Knowledge Hub | The Family Office

Decoding Risks in Structured Products - 5 min

Structured Products: Know the Risks

The term “structured products” evokes a sense of sophistication and precision, which is precisely how they are marketed to investors.However, a closer examination reveals that they are often more accurately described as sophisticated funding tools for the banks that issue them. Rather than meet the needs of investors, they are as likely to saddle them with unnecessary risk.In this article, we examine how and why.

Mar 13, 2025

Decoding Risks in Structured Products - 3 min

The Transparency Paradox: Private vs Public

Two potential barriers to understanding investments are opacity (lack of transparency) and complexity.

Dec 26, 2023

Decoding Risks in Structured Products - 3 min

Structured Products: Counterparty Risk

Structured products often involve counterparties other than the issuers. Our last article discussed how problems faced by the issuers of structured products endanger the returns of an otherwise well-performing product. This article examines the risk of other counterparties in structured products.

Oct 8, 2023

Decoding Risks in Structured Products - 3 min

Structured Products: Issuer Risk

Our last article looked at “market risk,” or the risk that market conditions might cause asset prices to move unexpectedly.

Sep 17, 2023

Decoding Risks in Structured Products - 4 min

Structured Products: Market Risk

Our last article introduced some of the risks in structured products that are “hidden” in their design and hard to mitigate.

Sep 5, 2023

Decoding Risks in Structured Products - 4 min

Structured Products: Return Without Risk?

Investors must balance risk and return. An investment that has the potential for high returns—like a promising technology startup—also risks failure and reducing its stock price to zero. Safe assets like US government bonds that feature very low risk have very low or even negative returns after inflation.

Aug 21, 2023

Decoding Risks in Structured Products - 3 min

After the Bull Market: What Next?

The investing landscape has changed fundamentally over the past 18 months. The global economy remains strong, but a new era of high interest rates and a shrinking money supply might end the bull market that has persisted largely since 2009.^[1] Good returns may be harder to achieve through simple, passive investing strategies. Investors must seek other ways for growth.

Aug 17, 2023

Decoding Risks in Structured Products - 5 min

Structured Products: Know the Risks

The term “structured products” evokes a sense of sophistication and precision, which is precisely how they are marketed to investors.However, a closer examination reveals that they are often more accurately described as sophisticated funding tools for the banks that issue them. Rather than meet the needs of investors, they are as likely to saddle them with unnecessary risk.In this article, we examine how and why.

Mar 13, 2025

Decoding Risks in Structured Products - 3 min

The Transparency Paradox: Private vs Public

Two potential barriers to understanding investments are opacity (lack of transparency) and complexity.

Dec 26, 2023

Decoding Risks in Structured Products - 3 min

Structured Products: Counterparty Risk

Structured products often involve counterparties other than the issuers. Our last article discussed how problems faced by the issuers of structured products endanger the returns of an otherwise well-performing product. This article examines the risk of other counterparties in structured products.

Oct 8, 2023

Decoding Risks in Structured Products - 3 min

Structured Products: Issuer Risk

Our last article looked at “market risk,” or the risk that market conditions might cause asset prices to move unexpectedly.

Sep 17, 2023

Decoding Risks in Structured Products - 4 min

Structured Products: Market Risk

Our last article introduced some of the risks in structured products that are “hidden” in their design and hard to mitigate.

Sep 5, 2023

Decoding Risks in Structured Products - 4 min

Structured Products: Return Without Risk?

Investors must balance risk and return. An investment that has the potential for high returns—like a promising technology startup—also risks failure and reducing its stock price to zero. Safe assets like US government bonds that feature very low risk have very low or even negative returns after inflation.

Aug 21, 2023

Decoding Risks in Structured Products - 3 min

After the Bull Market: What Next?

The investing landscape has changed fundamentally over the past 18 months. The global economy remains strong, but a new era of high interest rates and a shrinking money supply might end the bull market that has persisted largely since 2009.^[1] Good returns may be harder to achieve through simple, passive investing strategies. Investors must seek other ways for growth.

