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LONDON, May 13, 2010 - Maitland which administers more than $70bn on behalf of 80 fund manager clients was ranked the third fastest growing hedge fund administrator globally in a recent international survey by hedgefund.net. Assets under administration grew by $21bn over the past year and have more than doubled over the past three years.

According to Maitland Fund Services CEO, Veit Schuhen, the success of the business can be attributed to its unique service offering which is based around offering clients a comprehensive outsource solution. "We look to becoming a strategic business partner of our clients. This requires state of the art systems and skills levels that clients would like
to have in their own businesses."

Maitland offers extensive fund and investor administration services covering long only and alternative investment strategies that extend from front through middle to back office activities. In addition to administration services, Maitland also offers legal advisory, corporate secretarial and domiciliation services. According to Schuhen the
comprehensive offering is especially attractive to specialist fund managers who seek to achieve sharp business focus by means of a comprehensive outsource solution.

Maitland offers a fully integrated asset management and fund accounting platform to clients based on the InvestOne and Decalog systems provided by SunGard Systems. According to Schuhen the increasing complexity of investment strategies and underlying securities requires administrators to deploy state of the industry systems with large user bases in order to sustain the high level of investment necessary to keep them current. "The aim is to provide clients with a fully scalable platform on a "plug and play" basis but this is very demanding and skills intensive because it extends us way beyond just providing commoditised services."

There have been a number of PIPE Funds that have gained notoriety over the years because of the gains they have been able to attain with this strategy.

It is now categorized as a separate hedge fund strategy along with others like long only, long/short market neutral, special situations, emerging markets and distressed equity.

The strategy is also sometimes referred to as "Reg D" which is short for "Regulation D".

Domestic funds in the U.S. are usually set up as limited partnerships while offshore funds are typically set up as corporations for tax purposes. Here is some more information if you are considering a Hedge Fund Start-up.

PIPE FUND OVERVIEW:

First of all, PIPE stands for Private Investment in Public Equity. Private Investment means the capital comes from a private source like a hedge fund, wealthy investor or investment banker.

Public Equity simply means it is a publicly traded company, so the PIPE Hedge Fund is purchasing stock, usually restricted common stock, in a publicly listed company. So a PIPE Fund is a hedge fund that makes investments in publicly listed companies.

About ten years ago there were only a few of these Funds around. The annual returns for most of these Funds were well above average, and so quite a few more were formed by other managers. Some of them failed because they were run by managers that either lacked the years of experience needed to run such a Fund or they took on too much risk and made investments that were very illiquid.

Second, PIPE Funds are formed either as limited partnerships, if they are made of U.S. investors that are not tax exempt, or offshore corporations, if they are made up of offshore investors or U.S. tax exempt investors.

U.S. tax exempt investors are usually endowments, pension plans and charitable trusts. If the PIPE Fund is set up properly U.S. tax exempt investors can take advantage of investing in these and other types of hedge funds. Of course before investing in any hedge, investors need to conduct thorough due diligence. Some investors hire a hedge fund attorney to help them perform due diligence and discuss issues that evolve during that process.

Third, these investments in public companies can take a number of different forms and structures. They can be straight common stock with a discount to market, common stock with a discount and a reset feature, convertible preferred stock, convertible debentures, a self amortizing loan or even a Warrant structure.

Sometimes these structures have a built in "hedge" sometimes they don't. Obviously, investors in such Funds would prefer to have a hedge, but it is not always possible and some of the PIPE investments in companies with good balance sheets won't have a reset or floorless convertible feature.

The list of hedge firms launching Ucits III-compliant Newcits funds continues to grow, as five more are revealed. Those announcing Newcits plans this week include Toscafund, Frankfurt-based Trycon GCM, Cheyne Capital and Castlestone Management, while Merchant Capital and Spanish platform Tressis have also teamed up for a new long/short fund. According to Reuters, Toscafund is to launch a Ucits version of its $110 million small and mid cap hedge fund strategy, in response to demand from private clients. It will have the same name as the hedge fund- Tosca Mid Cap- and the firm thinks it will be able to replicate the strategy within a Ucits wrapper. The firm said it will be its first and last Ucits launch.

Another alternatives firm entering the space is Cheyne Capital, which is to launch a mergers and acquisitions Ucits fund, also according to Reuters. Meanwhile in Germany, Trycon is launching a long/short fund called TRYCON Basic Invest HAIG, which will target returns of 8-10% per annum, with a volatility of 6-8%. It will invest in 30 international markets, taking long and short positions in listed derivatives of equity indices, interest rates, bonds and currencies. 'With the Ucits III structure we are preserving the benefits of an absolute return strategy whilst offering the additional advantages of a well-regulated environment, especially with regard to transparency and liquidity,' said Michael Guenther, Trycon's managing director, of the new fund.

