Private Placement Industry Insights as of August 31, 2020

Wednesday, September 2nd, 2020 and is filed under Industry Reporting

We recently released our August Private Placement Insights report. See the highlights from the report below, or if you are a Premium Reporting subscriber, log in now to see the entire report. If you don’t have access, you can request a free trial.

  • Private placement fund activity remained steady in August. However, our coverage remains down year-over-year after an anemic spring.
  • Thirteen new funds were added to our coverage in August, on par with the last couple of months but well below the 20 or more funds added each month in 2019. Our coverage is down 10.53% in terms of new funds added year-over year, and 28.26% in terms of the aggregate target raise. Fewer funds have been added and they’ve been targeting less capital.
  • As of September 1st, AI Insight covers 169 private placements currently raising capital, with an aggregate target raise of $16.4 billion and an aggregate reported raise of $8.3 billion or 51% of target.
  • Real estate-related funds, including 1031s, opportunity zones, and non-1031 real estate LLCs and LPs represent the largest component of our private placement coverage, at 73% of funds and 60% of target raise. Private equity/debt funds represent a relatively small amount of our coverage in terms of the number of funds at only 9%, but tend to be larger and represent 28% of aggregate target raise.
  • In terms of our coverage by general objective, income is the largest component at 52% of funds, while growth and growth & income follow at 29% and 18%, respectively.
  • The average size of the funds currently raising capital is $96.9 million, ranging from $3.5 million for a single asset real estate fund to $2.8 billion for a sector specific private equity/debt fund.
  • 76% of private placements we cover use the 506(b) exemption, 15% use 506(c) and 10% have not yet filed their Form D with the SEC.
  • 12 private placements closed in August, having raised approximately 57% of their target and having been on the market for an average of 292 days. 109 funds have closed in 2020, having raised 64% of their target. 67% of funds that closed this year met or exceeded their target.
  • Five private placements suspended offerings and one terminated due to uncertainties related to Covid-19.
  • ON DECK: as of September 1st, there were four new private placements coming soon.

Access the full Private Placements report and other hard-to-find alts data

AI Insight’s Industry Reporting capabilities help you review alternative investment trends and historical market data for Private Placements, Non-Traded REITs, Non-Traded BDCs,  Interval Funds, and Alternative Strategy Mutual Funds. Receive up to 24 extensive reports per year to help broaden your alternative investment reviews.

Log in or subscribe to AI Insight to further research, sort, compare, and analyze all of the private and public funds in our coverage universe. See who’s new in the industry and what trends are impacting the alts space.

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Chart and data as of August 31, 2020, based on programs activated on the AI Insight platform as of this date.

 Activated means the program and education module are live on the AI Insight platform. Subscribers can view and download data for the program and access the respective education module.

 On a subscription basis, AI Insight provides informational resources and training to financial professionals regarding alternative investment products and offerings. AI Insight is not affiliated with any issuer of such investments or associated in any manner with any offer or sale of such investments. The information above does not constitute an offer to sell any securities or represent an express or implied opinion on or endorsement of any specific alternative investment opportunity, offering or issuer. This report may not be shared, reproduced, duplicated, copied, sold, traded, resold or exploited for any purpose. Copyright ©2020 AI Insight. All Rights Reserved.

COVID-19 Impact & Outlook – Alternative Investment Markets and Due Diligence Action Steps

Thursday, April 23rd, 2020 and is filed under AI Insight News

We recently hosted a webinar titled “COVID-19 Impact and Outlook, Alternative Investment Markets.” We were joined by three incredibly insightful speakers:

  • Randy I. Anderson, Ph.D., CRE, President of Griffin Capital Asset Management Company
  • Robert Hoffman, CFA, Managing Director, FS Investments
  • Richard Kimble, CFA, Portfolio Manager, Americas for the Nuveen Global Cities REIT

