| IMPORTANT
WARNING:
The contents of this article and the attached
report have been compiled in good faith by Investorsoffshore.com
to provide assistance to investors, but do not
constitute investment advice or recommendations.
Investors should not rely upon the information
given in order to choose types or routes of investment
but should make their own independent enquiries
before making choices. Investorsoffshore.com has
taken reasonable care in researching and presenting
the information herein but makes no representations
as to its accuracy and accepts no liability for
actions taken or not taken as a result.
As has been discussed in previous InvestorsOffshore
special features, alternative investment is something
of a nebulous concept, and can probably best be
explained by what it isn't. Alternative investment
isn't limited to equities, bonds, and funds in
one's country of residence, and it isn't (usually)
as stringently regulated as domestic investment,
which means that although the investment may potentially
be more profitable, it can also be more risky,
and there is less of a safety net if things go
wrong. There. So now you're clear on that. You
aren't? Well, you are not alone…
There
are many, many different types of investment which
could be considered alternative, in that they
don't fit into the categories loosely defined
above. Offshore investment is one of the major
forms of alternative investment, but what is meant
by 'offshore' can vary according to the investor's
country of domicile or residence. Many people,
when they hear the word, will automatically think
of the Caribbean, or of Switzerland, but in fact,
many onshore countries offer advantageous investment
opportunities to residents of other countries,
so it is worthwhile keeping an open mind - a UK
national might well point to the Channel Islands
as his offshore jurisdiction of choice, whereas
a Channel Islands resident might look to the Cayman
Islands, and a Cayman islander to the Netherlands
Antilles. And so on…
We
will now look at some of the major areas that
could be considered to offer alternative investment
opportunities in both 'onshore' and offshore jurisdictions.
In this article, we will be dealing with spread
betting, hedge fund investment, forestry, real
estate investment, and investing in wine, antiques,
and other collectibles. This is by no means an
exhaustive list, due to the foggy nature of the
definition, but merely a start on the path to
defining and explaining the various options open
to those investors not necessarily hidebound by
a stringent regulatory regime.
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