investment decisions. All views, comments, statements and opinions are of the authors. For more information go to www.hypovc.com
Here at Hypo Venture Capital Zurich we are committed to offering our clients access to the latest and broadest range of financial services and products on the market. We know that choosing the right strategy, the right investment and the right product is no easy task in this day and age! Whether its advice, investments or financial planning we are here to answer all your questions and facilitate all your financial needs.
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Appia Secures $4.5 Million in Debt Funding Led by North Atlantic Capital
Durham, NC and San Francisco (PRWEB) November 14, 2013
Appia, the leading mobile user acquisition network, today announced it had secured an additional $ 4.5 million in debt funding led by Portland, Maine-based North Atlantic Capital. The investment will accelerate Appia’s continued advancement in building the largest app install ad network, assist with company expansion and drive product innovation.
“We’re excited to continue Appia’s strong partnership with North Atlantic,” said Jud Bowman, CEO of Appia, of the re-investment following North Atlantic’s April, 2013 infusion. “This investment further strengthens Appia’s leadership in mobile app marketing, and we look forward to accelerating our growth.”
Appia, ranked #22 on the Wall Street Journal’s Top 50 Venture-Backed Companies List in 2012, outpaced its 2012 total revenue in the first half of 2013 and is still gaining speed. Appia has sponsored more than 63 million app installs to date and continues to build value for publishers, advertisers and developers by connecting the right apps to the most valuable users every time.
“We recognized Appia’s solution as distinctive, bringing the tremendous value of app discovery to publishers and advertisers in what’s become a crowded mobile app landscape,” said David Coit, Managing Partner at North Atlantic. “Appia has a clear vision and the team to execute it. They deliver app marketers and developers with significantly longer lifetime value users, added revenue generation and a vital partnership as the robust app market continues to expand.”
Recently Apple announced the App Store had surpassed one million apps. Android’s Google Play store passed that mark in July. With more than two million choices, app discovery has become as important to developers and marketers as an app’s performance itself. Appia provides these unique and innovative mobile performance solutions for developers, publishers and advertisers.
About North Atlantic:
North Atlantic Capital is an expansion stage venture capital firm based in Portland, Maine, investing primarily in B2B technology service companies. North Atlantic provides both equity and subordinated debt investment structures to high growth companies with unique technologies that address large market opportunities. Established in 1986, North Atlantic is currently investing its fourth fund, capitalized at $ 100 million and raised in 2006. Other current investments in the fourth fund include Autotask, ConnectEDU, OnForce, Synacor, Tangoe, Triggit and Zmags.
About Appia:
Appia is the leading mobile user acquisition network, delivering mobile app downloads to over 1 billion users across more than 200 countries. Ranked #22 on the Wall Street Journal’s 2012 Top 50 Venture-Backed Companies, Appia provides non-incentivized performance mobile ad solutions for developers, publishers and advertisers. With offices in San Francisco, New York City, and Durham, as well as global sales locations in the UK and Mexico, Appia has quickly become the largest, non-incentivized app install network. For more information, please visit http://www.appia.com.
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Hypo Venture Capital – Socially Responsible Investing
Here at Hypo Venture Capital we are committed to offering our clients access to the latest and broadest range of financial services and products on the market. We know that choosing the right strategy, the right investment and the right product is no easy task in this day and age! Whether its advice, investments or financial planning we are here to answer all your questions and facilitate all your financial needs.
What is socially responsible investing?
Socially responsible investing (SRI) describes an investment strategy that combines the intentions to maximize both financial return and social good. In general, socially responsible investors favor corporate practices that are environmentally responsible, support workplace diversity and increase product safety and quality.
RI strategies provide investors with the opportunity to create positive change in the world through their financial decisions while remaining focused on their long-term investment strategy.
Investing money in a socially conscious manner has gained popularity since the 1970s, though the origins of the concept can be traced back to the 17th century. The idea grew for a number of reasons, including issues regarding the environment, consumer and employee rights, and military activities.
Many individuals who were civil rights and anti-war protestors in the 1960s became investors in the 1970s and 1980s and were looking for a way to express their convictions through their investment portfolios. The first mutual fund to screen investments based on social criteria was established in 1971.
Today, more than 200 mutual funds offer investors a way to access a social investment strategy. Some funds are broad in nature, while others focus on a specific cause.
According to the Social Investment Forum, in 2007, nearly 1 out of every 9 dollars under professional management in the United States (more than $ 2.71 trillion) was involved in socially responsible investing, outpacing the overall market. Interest in this investment approach has grown significantly since the mid-1990s.
Along with funds and other professionally managed portfolios that specialize in socially responsible styles, the Social Investment Forum reports that mainstream money managers are also incorporating social and environmental screens into their investment selection processes. The approach has also taken on global dimensions, as more investors around the world seek to promote specific causes through their investment dollars.
