In ancient times (pre-QE #4, or some may say QE Infinity), portfolios were allocated among three or four asset classes: cash, bonds, and stocks, with alternative investments sometimes thrown into the asset allocation mix. Alternative investments could include hedge funds, precious metals, and real estate. The determining factors for asset allocation should be the investor’s age, the investor’s risk profile, their need for income, and the length of time until the investments are considered necessary to be converted into spendable cash. However, with the advent of zero interest rates, these asset categories have been turned