Sources for notes. Let's discuss!

[Peter Lipschutz]

As a new investor in NPNs, I’m having trouble deciding which source I should pursue when shopping for notes. I’m currently not trying to build a business, just invest my own funds. I’m looking to buy 1-2 notes a month. Here are my thoughts:

Small banks/credit unions - A lot of upfront work to build the relationship and I may not have enough volume to justify the effort.

Small hedge funds - My gut feeling is that by the time that tape gets to the individual investor, most of the “cream” has been skimmed off. That’s not the end of the world as long as I can review a decent number of tapes each month and look for the few notes that meet my criteria. Also, what are the reputable funds and how do I find them? Are good hedge fund lists available for $$?

Exchanges/individual investors - I see two big problems. You have no idea who the sellers are, and the notes have so much exposure that they’re probably over-priced.

I realize sources are a tightly guarded secret, but some general guidelines would be helpful.

I’d love to hear from some of the more experienced players out there.

Thanks!

[Bob Malecki]

I would say that most of us as relatively small note investors are scouring those tapes which are generally the tail end of larger tapes/portfolios distributed by smaller equity funds. Occassionally you can find a gem that meets your criteria on FCI Exchange or other online sources like NotesDirect. To get to the 'cream' have at least $500K available to take down a larger tape and then sell off those you don't want. 

As far as contacting banks and CUs, I don't find that to be an efficient use of any small investor's time.

Bob