Method of protecting an initial investment value of an investment

1. A method of protecting at least a portion of an initial investment value of an investment made by one or more investors, comprising the steps of:

providing a regulated investment company;

selecting a set of put option-based instruments having a first underlying reference and a set of call option-based instruments having a second underlying reference, the first underlying reference being the same as or substantially correlated to the second underlying reference, so that the set of put option-based instruments and the set of call option-based instruments collectively meet a diversification requirement for the regulated investment company;

determining using an option-based instrument calculator:

a first value of the set of put option-based instruments at initial investment of the set of put option-based instruments; and

a second value of the set of call option-based instruments at initial investment of the set of call option-based instruments, so that the sum of the first value and the second value is less than the initial investment value;

holding positions using the regulated investment company in the set of put option-based instruments and the set of call option-based instruments, so that the sets of put option-based instruments and call option-based instruments provide the at least a portion of the initial investment value at maturity of the investment; and

making available the at least a portion of the initial investment value to the one or more investors upon the maturity of the investment.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the regulated investment company is of a type selected from the following list of regulated investment company types: unit investment trust, close-ended fund and open-ended fund.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the set of put option-based instruments and the set of call option-based instruments comprise at least one option instrument.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the call option-based instruments are issued by the same entity as the put option-based instruments.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the call option-based instruments are issued by an entity that is different from an entity that issues the put option-based instruments.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the calls and puts are each of a type selected from the following list of call and put types: registered warrants, over-the-counter options, exchange traded options, forward contracts, exchange traded market-linked notes, publicly registered market-linked notes, other types of market-linked notes, exempt securities, certificate of deposit, and private placement instruments.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the regulated investment company holds a diverse set of stocks and securities.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the diverse set of stocks and securities are held in the form of options or a financial instrument the value of which varies based on an index calculated based on the diverse set of stocks and securities.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the regulated investment company holds a long position in the set of put option-based instruments and a long position in the set of call option-based instruments.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the regulated investment company holds a short position in the set of put option-based instruments and a short position in the set of call option-based instruments.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the regulated investment company holds a long position in the set of put option-based instruments and a short position in the set of call option-based instruments.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the regulated investment company holds a short position in the set of put option-based instruments and a long position in the set of call option-based instruments.

13. A method of protecting at least a portion of an initial investment value of an investment made by one or more investors, comprising the steps of:

providing a regulated investment company;

selecting a first set of option-based instruments having a first underlying reference and a second set of option-based instruments having a second underlying reference, the first underlying reference being the same as or substantially correlated to the second underlying reference, so that the first set of option-based instruments and the second set of option-based instruments collectively meet a diversification requirement for the regulated investment company;

determining using an option-based instrument calculator:

a first value of the first set of option-based instruments at initial investment of the first set of option-based instruments; and

a second value of the second set of option-based instruments at initial investment of the second set of option-based instruments, so that the sum of the first value and the second value is less than the initial investment value;

holding positions using the regulated investment company in the first set of option-based instruments and the second set of option-based instruments, so that the first and second sets of option-based instruments provide the at least a portion of the initial investment value at maturity of the investment; and

making available the at least a portion of the initial investment value to the one or more investors upon the maturity of the investment.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the first and second sets of option-based instruments are made up of call option-based instruments, put option-based instruments, or combinations of call option-based instruments and put option-based instruments.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the positions are long positions, short positions, or combinations of long and short positions.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the option-based instruments are each of a type selected from the following list of option-based instrument types: registered warrants, over-the-counter options, exchange traded options, forward contracts, exchange traded market-linked notes, publicly registered market-linked notes, other types of market-linked notes, exempt securities, certificates of deposit, and private placement instruments.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the at least a portion of the initial investment value is at least 50% of the initial investment value.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the set of option-based instruments has a total notional amount of at least 50% of the at least a portion of the initial investment value.

19. The method of claim 13 , wherein the regulated investment company is of a type selected from the following list of regulated investment company types: unit investment trust, close-ended fund and open-ended fund.

20. The method of claim 13 , wherein the regulated investment company holds a diverse set of stocks and securities.