See the key takeaways from our discussion with them as well as due diligence action steps provided by Mick Law, PC, or watch the full replay here:

Richard Kimble, Nuveen

  • Real estate asset classes with shorter leases will suffer the most:
    • Hospitality, seniors housing, student housing, discretionary retail
    • Development will struggle
    • Some retail will close for good
  • Industrial, non-discretionary retail, and housing are in a better position:
    • Multifamily and single-family rentals, life-sciences, technology (towers, data centers)
    • Housing still has demographic trend benefits and now may be more difficult to own.
  • US will continue to be a safe haven for overseas investors. Manhattan will still be a focus, but some groups may look to diversify to other large US cities.
  • Real estate transactions are down:
    • Of the deals awarded pre-crisis, some have gone through with purchases thinking this will be shorter-term V-shaped recovery, some backed out, and some pushed out 30-60 days to see if underwriting needs to be modified.
    • Transactions slowing down but once there’s normalcy there will be a lot of transactions.
  • It is critical to use well-known and trusted valuation firms to properly assess risk:
    • They are using one of the largest third-party valuation firms that works with a number of clients and work with other appraisers similar to them to make sure the market is being consistent.
    • Making sure people are consistently pricing in risk is key.
    • For their fund, normally a third of the portfolio is appraised each month but during times like this they can appraise earlier.
  • In Nuveen’s real estate platform, they have collected 94% of April rent.
    • A handful have asked for payment plans and they are using creative strategies that can be used to ease the pain of the deferred rent.
    • Not really working through force majeure because this doesn’t qualify for it or other MAC clauses, non-essential retail clients are struggling the most, but they want to be part of the solution to help make sure as many companies stay in business and keep as many employees – not abating rent but helping to defer.
    • For example, many retailers asking for deferral for the next couple of months. They can work with tenants to amortize or add on to the end.
    • They have set up a task force with a hotline to help small businesses access funds to stay in business.
  • The real estate markets are in a stronger place than back in the global financial crisis (the GFC).
    • For example, CMBS issuance 2017-2019 was less than half 2006-2007 time period. There is more discipline in lending, looking at in-place cash flow vs. forward looking NOI, more equity in transactions.
    • Before COVID-19, they were maybe losing deals on the lending side due to pricing and structure or relationship, whereas before the GFC it was because other guy was giving more leverage. Covenants have also held up versus covenant lite environment pre-GFC.
  • Looking at where traded REITs are now relative to NAV, and where spreads are, we’re seeing tremendous opportunities.

Robert Hoffman, FS Investments

  • High yield bond markets will see volatility, defaults, downgrades, lack of CLO issuance, and fallout from the energy markets.
    • Defaults may hit 10% later this year, compared to mid-teens in the GFC.
    • Corporate bonds have proven to be resilient.
  • There’s never been two years in a row that the HY debt market has been negative.
    • When looking at the history of the high yield bond markets, when spreads are as wide as they are now, or around 800bps, the median 12-month forward return is 26%.
    • This is probably not the time for broad, passive allocations, but the volatility creates opportunities.
  • There will be volatility, but there are positives:
    • The speed to which the Fed came into the market with the stimulus packages is helping the markets work more normally so risk can be properly priced and help speed the recovery.
    • It also helps with resolving debt issues, if defaults or other actions can be worked out in a properly functioning market it lessens the impact.
  • Public markets are seeing issuance and liquidity.
    • Debt is more expensive and more situational but its moving.
    • The fifth largest deal occurred last week amidst the pandemic.
  • On the private debt side, most firms use reputable third-party valuation firms to mark to market as best and consistent as they can similar to real estate and there is also an analogous public market as an indication of value.
  • Debt markets were so strong coming into this, and there is a fair amount of dry powder.
    • Funds are more properly leveraged and have built up cash and been more defensive even prior to COVID-19.
    • Most managers are taking care of their own book first, working with borrowers, and then will look to be opportunistic.
  • Real estate debt is also in a better position than it was going into the GFC.
    • Debt service coverage ratios are better than before, LTVs are more appropriate.
    • Every downturn is different, but lenders are in a better position going into this.
  • On the corporate debt side, there’s a much greater prevalence of covenant lite than pre-GFC:
    • It remains to be seen what impact this has on the market and this could prove challenging.
    • Covenant-lite loans recovered better than covenant-heavy post GFC but not sure that will happen again with significant weakening of fundamentals.
  • Another factor that could be a challenge is a large shift to lower rated issuers from higher rated, and a higher percentage of loan-only Single B issuers as opposed to those issuing a loan and bond. However, ratings are higher than ever in history in the high-yield market and asset coverage is stronger than ever which may offset challenges.

