Article by Investment U
The JOBS Act could be a goldmine for investors who have been locked out of the secretive world of private placements.
“Overall, new businesses account for almost every new job created in America. For start-ups and small businesses, this bill is a game changer. Because of this bill, start-ups and small businesses will have access to a bigger pool of investors.”
– President Barack Obama on the JOBS Act, March 27
Titles of popular legislation are invariably misleading. Take for example “The Corporate and Auditing Accountability and Responsibility Act of 2001.” Known as Sarbanes-Oxley, the law has proven to be onerous for publicly-traded companies, leading to many companies going private, and IPOs drying up in the United States.
In response, Congress recently passed and the President signed (on March 27) the “Jumpstart Our Business Start-ups” Act, or the JOBS Act. I don’t know if it will create any jobs, but it could be a goldmine for investors who have previously been locked out of the secretive world of “private placements,” also known as “founders stocks” offered to company insiders and wealthy “accredited” millionaires.
I’ve invested in dozens of “private placements” over the years. These are investments in the early stages of a start-up company that may be years away from going public. Like tax shelters, they are speculative, and most of the time, I’ve lost money. But in a few cases, I’ve made out spectacularly well, making 20 or 30 times my money (what Peter Lynch calls a “ten-bagger”).
The JOBS Act allows small investors to get a piece of the action previously restricted to wealthy investors. Under the new “crowdfunding” rules, private companies can even advertise online to potential investors. Private firms can avoid onerous regulations and registration requirements of the Securities & Exchange Commission until the number of shareholders reaches 2,000 (the previous limit was 500). And individual investors can invest up to $10,000 without proving they are “accredited” high net worth investors.
Where to look for private placements?
One way is to invest directly. We’re holding a 3-hour session at FreedomFest, July 11-14 at Bally’s in Las Vegas on “Special Situations in Private Placements,” where specialists Lou Petrossi, Ralph Williams, and Ron Holland, among others, will spell out the spectacular opportunities and risks associated with private equity investments, and some specific deals now available.
What’s FreedomFest all about? Everything! Watch this 3- minute video:
The Oxford Club (Alex Green, Karim Rahemtulla, Marc Lichtenfeld, Steve McDonald) is hosting a one-day conference at FreedomFest. I’ll be there, along with Senator Rand Paul, Steve Moore, Judge Andrew Napolitano, Steve Forbes, John Mackey, Rick Rule, and Keith Fitz-Gerald (as Keith says, “FreedomFest is the conference even speakers like to attend”).
To see what all the excitement is all about, go to www.freedomfest.com/oxfordclub, or give Tami Holland a call toll-free 1-866-266-5101.
Vegas is a good place to attend an intensive workshop on private placement because investing $10 grand in a private equity deal is not unlike a roll of dice.
A more conservative approach is to invest in a publicly-traded private equity fund on Wall Street. I’ve provided one such fund for Investment U Plus subscribers today. It’s a venture capital fund that invests in over 100 private companies and often takes equity positions in expectation they will be bought out or go public. Plus, it pays a 9% annual dividend to boot.
You have your choice. Be a speculative hare or a conservative tortoise. Take a gamble and win big in an individual private placement…or buy a private equity fund on Wall Street and make steady long-term dividends and capital gains.
I recommend both. Buy today’s Investment U Plus pick and come to FreedomFest! It’s a potential win-win.
Good Investing, AEIOU,
Mark Skousen
Article by Investment U