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Using Self-Directed IRAs (SDIRA) to Tap into Alternative Investments
Blogs/Articles Chris Carsley Blogs/Articles Chris Carsley

Using Self-Directed IRAs (SDIRA) to Tap into Alternative Investments

When most people think of retirement accounts like IRAs or 401(k)s, they imagine stocks, bonds, and mutual funds. However, the world of investing is far more diverse. For many individuals, self-directed IRAs (SDIRAs) offer a powerful way to tap into alternative investments like private debt, allowing for more diversified portfolios and potentially greater returns. This article will guide you through what a self-directed IRA is, why it’s particularly appealing to investors, and how you can take full advantage of the opportunities it presents.

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The Essentials of Due Diligence Verification
Videos Chris Carsley Videos Chris Carsley

The Essentials of Due Diligence Verification

In the world of alternative investments, ensuring the accuracy of information isn't merely a suggestion; it's an imperative. Considering you're entrusting someone with your hard earned funds, it's crucial to adopt a "trust but verify" approach to your verification process, a topic I frequently discuss in my webinars.

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Infinity Investment Strategies Member of the Month Featuring Kirkland Capital Group
Videos Brock Freeman Videos Brock Freeman

Infinity Investment Strategies Member of the Month Featuring Kirkland Capital Group

At Kirkland Capital Group, we are proud to share that our very own Chris Carsley was recently featured on the Infinity Investment Strategies podcast, hosted by Erica Neal. With a distinguished career in hedge funds, portfolio management, and alternative investments, Chris shared his unique insights and expertise on various topics, including the evolving landscape of private debt and fixed income investments.

He also talks in depth about our fund, the Kirkland Income Fund. This is a great video to watch for current and potential investors in the fund as Erica asks insightful questions that maybe on the mind of many investors.

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The Value of Skilled Management in Private Investments
Blogs/Articles Chris Carsley Blogs/Articles Chris Carsley

The Value of Skilled Management in Private Investments

The number of family offices has tripled between 2019 and 2023, now overseeing a total of $10 trillion worldwide, underscoring a notable consolidation of wealth within this sector.

In recent years, there has been a noticeable trend among Family Offices towards favoring direct investments over conventional investment funds with 80% of them now engaged with Direct Investments. This change is primarily driven by a desire to avoid the fees associated with fund investments, such as management and incentive fees.

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From Pre-Med to Private Debt: An Investor Interview with Nabil Istafanous
Videos Brock Freeman Videos Brock Freeman

From Pre-Med to Private Debt: An Investor Interview with Nabil Istafanous

Do you want to hear from a successful investor who has a diversified portfolio of non-correlated assets? Do you want to get some valuable advice from a seasoned entrepreneur who has a unique and unconventional career path? Do you want to learn more about alternative lending and private debt? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you will love our latest investor interview with Nabil Istafanous.

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What Sets Kirkland                  Capital Group Apart?
Blogs/Articles Chris Carsley Blogs/Articles Chris Carsley

What Sets Kirkland Capital Group Apart?

Kirkland Capital Group (KCG) is an investment fund manager combining 75+ years of investment management, real estate, and technology experience to Build and Fortify Your Wealth. Our principal preservation focused income fund generates passive high-yield income, delivering over 11% compounded net return for 2022 and 2023. Investors feel happy they capture strong returns, and are doing good, as the Fund’s micro-balance real estate loans are used to rehabilitate middle-income affordable housing and neighborhoods, making a positive social and environmental impact.

But how does KCG distinguish itself from the other income funds in the market?

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Equity-like Returns with Debt-Level Risk: Dream or Reality?
Blogs/Articles Chris Carsley Blogs/Articles Chris Carsley

Equity-like Returns with Debt-Level Risk: Dream or Reality?

Equities, or stocks, have always held a strong appeal for investors and have been a fundamental component of numerous investment portfolios for valid reasons. Historically, the S&P 500 (including dividends) have yielded an impressive average return of 12.8% from 1950 to 2023. Nevertheless, this trajectory has been anything but steady, characterized by significant events such as Black Monday (which saw the Dow plummet by -22%), the Internet Bubble Crash (resulting in a -78% loss for NASDAQ), and the Great Financial Crisis (where the S&P 500 experienced a decline exceeding -20%).

For those who prefer a more conservative investment strategy, bonds present an opportunity for stability, capital preservation, and offering a consistent flow of interest payments. From 1950-2023, the 10-year treasury bond has maintained an average yield of 5.4%, providing a “calmer” investment option compared to stocks, albeit with returns around 40% lower and without the highs and lows associated with the stock market. However this doesn’t mean there hasn’t been any fluctuations in its returns.

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Rise of Private Private Credit
Videos Brock Freeman Videos Brock Freeman

Rise of Private Private Credit

Traditional fixed income has faced challenges over the past few years, while equities or stocks have thrived in contrast. This shift has paved the way for the rise in popularity of alternative investments such as private credit, as investors seek to strengthen the fixed income segment of their portfolios.

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The Allure and Illusion of Averages: Understanding the Pitfalls of Averaging in Investment Performance
Blogs/Articles Chris Carsley Blogs/Articles Chris Carsley

The Allure and Illusion of Averages: Understanding the Pitfalls of Averaging in Investment Performance

The thrill of investing has always been centered around the performance of investments for many investors. Witnessing the growth of one’s portfolio over time brings a sense of fulfillment. Observing the numbers climb, witnessing the increase in returns, and recognizing that one’s hard-earned money is actively generating more can be truly satisfying. However, grasping investment performance thoroughly is crucial. One common mistake that investors often make is solely focusing on the average return of investments. Let's delve deeper into the concept of average return in investments, its implications, the associated challenges, and the alternative approaches that investors can consider.