Dr. Randy Anderson, Griffin Capital

  • There will be volatility and the full impact depends on how long the virus takes to work its way through
    • In this downturn as opposed to the GFC, two of the three legs of the chair are stable – fiscal (stimulus packages) and monetary (interest rate reductions) are a positive.
    • The virus is the third leg and is variable. There is reason to be optimistic about a recovery in Q3 2020 but more likely in Q4.
    • The IMF is forecasting the US economy to be down 6% 2020 and then stronger in 2021, up 4.7%.
  • Markets have stabilized recently as the majority of the fear has been priced in.
  • Many managers were already somewhat defensive going into this based on high real estate prices and low cap rates.
    • They were expecting slower GDP growth anyways and were focused on defensive sectors including multifamily and industrial and had increased liquidity.
    • Like Nuveen, they are seeing high levels of collections on multifamily. People need a place to live.
  • Public REIT markets overreacted by a factor of almost 3 times during the GFC and proved to be a great investment post GFC.
  • The forecast for real estate over the five to seven-year period hasn’t change, with 4-6% income and a similar amount based on appreciation based on inflation rates. With bumps and volatility. No one makes money trying to time the bottom.
  • They have employed low leverage and lines of credit were not drawn (similar across many managers), so now they can take advantage of opportunities.
  • May take some time to accurately price in risk, but most managers use highly competent third-party valuation experts who follow standards that are widely adopted. The standards require them to look at all conditions and fairly reflect those values.
  • One of the main things investors can be looking at is if managers have unfunded commitments.
    • It may be harder to raise capital in this environment, so you don’t want to have many outstanding unfunded commitments.
    • Also want to have enough cash on hand, liquid securities if it is possible in fund structure, and lines of credit.
    • It is important to play defense and then you also want to be positioned to play offense, when the third leg the virus starts to mitigate then markets will start to move and you want to be able to accretively acquire.

Due Diligence Action Steps (Provided by Mick Law, PC)

  • Monitor for status updates for funds you have exposure to.
    • Monitor for any suspensions of an offering, share redemptions, or distributions (AI Insight Alerts) and immediately communicate to investors.
    • Proactively communicate the potential.
  • Questions to ask sponsors in your discussions with them include have they:
    • Taken any proactive measures to protect asset value?
    • Adequately providing “specific information” to investors in offering materials and public filings about how COVID-19 “currently” affects, and may reasonably effect in the future, the operations and liquidity of such sponsors and their managed investment programs? The SEC has advised that it intends to monitor how companies are communicating with their investors concerning the effects of COVID-19.
    • Able to service its debt and any portfolio debt?
    • Able to continue operating without syndicating additional offerings in the short-term? (review financials)
    • Adjusting their distribution payment policies appropriately to account for the present and future effects of COVID-19?
  • For oil/gas sponsors that use reserve-based lines of credit,
    • Are they appropriately prepared to address borrowing base deficiencies and related loan repayments in the probable event that their credit limits are adjusted due to lower commodities prices?
  • For qualified opportunity fund (“QOF”) sponsors with identified asset funds,
    • What adjustments are they having to make to development timelines?
    • Do they still anticipate being able to meet the 30-month timeline to have their capital invested?
    • If not, are they reserving money to pay any potential penalties?
  • For QOF sponsors with partial or complete blind pool funds,
    • What percentage of capital is already committed to projects (i.e., do they have capital available to take advantage of declining asset prices)?

