Flexible benefits

The start of the year 2001 has seen equity prices continue to fall. One, but by no means the only, example of this is the FTSE 100, which closed at 5,314.80 on 22 March 2001, a fall of more than 20% from its peak closing value of 6,930.20 on 30 December 1999. This kind of dramatic reduction has led many investors, and their advisers, to consider different opportunities to conventional equity and bond investments. One such opportunity is an investment in hedge funds. Basically, hedge funds can invest in different asset classes such as equities, bonds, currencies and derivatives. However, a...