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Kirkland Capital Group's First CAASA Event
Blogs/Articles Chris Carsley Blogs/Articles Chris Carsley

Kirkland Capital Group's First CAASA Event

We are pleased to share that we recently participated in our inaugural Canadian Association of Alternative Strategies & Assets (CAASA) event, the Family Office Summit, held on April 9-10 at the Toronto Region Board of Trade in Toronto, Canada. This gathering provided us with valuable insights into the Canadian family office landscape and enabled us to connect with industry experts not just from Canada but also from the United States and beyond.

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Build Your Own Investment Team with These 6 Networking Tips
Videos Chris Carsley Videos Chris Carsley

Build Your Own Investment Team with These 6 Networking Tips

In many of my webinars I talk about how investors without large teams and resources still complete effective due diligence and source investment opportunities. One of the aspects I talk about is creating a network around you to help develop resources for yourself. You still need to identify what you are looking to add to your investment portfolio, determine your “non-negotiables” terms, and read the documents but insights from others with varied backgrounds and investment experience can help you catch more issues and benefit from people’s extended network.

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Deep Dive Into Asset-Backed Funds
Videos Brock Freeman Videos Brock Freeman

Deep Dive Into Asset-Backed Funds

What are asset-backed funds? Our Chief Investment Officer, Chris Carsley, was part of a panel that did a deep dive into asset-backed funds. He was with Michael Flight, co-founder of Liberty Real Estate Fund, and hosted by Patrick Grimes of Passive Investment Mastery. They discussed the ins and outs of investing in asset-backed funds. They also discussed funds dealing with private debt, private equity, and even funds in the exciting world of blockchain in real estate.

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Rocket Dollar Performance Assessment Like A Pro
Videos Brock Freeman Videos Brock Freeman

Rocket Dollar Performance Assessment Like A Pro

Most individuals tend to evaluate the quality of investments based solely on their performance numbers. However, performance returns are merely the starting point that should prompt further inquiries. In a recent discussion on Rocket Dollar, Chris Carsley, our Chief Investment Officer at Kirkland Capital Group, shared insights on how professionals assess investment performance. This will empower investors to pose relevant queries in order to make well-informed investment choices.

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Diving Deeper - Due Diligence in the World of Alternative Investments
Videos Brock Freeman Videos Brock Freeman

Diving Deeper - Due Diligence in the World of Alternative Investments

Understanding due diligence goes beyond knowing what’s going on. You have to be willing to do the work no matter how mundane it is and be willing to take the time to ensure your investment and investors are in good hands.

Join Chris Carsley, our Chief Investment Officer at Kirkland Capital Group, on another episode of the Purpose-Driven Wealth podcast, with Mo Bina. In this second episode of a two-part series on the Purpose-Driven Wealth podcast, Mo Bina welcomes back Chris in a continuation of their discussion on due diligence in alternative investments. Diving deeper, they discuss specific areas to focus on, inefficiencies, repeatability, and risk management, to name a few.

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The Importance of Consistent and Stable Returns in Fixed Income Investments
Blog Chris Carsley Blog Chris Carsley

The Importance of Consistent and Stable Returns in Fixed Income Investments

In the vast landscape of investment options, income funds have carved out a significant niche for themselves. Designed to provide a steady income stream to investors, these funds are often comprised of a variety of income-generating assets such as bonds, dividend-paying stocks, and real estate related investments. They play a crucial role in a well-diversified portfolio, particularly for those investors seeking regular income, or those looking for a more conservative investment strategy.


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The Unbankable Deal: A Conversation with Malcolm Turner
Videos Brock Freeman Videos Brock Freeman

The Unbankable Deal: A Conversation with Malcolm Turner

I recently had the privilege of interviewing Malcolm Turner, the CEO and President of Castle Commercial Capital. He is a pillar in Detroit and has done numerous deals with us at Kirkland Capital Group. He is also an author of the book, Financing the Unbankable Deal: How to Buy Commercial Real Estate with the Bridge Loan Investor Success Strategy. In this fireside chat, we talk about his background, how he started his company, why a lot of investors are looking at Detroit, what are the trends he is seeing in real estate, his strategies when looking at real estate, and a lot more. You wouldn’t want to miss this video!

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Due Diligence in the World of Alternative Investments
Videos Brock Freeman Videos Brock Freeman

Due Diligence in the World of Alternative Investments

Due diligence is the most important aspect of making an investment. Though an institutional level investment firm has a massive system for making sure everything checks out, it pays to know how these things are going from the perspective of an expert.

Join Chris in this episode of the Purpose-Driven Wealth podcast with Mo Bina. This is a must-see, must-listen episode for aspiring investors, as well as those who have already established themselves in investing. Learn about the importance of due diligence, and how pros like Chris get it done the right way.

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Sense Financial Alternative Due Diligence
Videos Brock Freeman Videos Brock Freeman

Sense Financial Alternative Due Diligence

Have you ever wondered how to invest in alternative assets like hedge funds, private credit or commercial real estate? If so, you’re not alone. Many investors are looking for ways to diversify their portfolio and generate higher returns outside of traditional investments. But how do you evaluate these opportunities? Chris Carsley, our Chief Investment Officer, joins Sense Financial for another webinar. He talks about how to perform alternative investment due diligence that is applicable to different types of funds or investments.

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Altigo Beyond Real Estate - Private Credit
Videos Brock Freeman Videos Brock Freeman

Altigo Beyond Real Estate - Private Credit

When discussing real estate, most people first think of equity real estate transactions in single family, multi-family or public REITs. However, a significant part of this transaction actually involves credit, either a bank or a non-bank lender. In a webinar called "Beyond Real Estate" by Altigo, they invited Chris Carsley, our Chief Investment Officer, to join a panel discussion about alternatives to equity in real estate.

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