Working from home? See our tips help you be successful

Friday, March 27th, 2020 and is filed under AI Insight News

Your daily routine may be in disarray, but it’s business as usual at AI Insight since we have been successfully operating as virtual company for many years. As always, we’re here to help you with your AI Insight needs and anything else that might help you when working remotely.

To be successful working remotely, you need a strategy, focus and a little fun. We’ve compiled some resources that we’ve used in practice to help you accomplish this.

Get Started

It’s important to designate a specific area that you use solely as your workspace to establish your “work zone” not only for your benefit, but for family members who are at home with you. Traveling around your house with your laptop or working where you sleep invites interruption.

Stay Focused

It’s easy to become distracted by the TV, social media or the pile of dishes in the sink. Creating a schedule for yourself – including breaks and lunchtime as you would at the office – can help you concentrate on your work. Setting a specific work schedule will also help you set expectations for other family members who are at home and help you keep a healthy work-life balance.

Industry Resources

You may be used to attending industry conferences or face-to-face group meetings, which have been postponed or cancelled. AI Insight created a central resource to help you stay connected with industry groups such as ADISA, IPA, FINRA and more. Check back frequently as we will continue to post industry webinar events happening in lieu of conferences.

Technology Resources

Having the right equipment is essential to working from home. But, knowing how to make the most of technology tools can be challenging.

  • Cybersecurity Awareness

Stay Connected

We all know that miscommunication can happen over email and text. Convey your tone with a phone call instead of email when you can. Even better, turn on your video during online meetings to express your body language. Remember to test out your video feature before you use it publicly, so you can check your background surroundings and test your microphone.

This is also a good opportunity to get to know your co-workers on a personal level. At AI Insight, we’ve created a social channel within our Microsoft Teams platform to talk about topics unrelated to work and share photos on occasions like Halloween and St. Patrick’s Day. This helps us get to know each other better and stay connected.

Be Mindful

We’ve created a “Get Up & Move” rewards program at AI Insight to encourage everyone to walk away from their computer once an hour. We also host quarterly Lunch & Learns to help our team stay healthy in mind and body such as chair yoga sessions and meditation practices. Taking breaks can boost productivity and rejuvenate you when motivation drops.

Contact Us

From everyone at AI Insight, we want you to be safe and healthy. Again, we’ve been incorporating these practices for many years. If there’s something we can help you with on any of these topics, please reach out to us Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at 877-794-9448 ext. 710 or any time at customercare@aiinsight.com.

December Private Placement Industry Insights

Monday, January 13th, 2020 and is filed under AI Insight News

We recently released our December Private Placement Insights. See the highlights from the report below, or if you are a subscriber, log in now to see the entire report.

  • More private placements were added to our coverage in 2019 than ever before with record months in November and December. The 200 private placement funds added during the year were slightly smaller in overall target raise than 2018, with the aggregate just 1.3% above last year despite the increased number of funds.
  • The industry was led primarily by continued growth in 1031 exchanges and the addition of Opportunity Zone funds. Private equity/debt activity picked up late in the year, as did conservation contributions and energy funds. Other real estate, which includes non-1031 real estate LLCs and LPs trailed, with fund sizes significantly smaller than in prior years.
  • As of January 1st, AI Insight covers 172 private placements currently raising capital, with an aggregate target raise of $16.1 billion and an aggregate reported raise of $7.7 billion or 48% of target. The average size of the current funds is $93.2 million, ranging from $3.4 million for a single asset fund to $2.2 billion for a sector specific private equity/debt fund.
  • 158 private placements closed in 2019, having raised approximately 85% of their target.
  • ON DECK: as of January 1st, there were eight new private placements coming soon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Access the full Private Placements report and other hard-to-find alts data

AI Insight’s Industry Reporting capabilities help you review alternative investment trends and historical market data for Private Placements, Non-Traded REITs, BDCs,  Closed-End Funds, and Alternative Mutual Funds. Receive up to 24 extensive reports per year to help broaden your alternative investment reviews.