Elsewhere, Merchant Capital is targeting high net worth individuals across Europe for its new long/short Merchant European Equity Fund. A market-neutral strategy, it will take twenty long and twenty short positions from its universe of 600 stocks. Its gross exposure will not exceed 180%, while its net exposure will not exceed plus or minus 20%. The fund will be managed by Merchant Capital, but Robert Maxwell from Spanish firm Tressis will act as investment advisor. 'We believe that a fund of this type within the Ucits structure provided by Merchant Capital will be very well received by investors looking for consistent returns with low volatility,' said Maxwell. Merchant Capital, which acts as a platform for hedge funds launching Ucits vehicles, anticipates that it will be involved in further launches in the near future. 'Tressis' fund is an excellent example of how we wish to facilitate innovative investment managers with the essential operational and regulatory support to bring their investment ideas quickly to market,' said George Cadbury, a director of Merchant Capital. 'We are now in advanced discussions with a number of other fund management companies looking seriously at how they can use us to launch Ucits funds this year.'

The new launches do not end there: Castlestone Management has launched a Ucits III-compliant version of its offshore Intelligent Portfolio (IQ) Asset Allocation fund. The fund, which had been scheduled for release last year but was delayed because of complications adapting it to fit Ucits III rules, is an actively managed portfolio investing in global equities, bonds, commodities, hedge funds, money markets and property. It aims to provide an absolute return for investors over the long term, using diversification across asset classes to give investors capital preservation and growth, and Castlestone said the fund was designed to be a core part of investors' portfolios. The fund - which is domiciled in Dublin and which has a range of share classes including sterling and euro denominations - currently has 40% invested in global equities, 30% in alternatives and 10% in real assets such as property and commodities. It also has 10% in fixed income and 10% in cash. The IQ fund is the third offering Castlestone has introduced to investors, having already launched Ucits-compliant versions of its Aliquot Agriculture Fund and the Aliquot Commodity Fund.

From today the Investment Management Association (IMA) is including offshore funds in its sector classification system. A total of 91* funds will be included in 17 different IMA sectors. This is up from the 71 funds announced on 23 March,* as since then the IMA has received outstanding data from more funds that now meet the requirements.

In total, the IMA received admission requests from 180 funds, and there are now 69 pending, awaiting the finalization of queries and data from the funds. Once they are complete, they will be added to the appropriate sectors.

To be included in IMA sectors, funds need to be domiciled in the EU, as well as authorized in their own country, comply with UCITS regulations and be registered for sale in the UK. To satisfy UK domiciled retail investors, transactions should be in sterling. Therefore, most funds offer a sterling share class or one that is hedged back to sterling. However those that don't will typically provide a currency dealing facility. Funds must also have either Distributor or Reporting Fund status for tax purposes.***

IMA will shortly be calling for submissions to the second phase of entry for offshore funds. A third phase is anticipated in the last quarter of 2010.

Commenting, Jane Lowe, Director of Markets at the IMA, said:

"Funds are being admitted to 17 different IMA sectors, with the largest number, 42, going into the Specialist sector. It's pleasing to see the number of offshore funds that will be included initially. We expect the number to grow during the course of this year.

"Setting out clear criteria means that investors can compare offshore funds on a like-for-like basis with UK domiciled funds. Advisers and investors need to be aware that there are some differences when purchasing offshore funds, so the IMA has produced a factsheet."

The offshore funds will be fully integrated into the existing sector classification system, allowing comparisons between funds to be made on a like for like basis. However, the IMA will flag which funds are offshore so that investors and IFAs may search for this data if they so require.

Crude oil futures kept falling back from highs even though speculative funds increased their bets that prices are headed higher. The benchmark West Texas Intermediate contract ended the week at $80.68 a barrel, after nearing $83 earlier in the week, compared to $81.24 a week ago.

Saudi Arabia's oil minister, Ali Naimi, made it clear once again on Tuesday that the world's largest oil producer prefers a range of $70 to $80 for oil prices. Speaking to journalists in Vienna prior to and OPEC meeting, Naimi said the oil-exporting group, which accounts for 40% of daily oil consumption, won't let tight supplies push prices too high.

Further bearish factors were the increase of 1 million barrels in U.S. crude oil inventories in the weekly report from the Energy Information Administration and renewed strength of the dollar amid continuing concern about Greece's fiscal situation.

A report in The Wall Street Journal on Friday suggested that EIA collection methods for the oil inventory data may be flawed, according to internal agency documents obtained by the newspaper. Greece said on Thursday it might have to call on the International Monetary Fund for aid if its efforts to reduce its deficit are not successful.

