Options, Crypto, and Crowdfunding: Risk Assessment

The source, an episode script from the podcast "All Things Investing," provides a detailed overview of three high-risk alternative investment options for retail investors: options trading, cryptocurrency, and equity crowdfunding. The host thoroughly explores the mechanics, potential for massive gains, and extreme volatility or illiquidity associated with each, emphasizing that most participants lose money due to complexity and speculation. While acknowledging that these investments have been democratized, the script repeatedly warns novice investors against participation, stressing that successful use requires significant knowledge, skill, and robust risk management. Ultimately, the host advises that these speculative tools should only constitute a small percentage of a portfolio, and only after an investor has established a solid foundation using traditional, less exciting investments.