Altegris Offers Actively Managed Futures
Altegris Advisors, La Jolla, Calif., is launching Altegris Managed Futures Strategy Fund, an actively managed mutual fund.
The fund offers individuals and professional investors a way to participate in the managed futures market, which has not been accessible to or fully understood by some investors.
Over the last decade, managed futures have outperformed most other investments, Altegris says. Managed futures investments are usually restricted to high-net-worth individuals.
"Managed futures have a sustained historical track record throughout a number of major market scenarios," says Jon Sundt, Altegris Advisors' president and co-portfolio manager of the fund. "Until recently, the handful of managed futures mutual funds available to investors were primarily passive 'set-and-forget' index based products."
"The 'best-of-breed' investment managers were typically restricted to investors with high minimum net-worth requirements," he explains. "The Altegris Fund allows investors to participate in managed futures by investing in an actively managed mutual fund with low minimum investment requirements."
The fund offers daily liquidity, no investor pre-qualifications, 1099 tax reporting and individual and institutional share classes.
College Planning Tool Available
Stratagee.com is launching college expense planning software called YBS, Your Best Strategy, an algorithm-based tool to help planners assist clients in selecting the best strategy to pay for college costs while still saving for retirement.
Included in the YBS calculations are college selection, financial aid, tax aid and the family's personal resources. YBS customizes its calculations for each family and generates a report that provides strategies that can be compared.
Securian Partners With 401(k) Advisors
Securian Retirement, St. Paul, Minn., is offering a new service that will allow employers to transfer their responsibility for selecting and monitoring funds to 401(k) Advisors, an investment advisory firm.
The service also provides support to retirement plan advisors in advance of new regulations that go into effect in July 2011. Additional information is available at www.securianretirementcenter.com.
Jackson Introduces LifeGuard Freedom Flex
Jackson National Life Insurance Co. has created the company's first customized guaranteed minimum withdrawal benefit for its Perspective variable annuities.
For instance, investors who elect the optional benefit can grow their guaranteed withdrawal balance by selecting an annual bonus ranging from 5% to 8%, in years when no withdrawals are taken.
They can further customize their investment by choosing to lock in gains on an annual or a quarterly basis.
Each of the customized services are available at an additional fee for annuity holders. Additional information is available at www.jackson.com.
ETF Securities Offers Combined Metals
ETF Securities is launching the White Metals Basket, an exchange-traded product that combines silver, platinum and palladium under a single ticker (WITE). It is designed to appeal to those investors looking for a one-trade solution to investing in all three precious metals, as well as to investors seeking diversity to their existing gold holdings.