Exploring the frontiers of alternative investments

What exactly constitutes an alternative investment? It is a question we are all struggling to answer in these volatile, highly correlated times, where everything seems so globalised and driven by liquidity flows.

I spend most of my time scouring the academic journals for clues but for the first time in eons, I actually found an industry event faintly useful in this regard. It consisted of yours truly pretending to be chief prosecutor putting four alternative fund managers on ‘trial’ in front of an audience of over 40 regional IFAs. I had initially thought of asking my mum along (she lives locally, you see) as proof that a career in journalism can be rewarding (she is not convinced, as my cousin is an accountant and drives a much smarter car), but I am rather glad I didn’t. The debate quite rap...