Risks of Alternative Investments

Alternative investment products, including real estate investments, notes and debentures, hedge funds, and private equity are considered highly speculative and involve a high degree of risk. They often engage in leveraging and other speculative investment practices that may increase the risk of investment loss, can be highly illiquid, are not required to provide periodic pricing or valuation information to investors, may involve complex tax structures and delays in distributing important tax information, are not subject to the same regulatory requirements as mutual funds, often charge high fees which may offset any trading profits, and in many cases the underlying investments are not transparent and are known only to the investment manager.

Alternative investment performance can be volatile. Investors could lose all or a substantial amount of their investment. Often, alternative investment fund and account managers have total trading authority over their funds or accounts; the use of a single advisor applying generally similar trading programs could mean lack of diversification and, consequently, higher risk. There is often no secondary market for an investor’s interest in alternative investments, and none is expected to develop. There may be restrictions on transferring interests in any alternative investment. Securities offered through SANDLAPPER Securities LLC are not FDIC insured and may lose value.

Be sure to consult with your Cornerstone representative as to which of these risks mentioned above are present in the offering you are interested in.