May 13, 2025

“This Is Cool”: Bloomberg Covers Basic Capital Launch

“This Is Cool”: Bloomberg Covers Basic Capital Launch

“This Is Cool”: Bloomberg Covers Basic Capital Launch

Their in-depth coverage offers the first look at the product and its operations — and why it represents such a departure from how retirement accounts have traditionally worked.

This week, Bloomberg’s Suzanne Woolley published an exclusive on Basic Capital’s public launch from the business desk, followed by columnist Matt Levine, who explored our product further in his Money Stuff newsletter — decisively calling the concept “cool.” 

Levine’s May 13 edition, “Mortgage Your 401(k),” builds on Woolley’s reporting. Together, their in-depth coverage offers the first look at the product and its operations — and why it represents such a departure from how retirement accounts have traditionally worked.

Levine’s piece stands out for its clear grasp of both the mechanics and intent of the offering. He even followed up further in his May 14 edition to emphasize “why you might leverage up your retirement accounts, particularly as a young professional.” 

Basic Capital’s model is sophisticated by design, and admittedly easy to misinterpret at a glance. Levine cuts through the complexity with a real gift for explanation, capturing both the structure and the spirit of what we’re building.

“This Is Cool”

As Levine correctly asserts, the traditional retirement system is built around the idea of modest, long-term accumulation. Save steadily, invest conservatively, and hope it adds up over time. But what if a 30-year-old saver actually should be putting double (or even five times) their net worth into long-term assets like stocks or diversified portfolios?

Levine makes that case better than most and presents Basic Capital as a structural response:




What percentage of her net worth should a 30-year-old professional have in the stock market? . . . There is, however, a good theoretical case that the right answer is really 200%, or 500%: Most of a young professional’s economic wealth is the present value of her future employment income, and borrowing money to buy more stocks is a good way to diversify away from that one risky asset.

. . .A mortgage on a house is a pretty standard product in the US, but a mortgage on a retirement account is not.

This is cool. There are already various ways to get leverage in your stock portfolio…but they tend to be focused on the short term and prone to blowing up. This is not that: This is . . . something much closer to a mortgage.

The comparison to a mortgage works not just as a metaphor, but as a structural parallel: preferred equity financing, no margin calls, and no personal recourse. 

The IRA owns the LLC; the LLC secures the financing. Just like a house secures a mortgage, the investment portfolio secures the capital (not the individual). 

This unlocks leverage without exposing savers to short-term volatility or the risk of margin calls.

Why Bonds Come First

One of the most common misconceptions about leveraging a retirement account is the assumption that it must mean “leveraged equities.” But capital structure matters, especially when it comes to interest payments. If an investment doesn’t generate income, the cost of borrowing can outweigh the benefits. That’s why Basic Capital prioritizes positive carry by focusing first on bonds, rather than stocks.

Levine breaks this down clearly:




The problem with borrowing a lot of money to buy stocks for retirement is that it has negative carry: It requires you to pay cash every month, rather than bringing in cash.

. . . Who would lend you money to buy stocks with (1) a five-year term, (2) no margin calls, (3) no recourse to you, (4) a fairly low interest rate . . . and (5) an 80% loan-to-value ratio?”

Basic Capital is well aware of these problems, and it has a solution: Instead of buying stocks in your levered retirement account, you mostly buy bonds. The bonds will give you steady cash flow to cover the interest payments, so you don’t need to pay out of pocket.

That solution — to allocate most capital to income-generating bonds — is a core feature that allows the portfolio to support itself. As explained in Woolley’s initial write-up, the strategy uses diversified bond ETFs and private credit to ensure that expected yield exceeds borrowing costs, while still preserving upside through equity exposure:



But, the thinking goes, the startup can find private credit investments from the major players in the industry that yield more like 9%, meaning they will throw off enough cash to cover the borrowing costs and then some. Mix in some traditional stock-market exposure, and — assuming those private credit yields persist and that equities gain in line with historical averages — the startup said savers can expect low double-digit returns.

You can read Woolley’s full story here, and Levine’s Money Stuff newsletter here.

