Advanced investment strategies and alternative assets

Private equity and venture capital

Commits capital to private companies through long-duration funds, co-investments or direct holdings, with returns dependent on business execution, manager access and eventual exits.

Request a private strategy reviewUnderstand the strategy

Watch The Overview

An educational overview of Private equity and venture capital.

This video explains the planning question, how the strategy is generally used, and the important limitations and tradeoffs to consider. It is provided for general education only and is not individualized investment, legal, tax, accounting, or insurance advice.

Strategy Overview

The decision at a glance.

The right question is not whether a strategy sounds attractive. It is whether its benefits, costs and obligations improve your complete plan versus practical alternatives.

When it may be worth considering
You have a long time horizon, reliable liquid reserves and the capacity to fund unpredictable capital calls and withstand a total loss.
Things to consider
Investments are illiquid, difficult to value and often expensive. Capital calls, delayed distributions, leverage, concentration, manager selection and conflicts can dominate results.
How Helix can help
We build a pacing and commitment plan, evaluate managers and terms, model cash flows and integrate private holdings with public-market and estate planning.

A Closer Look

How this strategy works in practice.

These are the mechanics and decisions worth understanding before you spend time or money pursuing a detailed design.

01

How it generally works

  1. You commit capital that a manager can call over an investment period to acquire or finance private companies.
  2. Value is created or lost through growth, operations, leverage and eventual sales, recapitalizations or public offerings.
  3. Distributions are uncertain, and returned capital may arrive while later commitments are still being called.
02

Questions worth answering

  • Can your liquidity plan fund capital calls during a recession without selling other assets?
  • How much performance comes from operating results versus leverage, valuation changes and subscription lines?
  • What fees, carried interest, recycling rights and conflicts apply across the fund and its affiliates?

Prepare For A Useful Conversation

Information worth gathering.

You do not need every item before starting. These materials help replace generic assumptions with facts from your financial life.

  • 01A complete investment inventory including private holdings, derivatives and unfunded commitments
  • 02Tax basis, realized gains and losses, and recent federal and state tax returns
  • 03Offering documents, fee schedules, liquidity terms and manager performance records
  • 04A cash-flow stress test covering capital calls, margin demands and restricted redemptions

From Interest To Informed Action

A disciplined path from education to implementation.

  1. 01

    Explain

    Clarify what private equity and venture capital is designed to accomplish and where it may not fit.

  2. 02

    Consider

    Share your goal, timing, decision-makers and relevant assets through a brief, private planning form.

  3. 03

    Discover

    Meet privately so we can understand your broader family, business, tax, estate and investment picture.

  4. 04

    Analyze

    Compare the strategy with simpler alternatives using consistent assumptions and downside scenarios.

  5. 05

    Coordinate

    Work with your attorney, CPA, insurance professional or other specialist before implementation.

  6. 06

    Monitor

    Review assumptions, documents, funding and results as laws, markets and your circumstances change.

Common Questions

Things to consider before you decide.

What is Private equity and venture capital?

Commits capital to private companies through long-duration funds, co-investments or direct holdings, with returns dependent on business execution, manager access and eventual exits.

Who might consider this strategy?

You have a long time horizon, reliable liquid reserves and the capacity to fund unpredictable capital calls and withstand a total loss.

What are the key risks and tradeoffs?

Investments are illiquid, difficult to value and often expensive. Capital calls, delayed distributions, leverage, concentration, manager selection and conflicts can dominate results.

What role does Helix Wealth play?

We build a pacing and commitment plan, evaluate managers and terms, model cash flows and integrate private holdings with public-market and estate planning.

Your Next Step

Could private equity and venture capital improve your plan?

Tell us what you are considering through a brief, private planning form. If deeper analysis could be useful, the next step is a private discovery meeting focused on your circumstances.

Tell us what you are consideringNo recommendation is made until Helix understands your circumstances.

Primary Sources

Read the rules behind the strategy.

These government and regulatory resources are the starting point for this guide. They are not a substitute for advice based on your circumstances.

Source review completed August 2026.
Investor.gov — Private equity fundsSEC investor overview of long holding periods, valuation, fees, conflicts and withdrawal limits.Visit source ↗Investor.gov — Private placements under Regulation DSEC investor guidance on illiquidity, limited disclosure, restricted securities and total-loss risk.Visit source ↗Investor.gov — DiversificationSEC investor guidance on spreading risk across investments and asset classes.Visit source ↗

Related Planning Decisions

Exchange-listed box spread financing

Uses four exchange-listed index options with the same expiration to create a fixed future payment. Selling the box can produce cash today against eligible brokerage collateral, with the difference between proceeds and the fixed settlement functioning economically like financing cost.

Read the strategy guide →

Synthetic prepaid variable forward and collar

Combines an exchange-listed collar on concentrated stock with separate box-spread financing to create upfront liquidity, a downside floor and a capped upside range without using a single over-the-counter bank forward.

Read the strategy guide →

Exchange fund diversification

Eligible investors contribute concentrated stock to a private partnership in exchange for an interest in a diversified pool, generally accepting a long holding period, partnership taxation and exposure to the pool’s other assets.

Read the strategy guide →
Important planning information

This page is educational and is not individualized investment, legal, tax, accounting or insurance advice. Strategy availability and results depend on your circumstances, current law, underwriting, product terms and professional implementation. No strategy eliminates risk, and tax outcomes are not guaranteed. Insurance services are offered only where appropriately licensed. Separately licensed representatives may receive insurance commissions, which creates a conflict of interest described in the firm's disclosures. Options, derivatives, margin and private investments can involve leverage, forced liquidation, limited liquidity, uncertain valuation and loss of the entire investment. Eligibility requirements and offering terms may limit availability.

Begin

Explore whether private equity and venture capital fits your plan.

Start with a private conversation about the goal, timing and decisions already in motion. Helix will help determine whether deeper analysis is appropriate.

Office317-743-2748

A few basic contact details are enough to start. Information you submit is handled under our privacy practices. Privacy Policy

Strategy of interestPrivate equity and venture capital
This anti-spam check helps keep automated submissions out.