Toptal Finance Expert
Are Art Investments a Worthwhile Asset Class?
Did you know that, in 2016, $60 billion was invested in art, which was comparable to the exit proceeds from venture capital investing?
This article sheds light on the opaque world of art investments and whether it’s a realistic choice for inclusion in portfolios. The article covers types of art as well as how investments are valued and return performance relative to other assets.
Zachary Elfman
Zach is a modelling, fundamental analysis and valuation expert that has managed money for PE and hedge funds. He now runs his own business.
Investing in Cryptocurrencies: The Ultimate Guide
So, you’ve decided to get exposure to cryptocurrencies. In this newer space, a personal financial advisor may not be of great help. Neither will your banker, unless you are a customer of a limited number of progressive Swiss private banks, which facilitate crypto trading. What now?
This article provides practical information and resources around passive vs. active cryptocurrency investing, how to buy, sell, store, and monitor cryptocurrencies, as well as tax regulations in the space.
Raphael Rottgen, CFA FRM
Raphael is a partner at a crypto hedge fund. Prior, he founded and exited a fintech company, and worked as a banker and equities investor.
The Looming Crisis in Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs)
Millions of Americans depend on continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs) for care as they age. In addition to living accommodations and medical services, these facilities also offer complex embedded insurance products that are improperly underwritten and insufficiently regulated.
As a result, many CCRCs are actuarially insolvent, creating a systemic risk that could leave many ageing residents financially and medically exposed at the end of their lives. Finance Expert, Jack Barker, takes us through these sector challenges and shares a proprietary capitalization model that could potentially help alleviate the issues.
Jack Barker
Jack is an ex-McKinsey, ex-Carlyle Principal/Partner with > 30 years of international finance accross telecoms, FIG and industrials.
Considerations for Raising Your Own Private Equity Fund
Starting a fund is an aspiration harbored by many financiers. While attention tends to focus on investing and deal making, the initial private equity fundraising process is riddled with uncertainty.
This guide presents the main considerations to take when raising a fund, covering the legal, accounting, staffing, and strategic roadblocks that will be encountered.
Martin Kemeny
Martin is an seasoned real estate and PE executive that has completed over $200m of projects and advised a range of Fortune 500 companies.
Everything You Need to Know About the CVS-Aetna Merger
Candy, cosmetics… and medical care? In a vertical merger valued at a whopping $69 billion, your favorite stop-in, CVS, plans to buy Aetna. If it goes through, it will be the largest deal of 2017 and the largest healthcare deal to date.
Amidst all the buzz surrounding the merger, this article elucidates the motivations behind it, including operational cost-cutting, expanded services as a competitive advantage, and threats from both Amazon and UnitedHealth. This piece also explores potential market effects.
Melissa Lin
Melissa has worked in ECM, tech startups, and management consulting, advising Fortune 500 companies across multiple sectors.
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An Investor’s Guide to Palm Oil
To the novice investor or otherwise uninitiated, the ubiquity of palm oil as a global commodity cannot be overstated. It is a super crop with EBITDA margins > 50%, is the world’s most consumed edible oil, and is one of the most versatile raw material/substrate bases known to industry.
This article explores the sparsely understood world of palm, including its cultivation, harvest, and application processes; its financial and investment profile; and ultimately the trends governing its future.
Orinola Gbadebo-Smith
Ori is an investor-cum-entrepreneur with experience across M&A, PE, VC and startup operations. He most recently founded a VC-backed startup.
Why Are Emerging Market Currencies Volatile?
The attention on international payments tends to center around innovations appearing in the developed world. But what about developing countries?
This article addresses what contributes to volatility and illiquidity in emerging market currencies, and how they can stabilize to become more flexible.
Pedro Kniphoff
Pedro is an expert in FP&A with extensive experience across emerging markets, most notably as a CFO of a $5Bn revenue business.
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