Results can be favorable
An indication of the competitive performance of SRI funds is the performance of SRI indexes. The longest-running SRI index, the Domini 400, was started in 1990 and continues to perform competitively. When benchmarking this index against the S&P 500, the Domini 400 showed a 10.83% return vs. 10.33% total returns with the S&P 500.
Implementing social awareness in different ways
How can socially responsible investing be applied? This is something that can change from investor to investor, depending on each individual’s views. Generally, there are three ways that investors can try to effect change through their investment choices:
• Social screening. Eliminating companies from consideration for inclusion in a portfolio due to specific practices or types of business it pursues. Many social investors avoid companies whose products and business practices are harmful to individuals, communities or the environment.
• Shareholder activism. In some cases, investors or groups of investors (this can include mutual fund managers) will try to influence the behavior of a company or decisions by its board of directors. While this often is focused on improving financial performance, activism can also be a strategy to change a company’s business practices that could be considered detrimental to society.
This can involve filing shareholder resolutions on topics such as corporate governance, political contributions, gender/racial discrimination, pollution and problem labor practices, among other issues.
• Community investing. Institutions use investor capital to finance or guarantee loans to individuals or organizations to improve their own communities. Community investing projects are small and local and often focus on affordable housing, small business startups, improving community facilities and empowering minorities.
Mutual funds vs. individual investing
For most investors, mutual funds offer an easy way to gain access to the world of individual investing. Investors have a wide array of options available and the ability to select funds to invest in large-cap, mid-cap and small-cap stocks, and even in bond funds with a socially conscious angle.
Those who invest in individual securities or use a professionally managed account have the ability to be more selective in screening investments. This approach may be most appropriate for investors whose screening criteria are more specific than would occur with a mutual fund.
Themes arise with the times
Major social issues can often drive the interests of investors in terms of the social screens they favor. In the 1970s and 1980s, there was a great deal of pressure on investment managers to avoid investments in companies doing business in South Africa, at a time when the country maintained a policy of apartheid. In the 1990s, tobacco companies took center stage. Tobacco currently represents the most popular social screen employed in socially responsible mutual funds.
Today, there is increasing focus on the environment, as global warming has become a headline issue. Consumers have taken a greater interest in environmentally friendly products like hybrid cars and energy-efficient lightbulbs.
That same interest extends to investing, as more individuals seek out “green” funds. These portfolios may screen stocks of companies with poor pollution records and may seek to invest in technologies such as solar and wind power development.
Hypo Venture Capital – Investing in your priorities
A socially responsible strategy allows individuals to invest in a way that is consistent with their own priorities. As indicated by performance in recent years, choosing to invest in this manner does not mean sacrificing potential return. However, not all investments will perform in the same way.
If this method of investing interests you, work with your Hypo Venture Capital financial advisor to learn more about how SRI options can work in conjunction with your overall investment strategy. There are a number of mutual funds to choose from that can be incorporated into an existing or proposed asset allocation strategy. Alternatively, you can select specific investments that fit more particular criteria or apply your own social screens to your managed portfolio. Be sure to consider how any investment you choose matches your risk profile and your return expectations.
The most effective approach to socially responsible investing is to make sure that the execution of the strategy is consistent with your overall financial plan. Your HVC financial advisor can help you review your current asset allocation and help you consider whether social investing is right for you.
Hypo Venture Capital is an independent investment advisory firm which focuses on global equities and options markets. Our analytical tools, screening techniques, rigorous research methods and committed staff provide solid information to help our clients make the best possible investment decisions. All views, comments, statements and opinions are of the authors. For more information go to www.hypovc.com
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Hypo Venture Capital Asset Allocation: A Sound Investment Strategy Part 2
Here at Hypo Venture Capital we are committed to offering our clients access to the latest and broadest range of financial services and products on the market. We know that choosing the right strategy, the right investment and the right product is no easy task in this day and age! Whether its advice, investments or financial planning we are here to answer all your questions and facilitate all your financial needs.
In today’s complex financial markets, you have an impressive array of investment vehicles from which to select. Each investment also carries some risks, making it important to choose wisely if you are selecting just one.
The good news is that there’s no rule that says you must stick with only one type of investment. In fact, you can potentially lower your investment risk and increase your chances of meeting your investment goals by practicing “asset allocation.”
Asset Allocation Can Work
For instance, at age 25 you may decide to invest with the goal of retiring in comfort within 40 years. Most likely, your investment goal is to achieve as much growth as possible growth that will outpace inflation substantially. In aiming to reach this goal, you may allocate 70% of your assets into aggressive growth stocks, 20% into bonds, and 10% into money market instruments. You have years to ride out the wide fluctuations that come with stocks, but at the same time, you potentially lower your risk with your bond and money market holdings.
