Not All Private Credit Is the Same: How to Generate Income Without Getting Caught in the Wrong Deals

Private credit is getting a lot of attention right now, but not all private credit investments behave the same. With equity deals under pressure and public markets volatile, many investors are sitting on cash or searching for stable income without fully understanding how different credit strategies actually work. In this session, Whitney Elkins-Hutten, director of investor education at PassiveInvesting.com, will break down the key differences across private credit, including real estate-backed lending, structured notes, and corporate credit. She will explain where risk shows up in each, why chasing yield can backfire, and how structure impacts income, liquidity, and capital preservation. You’ll learn how to evaluate private credit opportunities, how to distinguish between stable income strategies and higher-risk lending, and how to decide if and where private credit fits within your overall portfolio allocation.