This isn't your standard 401(k).

Meet the 401(k) that actually gets your team retirement ready.

This isn't your standard 401(k).

Meet the 401(k) that actually gets your team retirement ready.

This isn't your standard 401(k).

Meet the 401(k) that actually gets your team retirement ready.

No communication by Basic Capital Group Inc. ("BCG"), or any of its affiliates (collectively, "Basic Capital"), through this website or any other medium, should be construed or is intended to be a recommendation to purchase, sell or hold any security or otherwise to be investment, tax, financial, accounting, legal, regulatory or compliance advice, except for specific investment advice that may be provided by Basic Capital Advisors, LLC pursuant to a written advisory agreement between such entity and the recipient.

The accounts, strategies and/or investments discussed in this material may not be suitable for all investors. The appropriateness of a particular account or investment strategy will depend on an investor’s individual circumstances and objectives. Investors should carefully consider their investment objectives and risks, as well as charges and expenses of Basic Capital before investing. Basic Capital investments should only be part of your overall investment portfolio.

This website provides preliminary and general information about the Securities and is intended for initial reference purposes only. It does not summarize or compile all the applicable information. This website does not constitute an offer to sell or buy any securities. No offer or sale of any Securities will occur without the delivery of confidential offering materials and related documents. This information contained herein is qualified by and subject to more detailed information in the applicable offering materials.

Any financial projections or returns shown on the website are estimated predictions of performance only, are hypothetical, are not based on actual investment results and are not guarantees of future results. Estimated projections do not represent or guarantee the actual results of any transaction, and no representation is made that any transaction will, or is likely to, achieve results or profits similar to those shown. In addition, other financial metrics and calculations shown on the website (including amounts of principal and interest repaid) have not been independently verified or audited and may differ from the actual financial metrics and calculations for any investment, which are contained in the investors’ portfolios. Any investment information contained herein has been secured from sources that Basic Capital believes are reliable, but we make no representations or warranties as to the accuracy of such information and accept no liability therefore.

Basic Capital is not a bank. Certain services are offered through Plaid, Fragment, Apex and Footprint and none of such entities is affiliated with Basic Capital. By using the services offered by any of these entities you acknowledge and accept their respective disclosures and agreements, as applicable.

Articles or information from third-party media outside of this domain may discuss Basic Capital or relate to information contained herein, but Basic Capital does not approve and is not responsible for such content.

The description of our investment policy and eligibility criteria is provided solely to outline the parameters of our platform and the types of assets it may support. This information is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as investment advice, a recommendation, or an offer to buy or sell any security. Participation decisions are the sole responsibility of each investor, who should rely on their own judgment and, where appropriate, the advice of independent professional advisers.

Our site uses a third party service to match browser cookies to your mailing address. We then use another company to send special offers through the mail on our behalf.

Basic Capital, 137 Grand Street, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10013. 855-800-8322

© 2025 Basic Capital. All rights reserved

No communication by Basic Capital Group Inc. ("BCG"), or any of its affiliates (collectively, "Basic Capital"), through this website or any other medium, should be construed or is intended to be a recommendation to purchase, sell or hold any security or otherwise to be investment, tax, financial, accounting, legal, regulatory or compliance advice, except for specific investment advice that may be provided by Basic Capital Advisors, LLC pursuant to a written advisory agreement between such entity and the recipient.

The accounts, strategies and/or investments discussed in this material may not be suitable for all investors. The appropriateness of a particular account or investment strategy will depend on an investor’s individual circumstances and objectives. Investors should carefully consider their investment objectives and risks, as well as charges and expenses of Basic Capital before investing. Basic Capital investments should only be part of your overall investment portfolio.

This website provides preliminary and general information about the Securities and is intended for initial reference purposes only. It does not summarize or compile all the applicable information. This website does not constitute an offer to sell or buy any securities. No offer or sale of any Securities will occur without the delivery of confidential offering materials and related documents. This information contained herein is qualified by and subject to more detailed information in the applicable offering materials.