Because your goals and circumstances are unique, you may want to talk with an investment advisor who can help you tailor an allocation strategy for your needs. Generally, your asset allocation will change as you reach different stages in your life, as your investment goals also change along with these shifts in lifestyle.
If you have been investing aggressively for retirement for more than 20 years and are now less than 10 years from retiring, protecting what your investment may have earned from market ups and downs may become more important. In this case you may want to gradually shift some of your stock allocation into your bond and money market holdings. Keep in mind, however, that many financial experts recommend that stocks be considered for every portfolio to maintain growth potential.
A Simple Process, Some Dramatic Potential Results
Asset allocation is a simple concept, yet vital to long-term investment success. In fact, a landmark study cited in Financial Analysts Journal shows that about 90% of the variability of average total returns earned by balanced mutual funds and pension plans over time was the result of asset allocation policy.3 For many individual investors, the asset allocation decision amounts to choosing what types of mutual funds to invest in and the amount to invest in each type of fund. Others may want to add individual securities to this mix after exploring their investment options.
Regardless of the asset allocation strategy you choose and the investments you select, keep in mind that a well-crafted plan of action over the long term can help you weather all sorts of changing market conditions as you aim to meet your investment goal(s).
Points to Remember
1.Asset allocation is the way in which you spread your investment portfolio among different asset classes, such as stocks and stock mutual funds, bonds, and bond mutual funds.
2.When prices of different types of assets do not move in tandem, combining these investments in a portfolio can help reduce the variability of returns, commonly referred to as “market risk.”
3.Mutual funds are pools of securities, usually offering diversification within a single asset class. Some mutual funds may include several asset classes.
4.The asset allocation that is right for you depends on your investment time frame, goals, and tolerance for risk.
5.As your investment time frame and goals change, so might your asset allocation. Many financial experts suggest reevaluating your asset allocation periodically or whenever you experience a milestone event in your life such as marriage, the birth of a child, or retirement.
Want to know more?
Hypo Venture Capital is an independent investment advisory firm which focuses on global equities and options markets. Our analytical tools, screening techniques, rigorous research methods and committed staff provide solid information to help our clients make the best possible investment decisions. All views, comments, statements and opinions are of the authors. For more information go to www.hypovc.com
Hypo Venture Capital is an independent investment advisory firm which focuses on global equities and options markets. Our analytical tools, screening techniques, rigorous research methods and committed staff provide solid information to help our clients make the best possible investment decisions. All views, comments, statements and opinions are of the authors. For more information go to www.hypovc.com
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What You Need To Apply For A Venture Capital
Many of us know that we need money to invest in a business. Most of us also know that we have the option to seek for outside investors or venture capitalists. The problem is each one of us has an idea and would like to turn into reality.
But for someone who is not well versed in the streets of business we don’t know how to go about it. When you are applying for a venture capital fund or grant you need a comprehensive business plan.
Applying and convincing investors are no easy feat. They are going invest money in your business so it’s natural that they want to be sure that it will profit them in the long run. Screening can be very tough and competitive. Venture capitalists can reject you because of a million things, and don’t be surprised that some of them may even be trivial.
What you need along with an application
There are five documents that you need to present to the investors along with your application form. These documents will serve as a representation and summary of your company. Your sales pitch may play a role in your overall presentation but the gift of gab is not enough. Investors want to see that you are worth their time and money in print.
First is the executive summary. It contains your business’ investment opportunity. It’s just one page and available for the public. It is made in a way that anyone can read and understand it.
The second is the Investor ready business plan. This is different from the bank ready business plan because it contains the marketing strategy of your business for the investors. This will show the movement of the company along with the investor’s funds and positive returns. In this document investors only want to know two things: how will they earn back their money and their mitigation risk. This document is used to sell your company and presents to the investors your company’s worth.
The pitch: the presentation of your business with charts. This usually takes about 8-10 minutes and 12-15 charts. This is quite the same with a sales pitch.
The fourth document that you are going to need is the Private Placement Memorandum. This document is used to protect the interest of both the investor and your business. If you don’t have this legal document, the investors can sue your business for a refund if you do not produce the results you stated. Investors only read this document if they have decided to invest in your business.
The fifth and the most important document is the operating plan. This is the blue print of your company that serves as the integral part of the business plan. It contains a comprehensive overview of your company. The operating plan contains the organizational charts, production and marketing strategy.
Investors want to know that you have a structured plan as your company grows. It also tells your team what is expected of them as the company progresses. It also contains the changes in your strategy in a competitive market.
Screening of emerging businesses by investors will be quick. In normal circumstances, private equity firms reject a large percent of applicants. In most cases they are only required to approve certain of number of applicants. Make sure that you have a good business plan to back you up and little gift of gab to convince your investors.
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