Report urges easier hedge fund access for Canadians

Date: Wednesday, October 4, 2006
Author: FT.com

Report urges easier hedge fund access for Canadians, but with regulatory protection akin to the mutual fund industry

From the FT: A report on Canadian securities law reform has urged easier access to hedge funds for the investing public, but with regulatory protection akin to the mutual fund industry. The report, drawn up by an 11-member panel of business and securities industry leaders and academics, concludes that "regulation that allows the largest pool of investors possible to purchase hedge funds should be put in place". Canada's hedge fund industry managed an estimated C$26.6bn (US$23.5bn) in mid-2004, with individual investors making up more than half the total. But the funds operate mostly in the lightly-regulated "exempt" market, which is accessible only to institutions and wealthy individuals.