Log in or subscribe to AI Insight to further research, sort, compare, and analyze all of the private and public funds in our coverage universe. See who’s new in the industry and what trends are impacting the alts space.

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Chart and data as of Dec. 31, 2019, based on programs activated on the AI Insight platform as of this date.

Activated means the program and education module are live on the AI Insight platform. Subscribers can view and download data for the program and access the respective education module. 

On a subscription basis, AI Insight provides informational resources and training to financial professionals regarding alternative investment products and offerings. AI Insight is not affiliated with any issuer of such investments or associated in any manner with any offer or sale of such investments. The information above does not constitute an offer to sell any securities or represent an express or implied opinion on or endorsement of any specific alternative investment opportunity, offering or issuer. This report may not be shared, reproduced, duplicated, copied, sold, traded, resold or exploited for any purpose. Copyright ©2020 AI Insight. All Rights Reserved.

May Alternative Investment Industry Insights

Friday, June 7th, 2019 and is filed under AI Insight News

AI Insight recently added Industry Reporting capabilities to help you review alternative investment trends and historical market data for Private Placements, Non-Traded REITs, BDCs, and Closed-End Funds, and Alternative Mutual Funds. You can receive up to 24 extensive reports per year to help broaden your alternative investment reviews. Read an overview of AI Insight’s expansive coverage as of May 31, 2019:

  • AI Insight currently covers 145 private funds that are raising capital, representing just over $5 billion in capital raise/AUM. This includes 20 new funds added to our coverage in May, which was a significant month in terms of new fund formation.
  • Five new opportunity zone funds have been added to our coverage YTD, including two in May, for an aggregate target raise of $640.0 million. Target raise ranges from $30 million to $275 million.
  • Geographic focus ranges from specifically Maryland to the broader United States. Two funds are blind pool funds focused on hospitality, one is a blind pool fund focused on multifamily, and two are focused on specific mixed-use development projects.

Log in or subscribe to AI Insight to further research, sort, compare, and analyze all of the private and public funds in our coverage universe. Plus, you can view more stats on other private placement categories and access Excel charts of this data.

Watch this tour or request a live demo of AI Insight’s expansive Industry Reports customized to your business needs. 

 

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Data as of May 31, 2019, based on programs activated on the AI Insight platform as of this date.

Activated means the program and education module are live on the AI Insight platform. Subscribers can view and download data for the program and access the respective education module.

On a subscription basis, AI Insight provides informational resources and training to financial professionals regarding alternative investment products and offerings. AI Insight is not affiliated with any issuer of such investments or associated in any manner with any offer or sale of such investments. The information above does not constitute an offer to sell any securities or represent an express or implied opinion on or endorsement of any specific alternative investment opportunity, offering or issuer. This report may not be shared, reproduced, duplicated, copied, sold, traded, resold or exploited for any purpose. Copyright © 2019 AI Insight. All Rights Reserved.

3 Key Takeaways from the FINRA Annual Conference

Tuesday, June 12th, 2018 and is filed under AI Insight News

It was great to connect with many of our industry partners at the recent FINRA Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. to discuss regulatory topics relevant to our industry. Here are three key takeaways to consider:

  • The industry continues moving forward with a new approach to the standard of care registered representatives must undertake when working with clients. SEC Chairman Clayton was adamant about having industry stakeholders submit comments to help shape the actual outcome of the proposal. He was also quite vocal on the confusion people seem to have around the term “fiduciary” and that he was very much against using it in this proposal. The SEC’s Brett Redfearn provided an overview of Regulation Best Interest and enhancing the standard of conduct for broker-dealers. Read more
  • On a suitability panel, “inadequate training relative to products and risks” was noted by FINRA as a common weakness found.

