Our Programmes
Three Courses, One Direction
From an introduction to gold through to a comprehensive review of alternative assets in a pre-retirement portfolio — each programme is complete in itself and builds naturally on the last.
← Back to HomeOur Methodology
How We Teach
Each programme follows a consistent structure: pre-session reading is circulated before each module, session time is devoted to discussion and clarification, and written materials are provided for participants to keep and return to.
Content is sequenced deliberately. We begin with the historical record — what gold and various alternative assets have actually done over long periods — before examining the cost structures of different access routes and the specific considerations relevant to pre-retirees.
No present-day market views are offered. The aim is to develop analytical capability, not to provide a current recommendation.
Pre-session reading
Circulated before each module. Participants arrive prepared to engage, not to receive.
Small-group discussion
Session time is for questions, working through complexity, and examining the evidence together.
Written materials to keep
Designed as reference documents. Participants annotate and return to them over the years.
Post-completion access
Six months of follow-up access to the teaching team, included in every course fee.
Programme 01
Gold and Precious Metals: A Calm Overview
4 Weeks · HKD 1,680
A four-week course for learners in their 40s and 50s who want to understand gold and other precious metals as possible portfolio components — before deciding whether they belong in their own holdings.
Topics include how gold has behaved over long periods, the forms in which it can be held by Hong Kong investors (physical, pooled, ETF), the cost structures of each, and the historical questions that remain open about its role.
No present-day recommendations are made. The course prepares participants to evaluate claims and costs, and to arrive at a considered view of their own.
What the course covers
Long-run historical behaviour of gold — including periods where it underperformed
Physical gold, pooled accounts and ETFs: differences in cost, custody and liquidity
Other precious metals — silver, platinum, palladium — and their distinct characteristics
The open academic debate about gold's portfolio role: what each position actually claims
Questions a Hong Kong–based investor should ask before allocating
Programme 02
Alternative Assets Primer
6 Weeks · HKD 2,480
A six-week programme covering the broader landscape of alternative assets: gold and metals, commodities more widely, listed infrastructure, and the accessible corners of private markets.
Modules cover the cost and liquidity differences between alternatives and traditional asset classes, the careful questions to ask before making any alternative allocation, and the share these assets typically hold in well-constructed long-horizon portfolios — which is generally small.
The programme extends the Gold and Precious Metals course but is designed to be taken independently by those who prefer a wider starting point.
What the programme covers
Gold and precious metals revisited in broader context
Commodities: energy, agriculture, industrial metals — how they behave and how to access them
Listed infrastructure: characteristics, yield profiles, HK-accessible vehicles
Accessible private markets: what is and is not reachable for individual HK investors
Typical allocation sizes in long-horizon portfolios: why the share is usually small
Programme 03
Alternative Assets in Retirement Portfolios
10 Weeks · HKD 3,080
The most comprehensive Golden Abacus programme, designed for pre-retirees considering a measured alternative-asset allocation as part of a long-horizon portfolio review.
Modules cover the role of alternatives in dampening portfolio volatility over long horizons, the honest accounting of higher cost structures, access routes available to individual Hong Kong investors, and the disciplined question of what share — often small — is appropriate given individual circumstances.
Each participant completes a written self-review of their current holdings during the programme. This is a private document that participants keep and can work with independently afterwards.
What the programme covers
Volatility, correlation and the actual mechanics of portfolio dampening over long horizons
Full cost accounting: management fees, custody, spread and tax treatment for HK investors
Access routes: ETFs, unit trusts, listed companies and direct holdings compared
The discipline of allocation sizing: frameworks for deciding what share is appropriate
Written self-review of current holdings — a structured, private document for each participant
Which Programme?
Choosing the Right Starting Point
| Feature / Content | Gold Overview HKD 1,680 |
Alt. Assets Primer HKD 2,480 |
Retirement Portfolio HKD 3,080 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration | 4 weeks | 6 weeks | 10 weeks |
| Gold and precious metals | |||
| Commodities and infrastructure | |||
| Access routes for HK investors | |||
| Full portfolio allocation framework | |||
| Written personal holdings self-review | |||
| Post-completion educator access (6 months) |
Not sure where to begin?
Contact us and describe your current level of familiarity with the subject. We will suggest the most appropriate starting point — which is sometimes not the shortest programme, and sometimes not the longest. There is no pressure to enrol in anything you have not considered carefully.
Shared Standards
Across All Programmes
Privacy
Participant data is never shared with third parties. What is discussed in sessions remains within the group.
Cited Sources
Every empirical claim in our written materials carries a source reference. Participants can check anything we say.
No Affiliations
No referral arrangements. No affiliated products. Revenue from course fees only.
Annual Review
Content is reviewed each year. When evidence changes the picture, we update the materials accordingly.
Ready to Enquire?
Send a message describing your background and questions. We will respond thoughtfully and without any sales pressure.