I was recently speaking with a pension officer, and asked him about investment opportunities he was looking for. He replied “Well, we are actively looking for a good emerging markets fund”. The investor was interested in emerging markets because he believed they have significant appreciation opportunities uncorrelated to the U.S.... Continue reading

I recently had a conversation with a manager about what many investors say, and what they really mean when they say it. As a third-party marketer, I would often start the conversation with is “what strategies are you looking for?” Or “what kinds of allocations are you looking to fill?”... Continue reading

Your fund fits into one (or more) standard bucket – long/short equity, global macro, distressed debt, event-driven, etc. These monikers are ubiquitous in the industry, and investors will ask for them by name. Despite this, these buckets are completely counterproductive in your marketing pitch, and you must learn to look... Continue reading

Years ago I had the pleasure of sitting in a meeting with a well-known black box algorithmic fund and a potential investor. The investor began asking questions about investment process and the black box consistently gave vague non-answers. The investor got frustrated but continued asking pointed questions about the investment... Continue reading

Investor update letters are some of the most important marketing collateral that any hedge fund (or any investment firm) produces. Warren Buffett famously built a brand for himself around his annual letters to shareholders. Bridgewater’s daily observations have become a staple in the industry and have boosted their brand considerably.... Continue reading

This is a long post only because I believe your investment and personal philosophy is the single most important marketing tool you have. It’s also an area where most hedge funds lack severely. Philosophy Vs. Process Many funds try to write out or articulate a philosophy, but it often morphs... Continue reading

We wanted to thank everyone for the positive feedback from our article on Top 5 Hedge Fund Marketing Mistakes. Based on your emails we've put together another list of 5 tips. We hope this helps with your capital raising efforts. Here are 5 common mistakes many hedge funds make when... Continue reading

As most hedge fund investors will attest, finding managers with a true ‘edge’ is an incredibly challenging task. There are 13,000 hedge funds in existence, and every one of them claims to have an edge over the others. We can't claim to pinpoint the right combination of skills and experiences... Continue reading

From our experiences as investors and marketers we have seen a lot (and much of it is quite ugly). Here is a sample of 5 mistakes to avoid. 5. Neglecting PR Opportunities PR? But what about mass-solicitation rules... Ray Dalio, founder of Bridgewater was recently featured on the cover of... Continue reading

In a previous post we showed reasons WHY the mutual fund industry is losing market share to alternatives and ETFs. The actual numbers are extremely telling of the realities going on in the industry right now. Mutual funds have been the dominating force in the finance industry since 1940, yet... Continue reading

ClaritySpring was born out of my frustration as an institutional hedge fund investor. My team and I met with hundreds of hedge funds on behalf of our family office clients. Often, we left those meetings incredibly impressed with the clever strategies, colorful personalities, and unique perspectives on the market from... Continue reading

Earlier in the year, SEI reported that 70% of institutions cite transparency as their top concern when considering hedge fund investments[i]. Despite the broad investor demand for transparency, the typical allocation process is still completely arcane. I came from the buy-side as a consultant for FactSet working primarily with equities... Continue reading

Mutual funds were codified into law with the Investment Company Act of 1940 and have been a mainstay of the investment community for over 70 years. At the time, they were a cutting edge way to repackage the instruments of the day, stocks and bonds, into a diversified entity with... Continue reading