In this investment/saving environment, there seem to be very few attractive alternatives available.  interest rates are low, so certificates of deposit and money market funds don't look very enticing.  Stocks have been in a steady decline, and high oil prices and credit worries and housing problems aren't going away.
 
There are pockets of opportunity like international agriculture, alternative energy, water, and other that seem to be increasing despite the general decline in stocks. Mutual funds exist that concentrate on these areas, but mutual funds tend to be inefficient in taxable accounts. the lack of efficiency is due to the requirement that mutual funds constantly buy and sell, and this generates taxable income even in years when the fund, and there are many, is down.
 
Unit trusts provide attractive alternatives to both of the problems cited: low yields and poor tax efficiency.  There are currently unit trusts, tax free, that offer yields of close to 5%, and require only a two year time commitment.
 
Unit trusts also enable you to invest in agriculture, energy, water and other potentially profitable investment sectors without the tax inefficiencies of mutual funds. They provide this benefit coupled with a short time frame. Many trusts have a life of just two years. Since there are no distributions of taxable income until maturity, the trusts don't generate tax like mutual funds. At maturity, you can pick and choose the equities that you want to keep and those you want to sell, enabling you to match losers and winners and potentially pay no tax.  Nearly all tax recognition from unit trusts is long term capital gain, lightly taxed.
 
We have used unit trusts in our practice for years, while many advisors are unaware of their benefits.  For the frustrated many, investigation of unit trusts as alternatives for income and investment is a worthwhile exercise.