Hedge funds : the case for disclosure regulation

Unlike mutual and pension funds, which are heavily regulated in most juristrictions, hedge funds are largely unregulated. Because they are not required to report to regulators and to the public, data on hedge fund performance are highly biased, overestimating returns and underestimating risk. Recent debate regarding regulation has centred on market integrity and systematic risk issues. This articles presents the case for a change in focus towards consumer protection as the most important regulatory issue and recommends that performance reporting should be made mandatory.