Asset allocation has always been about balance—finding the right mix of investments to deliver returns, manage risk, and meet client goals. But as markets grow more complex and volatile, the old playbook is no longer enough.
Today’s investors expect not just growth and income, but resilience, smarter diversification, and access to new opportunities. For advisors, that means building portfolios that can withstand uncertainty, unlock value, harness innovation, and demonstrate a forward-looking approach that sets them apart.
“Today’s investors expect not just growth and income, but resilience, smarter diversification, and access to new opportunities.”
From Classic to Modern
The evolution of asset allocation reflects this shift: from the classic two-player game of stocks and bonds to a modern strategy where alternatives play offense, defense, and every role on the field.
In the pages that follow, we’ll explore what’s enduring and what’s emerging in alternative investing—and how football yields vivid and unexpected metaphors that help us understand and explain this transformation.
“Football yields vivid and unexpected metaphors that help us understand…”
Simplicity vs. Complexity
Alternative investing can be both nuanced and complex. Advisors need a new, simpler way to think about alternatives in their client portfolios and practice—as well as a new, straightforward way to speak with clients and educate them as to the benefits and risks of alternatives.
We believe that the following pages provide a fresh vocabulary to understand alternatives and their role in asset allocation, based on the familiar language of football: offense, defense, and special teams.
With this updated framing, advisors have a new playbook to help them succeed on the gridiron of investing, with alternatives playing alongside traditional asset classes to compete more effectively in every phase of the game.
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CONTENTS
A New Playbook for Client Portfolios
Framing the History of Alts and Asset Allocation Through Football
Today’s Updated Playbook: Alts Playing Alongside Their Stock and Bond Teammates
Offense: Growth Assets and Strategies
Defense: Income Assets and Strategies
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