But bulls were encouraged by the Federal Reserve's reiteration that interest rates would remain low and by OPEC's decision to leave production volume unchanged, indicating their belief that prices would remain firm. The benchmark oil contract settled at $82.93 on Wednesday.

However, the move by the Reserve Bank of India to raise its key rates on Friday drove oil prices down amid fears that China and other emerging economies might follow suit and dampen demand for oil.

Privacy, Asset Protection and greater freedom of movement are just some of the qualities that lure investors offshore.

Some people are happy to have their money safely locked away, an insurance policy against volatile stock markets, currency fluctuations and avaricious authorities. Others see investing offshore as a way of maximizing their return, in other words they want to see the investment pay for itself.

You have or are thinking about opening an offshore bank account – how can you make your money work for you?

*Disclaimer*
Not all of these options will suit every investor – and remember that every great investment will be balanced by risk. If you are prepared to take the risk and have some idea about what to do with your money – here are some options I would definitely recommend.

Gold – In addition to being one of best financial reserves you can get, gold can actually increase in value during a bear market. If you had bought an ounce of gold in 2003 you would by now have nearly tripled your investment in only 6 years!!! Gold has its own intrinsic value unlike paper monies which can fluctuate wildly, especially in economic downturns when countries ‘compete’ to devalue their own currencies. Imagine having your very own offshore gold ‘plan b’ stored in a safe deposit box, anonymously, out of reach of creditors, greedy lawyers, the taxman and anyone else with a covetous eye on your assets. Best of all its value is quietly multiplying…

Certificates of Deposit – Rather than let your offshore assets sit idly by while inflation gobbles them up, invest in a certificate of deposit. Ranging from a couple of months to several years, these will pay you interest, usually based on a fixed annual rate. Sometimes you can get much better interest rates in a different country – this is one of the primary reasons for moving offshore – but remember to do your research beforehand. There have been countless cases of scams where investors were promised fantasy interest rates and ended up losing everything to a ponzi scheme. Part and parcel of ‘soft-touch’ regulation in tax havens is that you will come across schemes like these. The best method of research is to ask other banks who have had contact with the institution to give their professional opinion. Always remember the maxim – ‘if its sounds to good to be true, it probably is’. A bank offering interest rates of 10% when the benchmark is set at 2% is either a fraud or in serious financial trouble.

Tax-Free Trading - Once you have invested in an offshore bank account, think about expanding further and trading stocks. Most banks and brokerages will charge you for opening an anonymous investment account, but some might even do it for free! From a trading account you can buy and sell shares in all the major markets- anonymously- and since your account is offshore your gains are also tax free! Fees will vary greatly depending on the brokerage, but the best ones will give you an online platform so you can manage all your trades from the comfort of your own home, and with low overheads they can afford to charge nominal premiums on each trade.

Exotic Investments – Exotic investments are usually more risky than average, and may consist of financial instruments such as sovereign & corporate debt, high-yield investment schemes and other investments which are outside of your domestic reach. The best bet here is to find a broker you can trust to advise you in this area. If you are willing to accept a high degree of risk, exotic investments may just be for you, since in return for high risk the results can be spectacular.

Are you ready to take a giant step forward, and start making your money work for you?

Click to get started with Anonymous Offshore Investing

The world's wealthiest private investors are planning to put more money into alternative investments over the next three years, a report says.

The study said the global rich are increasingly attracted by private equity schemes and hedge funds as they offer more stable returns than shares.

NEW YORK, April 18, 2007 – Victoria Bay Asset Management, LLC and the American Stock Exchange® (Amex®) announced today the launch of the United States Natural Gas Fund, LP (UNG), an exchange traded security based on natural gas, which will list on the Amex under the ticker “UNG.”

Shield Plus LLC, a #1 ranked institutional investment adviser, registered as a CTA/CPO, is launching the Shield Plus 90, LP -- Alternative Energy & Inflation Fund. This Fund enables institutions and other accredited investors to participate directly in the alternative energy and inflation-related markets through a market-neutral investment approach.

If you go to Amazon.com and search for books about venture capital, you get 14,114 responses, which includes many text books. Andrew Metrick, a professor of finance at Wharton, has just written a new book on the subject -- titled, Venture Capital and the Finance of Innovation. Unlike the thousands of other books on the subject, though, this book offers a different approach, especially in areas such as valuing startup companies and IPOs, by bridging the gap between finance fundamentals and venture capital practice. Knowledge@Wharton spoke to him about his new book and also about hedge funds, which are in the news almost every day.

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