Aug 17, 2023

Decoding Risks in Structured Products - 5 min

Structured Products: Know the Risks

The term “structured products” evokes a sense of sophistication and precision, which is precisely how they are marketed to investors.However, a closer examination reveals that they are often more accurately described as sophisticated funding tools for the banks that issue them. Rather than meet the needs of investors, they are as likely to saddle them with unnecessary risk.In this article, we examine how and why.

Mar 13, 2025

Decoding Risks in Structured Products - 3 min

The Transparency Paradox: Private vs Public

Two potential barriers to understanding investments are opacity (lack of transparency) and complexity.

Dec 26, 2023

Decoding Risks in Structured Products - 3 min

Structured Products: Counterparty Risk

Structured products often involve counterparties other than the issuers. Our last article discussed how problems faced by the issuers of structured products endanger the returns of an otherwise well-performing product. This article examines the risk of other counterparties in structured products.

Oct 8, 2023

Decoding Risks in Structured Products - 3 min

Structured Products: Issuer Risk

Our last article looked at “market risk,” or the risk that market conditions might cause asset prices to move unexpectedly.

Sep 17, 2023

Decoding Risks in Structured Products - 4 min

Structured Products: Market Risk

Our last article introduced some of the risks in structured products that are “hidden” in their design and hard to mitigate.

Sep 5, 2023

Decoding Risks in Structured Products - 4 min

Structured Products: Return Without Risk?

Investors must balance risk and return. An investment that has the potential for high returns—like a promising technology startup—also risks failure and reducing its stock price to zero. Safe assets like US government bonds that feature very low risk have very low or even negative returns after inflation.

Aug 21, 2023

Decoding Risks in Structured Products - 3 min

After the Bull Market: What Next?

The investing landscape has changed fundamentally over the past 18 months. The global economy remains strong, but a new era of high interest rates and a shrinking money supply might end the bull market that has persisted largely since 2009.^[1] Good returns may be harder to achieve through simple, passive investing strategies. Investors must seek other ways for growth.

Aug 17, 2023

Decoding Risks in Structured Products - 5 min

Structured Products: Know the Risks

The term “structured products” evokes a sense of sophistication and precision, which is precisely how they are marketed to investors.However, a closer examination reveals that they are often more accurately described as sophisticated funding tools for the banks that issue them. Rather than meet the needs of investors, they are as likely to saddle them with unnecessary risk.In this article, we examine how and why.

Mar 13, 2025

Decoding Risks in Structured Products - 3 min

The Transparency Paradox: Private vs Public

Two potential barriers to understanding investments are opacity (lack of transparency) and complexity.

Dec 26, 2023

Decoding Risks in Structured Products - 3 min

Structured Products: Counterparty Risk

Structured products often involve counterparties other than the issuers. Our last article discussed how problems faced by the issuers of structured products endanger the returns of an otherwise well-performing product. This article examines the risk of other counterparties in structured products.

Oct 8, 2023

Decoding Risks in Structured Products - 3 min

Structured Products: Issuer Risk

Our last article looked at “market risk,” or the risk that market conditions might cause asset prices to move unexpectedly.

Sep 17, 2023

Decoding Risks in Structured Products - 4 min

Structured Products: Market Risk

Our last article introduced some of the risks in structured products that are “hidden” in their design and hard to mitigate.

Sep 5, 2023

Decoding Risks in Structured Products - 4 min

Structured Products: Return Without Risk?

Investors must balance risk and return. An investment that has the potential for high returns—like a promising technology startup—also risks failure and reducing its stock price to zero. Safe assets like US government bonds that feature very low risk have very low or even negative returns after inflation.

Aug 21, 2023

Decoding Risks in Structured Products - 3 min

After the Bull Market: What Next?

The investing landscape has changed fundamentally over the past 18 months. The global economy remains strong, but a new era of high interest rates and a shrinking money supply might end the bull market that has persisted largely since 2009.^[1] Good returns may be harder to achieve through simple, passive investing strategies. Investors must seek other ways for growth.

Aug 17, 2023