Alternatives & Structured Strategies

Traditional stocks and bonds do most of the work in most portfolios. But for the right investor, a deliberate allocation to alternatives and structured strategies can do things public markets can't: diversify return streams, generate income, define risk in advance, or unlock meaningful tax advantages. The catch is that this is also the most over-sold, least understood, and most uneven corner of the market — where complexity and high fees too often hide mediocre outcomes.

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This is where independence and research matter most. Because Hartman Private Wealth is independently owned and operates with open architecture and no proprietary products, we evaluate every one of these strategies on the merits — running real due diligence on managers, sponsors, structures, and costs, and on the actual role a strategy would play in your plan. We use them selectively, only where the trade-offs (illiquidity, complexity, eligibility) are justified by what they add. You'll always understand exactly what you own, why you own it, what it costs, and how it can lose money.

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THE STRATEGIES WE WORK WITH:

→ Private Equity & Private Credit

Access to companies and lending opportunities beyond the public markets, sought for return potential and income that's less tied to daily market swings. Our focus is diligence: manager quality, vintage diversification, fee structure, and a clear-eyed view of the lockups and illiquidity these require. Generally limited to accredited investors and qualified purchasers.

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→ Real Assets & Real Estate (REITs + Private Real Estate)

Income and inflation-sensitive diversification through publicly traded REITs and, for suitable investors, private or non-traded real estate. We're candid about the differences that matter — liquidity, valuation, and fee profiles vary widely — and help you weigh them rather than chase headline yield.

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→ Tax-advantaged strategies (Qualified Opportunity Zones)

For investors sitting on large capital gains, Qualified Opportunity Zone investments can defer and potentially reduce taxes when held for the required periods. But the underlying real estate or business risk is real and independent of the tax benefit, so we model the after-tax picture and the investment on its own merits before either drives a decision.

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→ Structured Notes & Defined-Outcome (buffered) ETFs

Investments engineered to deliver a defined payoff — for example, a measure of downside buffer in exchange for a cap on the upside. Structured notes can tailor exposure precisely but carry the issuer's credit risk; defined-outcome (“buffered”) ETFs offer similar return shapes with daily liquidity and greater transparency. We translate the caps, buffers, terms, and costs into plain language so the “defined outcome” is one you actually understand and that serves a true purpose in your financial plan and portfolio.

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→ Options & Hedging Strategies

Disciplined options strategies. Covered calls for income, protective puts and collars to hedge, and exchange-style techniques for concentrated, low-basis stock — used to manage risk and shape returns around a specific goal. Tools for risk management, not speculation; options involve risk and aren't suitable for every investor.

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→ Guaranteed & Principal-Protected Solutions

For clients who want a measure of guaranteed income or principal protection, certain insurance-based solutions such as indexed annuities can play a defined, limited role. We approach them like everything else: independently, with no proprietary product to push, and with full transparency about caps, participation rates, surrender terms, and how the guarantee — which depends on the issuing insurer's ability to pay — actually works.