Private equity can offer substantial, and stable, returns to those individuals who can stomach the illiquidity, and there are more ways in than ever before

The perception of hedge funds, once seen as the exciting but risky rock stars of investment management, is changing, with these vehicles now perceived as offering a more dependable route to increasing portfolio returns

Real estate has been attracting those hungry for returns, but with the economic recovery beginning to look more secure, investors are considering moving from prime to secondary properties

The global demand for infrastructure is huge but there is a perceived scarcity of vehicles suitable for private investors, while capital tends to be locked up for long periods

Hedge funds can play an important role in preserving and growing capital, but despite huge interest from institutional investors, the events of 2008 still loom large in private clients’ memories

Private investors continue to sit on piles of cash, but it is up to bankers to educate them about the need for efficient allocations

AIFMD should entice a large number of new investors into hedge funds, but will the high entry costs of complying with the new directive mean only larger fund providers will be able to offer these new vehicles?

A normalising economy and a supportive regulatory framework is expected to entice growing numbers of wealth mangers back into hedge funds, although it is likely to be a gradual process