<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Long-term investing can feel more difficult when headlines are loud and markets seem unpredictable.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">What happens when investors stop reacting to daily noise and start thinking like institutions that plan decades ahead?</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In this episode, Robert Curtiss welcomes Chris Schelling, CAIA, Managing Director at Aksia, to explore how private markets have shaped institutional portfolios and why </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">some individual investors may now gain access to approaches like those used by institutions, depending on account type, regulatory eligibility, and minimum investment requirements.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> They break down private equity, private credit, liquidity planning, diversification across vintages, and the importance of manager selection. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The conversation also touches on volatility, long-term return expectations, and what advisors and investors should look for when evaluating alternative investments.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Key takeaways:</span></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">How institutional investors approach private markets — and what does that mean for access and implementation for individual investors </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">with long-term horizons and diversified portfolios</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Why private equity and private credit returns differ from public markets over multi-year periods</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The role of liquidity planning and why private investments are not truly locked up for a decade</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Why manager selection matters more in private markets than in public equities</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">How simplified structures have made private investments easier for individual investors to access</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">And more!</span></li> </ul> <p><b>Resources:</b></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.seia.com/team/robert-curtiss/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Educational videos (bottom of the page)</span></a></li> </ul> <p><b>Connect with Chris Schelling:</b></p> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-schelling/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">LinkedIn: Christopher Schelling</span></a></li> <li><a href="https://www.aksia.com/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Website: Aksia</span><b><br /> </b></a></li> </ul> <p><b>Connect with Robert Curtiss:</b></p> <ul> <li><a href="mailto:[email protected]"><span style="font-weight: 400;">[email protected]</span></a></li> <li><span style="font-weight: 400;">(626) 795-2944</span></li> <li><a href="https://www.seia.com/team/robert-curtiss/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">About Robert Curtiss </span></a></li> <li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertcurtisscwm/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">LinkedIn:</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Robert Curtiss</span></a></li> <li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheRobertJCurtiss"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Facebook: Robert Curtiss</span></a></li> <li><a href="https://www.seia.com/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">SEIA</span></a></li> <li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/signature-estate-&amp;-investment-advisors-llc/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">LinkedIn: SEIA</span></a></li> </ul> <p><b>About Our Guest:</b></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Chris Schelling is an investor, advisor, and published author. With degrees in psychology, business, and finance, Chris is an expert at incorporating insights from behavioral finance into investment decision-making. During his 20+ year tenure in the investment industry, building portfolios, mostly focused on alternatives, Chris has met with over 4,000 managers and allocated roughly $7 billion, generating top quartile to top decile returns across hedge funds, real assets, private credit, and private equity.</span></p>