Investors, managers, and companies are gravitating toward Asia from all angles. Benefiting from a growth rate of nine percent in 2007, China is leading the latest Asian economic boom...more...

When creating a new fund management company, creating the fund management firm’s culture and producing a comfortable environment for investment professionals is critical, much like any other successful asset management organization...more...

No substance of value has held its allure longer than gold. It is found in prehistoric burial sites, in jewelry designs the world over and in modern-day electronic circuitry...more...

In 2007, George Lambert took on the issue of whether it was worth the risk for smaller, private companies or investors to invest in private equity.  EMF takes a look back at what he found...more...

Altura Capital, best known for its groundbreaking 2005 deal with the California Public Employee’s Retirement System (CalPERS) and the California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS) to manage and produce a comprehensive database of emerging managers and an accompanying report, is leading the way for increasing emerging manager visibility in the scope of the nation’s top institutional investors...more...

In a recent survey by Cerulli Associates, financial services firms ranked the ability to acquire and retain clients as their number one business challenge in 2008. Additionally, the top firm watchwords chosen by poll participants were sales and relationships, followed by brand awareness...more...

Many consultants and investors are aware of the great sources of alpha emerging managers bring to portfolios, because of this, the 5^th Annual Emerging Manager Summit & Awards Luncheon is an important date on their calendars...more...

Could your money management firm do better in its selling efforts?
In my previous article I commented that it is as important to have a great storyline for educating and persuading prospects to understand and buy into how you invest as it is for your firm to deliver acceptable performance...more...

Nothing compares to becoming an emerging manager for the largest pension fund in the country. The California Public Employee’s Retirement System (CalPERS) has over $240 billion in assets, and is a national leader in the pursuit of top emerging manager (also known as developing manager) talent...more...

The Teachers' Retirement System of the State of Illinois added a new emerging manager to their program this month. We spoke with TRS and their new manager, New Century Advisors, about the prospects of emerging managers and how graduation can be a very achievable reality...more...

The California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) and Strategic Investment Group (Strategic) announced today that they have selected Quotient Investors, LLC (Quotient) as part of the Manager Development Program (MDP II)...more...

The Springfield-based Teachers’ Retirement System of the State of Illinois (TRS) is further diversifying its $41.7 billion portfolio by adding and expanding different investment strategies within several of its asset classes...more...

DWS Scudder, the U.S. retail unit of Deutsche Bank’s Asset Management division, today brought an Amazon jungle to the Promenade at South Street Seaport to promote its recently launched DWS Climate Change Fund...more...

Obtaining funding to start your business can be a difficult process, but there are a few things you can do to increase your chances...more...

In a recent survey by Cerulli Associates, financial services firms ranked the ability to acquire and retain clients as their number one business challenge in 2008. Additionally, the top firm watchwords chosen by poll participants were sales and relationships, followed by brand awareness...more...

The $154.5 billion New York State Common Retirement Fund (CRF) closed ten new investment transactions totaling more than $550 million in cash and commitments during December, according to a monthly transaction report State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli released this week...more...

Altura Capital, best known for its groundbreaking 2005 deal with the California Public Employee’s Retirement System (CalPERS) and the California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS) to manage and produce a comprehensive database of emerging managers and an accompanying report, is leading the way for increasing emerging manager visibility in the scope of the nation’s top institutional investors...more...

A growing number of foundations are offering low-interest loans, buying into green business ventures, and investing in other asset classes to advance their missions. Yet most mission investing remains haphazard and inconsequential...more...

Who will be responsible for new business development at your firm? You, the fund manager? An in-house sales manager you add to staff? Or a Third Party Marketer?...more...

While there is no guaranteed plan for any entrepreneurial business, third party marketers (3PM) can learn from the broad experience of other firms to identify the challenges they all face and find out what it takes to transform a stagnant firm into a growing and thriving firm...more...

The most efficient place to find assets for an early stage manager is in their own backyard, and smaller institutional funds are the most responsive group in the yard. These smaller pools of assets fall under the same categories as the larger pools: retirement plans, foundations and endowments, not for profit capital accounts and even Taft Hartley trust funds...more...

If you run a hedge fund, at some point you may have the opportunity to explain what you do to an audience of prospective investors at a Capital Introduction event...more...

With $300 million under management, Los Angeles based Telesis Capital, a fund of hedge funds, offers equity-like returns, with a fraction of the volatility...more...

A third party marketer (3PM) may provide the solutions for one or more of the following situations during the growth of your fund management firm:...more...

The idea of traders staking other traders for a slice of profits is probably as old as trading itself. Fast forward to the late 1970s and one unearths Commodity Corp. which is remembered for launching the renown careers of Michael Marcus and Bruce Kovner...more...

There are thousands of hedge funds; more than enough to clutter the competitive landscape. The number of hedge funds making some data public soared last year as a combination of new launches and more transparency lead to the identification of more than 13,600 funds and approximately 6,100 Fund of Funds...more...

The idea of traders staking other traders for a slice of profits is probably as old as trading itself. Fast forward to the late 1970s and one unearths Commodity Corp. which is remembered for launching the renown careers of Michael Marcus and Bruce Kovner...more...

After seeding 22 businesses since 1985, with two more on the way, MD Sass has mastered the art of growing emerging managers. Sass, who recently teamed up with Australian based Macquarie Bank, prides itself on having only three failures in its
seeding strategy and very small losses on those...more...

In a global marketplace with a growing emphasis on outsourcing, more fund managers are implementing marketing relationships as an efficient strategy, especially for smaller firms. Ensconced in the business of managing assets, Mary Lisanti, President of AH Lisanti Capital Growth, turned to Arrow Partners, an experienced third-party marketing firm, to manage the entire sales process.more...

With increased competition and investor sophistication, branding and an effective marketing strategy is critical for managers of all sizes and at various stages in their business cycle. Holly Singer, President of HS Marketing, LLC, explains the benefits of first rate marketing collateral, and provides a tool kit of necessary elements of a successful marketing package for portfolio managers.more...

As a former plan sponsor at the World Bank, and entrepreneur with 20 years experience incubating investment firms, Strategic Investment Group co-founder, Mary Choksi knows the characteristics of young companies that achieve critical mass...more...

Paul Greenwood gives talented investment professionals a venue to do what they do best: deliver stellar returns. Greenwood, who, along with two partners, founded Northern Lights Ventures, a Tacoma-based private equity firm, had earlier helped create ClariVest, a stock-picking powerhouse... more...