Alternative Investment

The Alternative Investment Market (AIM) is a sub-market of the London Stock Exchange, allowing smaller companies to float shares with a more flexible regulatory system than is applicable to the Main Market. The AIM was launched in 1995 and has raised almost £24 billion for more than 2,200 companies. Flexibility is provided by less regulation and no requirements for capitalisation or number of shares issued.

Some companies have since moved on to join the Main Market, although in the last few years, significantly more companies transferred from the Main Market to the AIM (The AIM has significant tax advantages for investors, as well as less regulatory burden for the companies themselves). In 2005, 40 companies moved directly from the Main Market to the AIM, while only two companies moved from the AIM to the Main Market.

A prized asset in the Alternative Investment is gold bullion. It proved the most reliable wealth-store during the vicious inflation of the late 1970s. Yet almost un-noticed, gold has once again been the best-performing asset bar none this decade, too.

It doesn't matter which currency you earn, spend or invest. Gold has dominated the 21st century so far – facts which will look plain to future investors, although only a small amount appreciate it today. Indeed, global demand for gold jumped 26% at the end of 2008, according to the GFMS consultancy, just as the US, British and Swiss central banks moved to begin quantitative easing – a.k.a. printing money.  buying and selling gold can now be much simpler and safer than during gold’s last multi-year run. It should be substantially cheaper as well. Time to get on board the Gold Run and invest wisely!