Any financial projections or returns shown on the website are estimated predictions of performance only, are hypothetical, are not based on actual investment results and are not guarantees of future results. Estimated projections do not represent or guarantee the actual results of any transaction, and no representation is made that any transaction will, or is likely to, achieve results or profits similar to those shown. In addition, other financial metrics and calculations shown on the website (including amounts of principal and interest repaid) have not been independently verified or audited and may differ from the actual financial metrics and calculations for any investment, which are contained in the investors’ portfolios. Any investment information contained herein has been secured from sources that Basic Capital believes are reliable, but we make no representations or warranties as to the accuracy of such information and accept no liability therefore.

Basic Capital is not a bank. Certain services are offered through Plaid, Fragment, Apex and Footprint and none of such entities is affiliated with Basic Capital. By using the services offered by any of these entities you acknowledge and accept their respective disclosures and agreements, as applicable.

Articles or information from third-party media outside of this domain may discuss Basic Capital or relate to information contained herein, but Basic Capital does not approve and is not responsible for such content.

The description of our investment policy and eligibility criteria is provided solely to outline the parameters of our platform and the types of assets it may support. This information is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as investment advice, a recommendation, or an offer to buy or sell any security. Participation decisions are the sole responsibility of each investor, who should rely on their own judgment and, where appropriate, the advice of independent professional advisers.

Our site uses a third party service to match browser cookies to your mailing address. We then use another company to send special offers through the mail on our behalf.

Basic Capital, 137 Grand Street, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10013. 855-800-8322

© 2025 Basic Capital. All rights reserved

No communication by Basic Capital Group Inc. ("BCG"), or any of its affiliates (collectively, "Basic Capital"), through this website or any other medium, should be construed or is intended to be a recommendation to purchase, sell or hold any security or otherwise to be investment, tax, financial, accounting, legal, regulatory or compliance advice, except for specific investment advice that may be provided by Basic Capital Advisors, LLC pursuant to a written advisory agreement between such entity and the recipient.

The accounts, strategies and/or investments discussed in this material may not be suitable for all investors. The appropriateness of a particular account or investment strategy will depend on an investor’s individual circumstances and objectives. Investors should carefully consider their investment objectives and risks, as well as charges and expenses of Basic Capital before investing. Basic Capital investments should only be part of your overall investment portfolio.

This website provides preliminary and general information about the Securities and is intended for initial reference purposes only. It does not summarize or compile all the applicable information. This website does not constitute an offer to sell or buy any securities. No offer or sale of any Securities will occur without the delivery of confidential offering materials and related documents. This information contained herein is qualified by and subject to more detailed information in the applicable offering materials.

Any financial projections or returns shown on the website are estimated predictions of performance only, are hypothetical, are not based on actual investment results and are not guarantees of future results. Estimated projections do not represent or guarantee the actual results of any transaction, and no representation is made that any transaction will, or is likely to, achieve results or profits similar to those shown. In addition, other financial metrics and calculations shown on the website (including amounts of principal and interest repaid) have not been independently verified or audited and may differ from the actual financial metrics and calculations for any investment, which are contained in the investors’ portfolios. Any investment information contained herein has been secured from sources that Basic Capital believes are reliable, but we make no representations or warranties as to the accuracy of such information and accept no liability therefore.

Basic Capital is not a bank. Certain services are offered through Plaid, Fragment, Apex and Footprint and none of such entities is affiliated with Basic Capital. By using the services offered by any of these entities you acknowledge and accept their respective disclosures and agreements, as applicable.

Articles or information from third-party media outside of this domain may discuss Basic Capital or relate to information contained herein, but Basic Capital does not approve and is not responsible for such content.

The description of our investment policy and eligibility criteria is provided solely to outline the parameters of our platform and the types of assets it may support. This information is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as investment advice, a recommendation, or an offer to buy or sell any security. Participation decisions are the sole responsibility of each investor, who should rely on their own judgment and, where appropriate, the advice of independent professional advisers.

Our site uses a third party service to match browser cookies to your mailing address. We then use another company to send special offers through the mail on our behalf.

Basic Capital, 137 Grand Street, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10013. 855-800-8322

© 2025 Basic Capital. All rights reserved