Finra conf May 2018 (2)

  • Heightened diligence and advisor education are needed for the increasingly complex products being offered through traditional ’40 Act structures such as Alternative Mutual Funds and Interval Funds. FINRA mentioned their guidance on complex products as a resource when working with Alternative Mutual Funds, leveraged ETFs, Interval Funds and other alternative investments.

2017 Year-End FAQ with AI Insight CEO Sherri Cooke

Tuesday, December 19th, 2017 and is filed under AI Insight News

As 2017 comes to a close, AI Insight CEO Sherri Cooke reflects on the past year and looks forward to what’s coming up in 2018.

Q: What are some of the key reflections you have about 2017 and some points of interest for the coming year?

SC: This year we increased the number of RIAs using the AI Insight platform, so I’m glad that we’re able to support RIAs as this channel continues to grow. We look forward to continuing to expand these relationships in 2018. We also made significant upgrades to our AI Insight Education Module functionality, and we’ve received a lot of positive feedback on the updates. We’re always working to make the platform easy to use and add more valuable capabilities.

One of the most exciting highlights as we close out 2017 is the fact that we will be launching a new feature with expanded alternative mutual fund research capabilities in the new year. Advisors will be able to compare the details and financial performance of alternative investment mutual funds with reporting and documentation features our subscribers have come to rely on for more traditional Alternative Investment research. We’ve just hired Lucas Johnson who was a due diligence analyst with National Planning Holdings, Inc., where he specialized in due diligence reviews of liquid alternatives and other alternative investments. He’ll be stepping in to help launch our liquid alternative research program.  You’ll see much more about this in the first quarter.

From an industry perspective, there’s been a bit of a relief relative to the DOL Fiduciary Rule implementation date, yet it doesn’t change the focus on compliance and regulatory scrutiny. The continued market run is remarkable, to say the least, inspiring growth and confidence. But that kind of house-of-straws confidence can increase concern about the negative consequences of a potential market correction. Smooth or bumpy, it’s our commitment to help advisors and clients manage the environment no matter what 2018 may bring.

Q: What are some of the major misconceptions you see that advisors have about alternative investments?

SC: A couple of misconceptions come to mind. The first would be that illiquidity or alternatives are intrinsically inferior planning tools.  Another would be the challenges around compliance and regulatory scrutiny.

Q:  Ok – let’s address the liquidity issue first.

SC:

I don’t believe that liquidity is the true issue.  If a client’s portfolio is well diversified including appropriately positioned liquid and illiquid investments, then the illiquidity can actually be a true positive. It can prevent clients from selling investments when their motivation is emotionally-driven or reactive to the market.

Second, some people use the generalized claim that alternatives haven’t performed well over the last several years.  As with all securities, some do well and some do not – and as with other investments there have certainly been a share of alternatives that haven’t performed as expected. However, there are a lot that have performed well when diligence has been taken in selecting and vetting – and they have been sold correctly. If a key goal is for alts to be used as a portfolio stabilizer, then we wouldn’t have seen them stand out during the crazy bull markets we’ve experienced. That’s not one of their key purposes.  Many advisors want a significant premium for the illiquidity, but I don’t believe you should expect to get both the downside market protection in a bear market and returns that exceed the average in bull markets from the same vehicle.

It’s a challenge for me when I hear the expectation of alts always having to perform. Stocks lose value all the time. It really comes down to making sure these products are properly sold and positioned within client portfolios; and – as with all investments – conducting the best possible research and diligence to select best in class.

Q: You mentioned compliance – we know that compliance is often an issue for advisors in considering alternative investments and regulatory scrutiny continues to increase. What is your experience with compliance issues?

SC: Compliance is one of the things that motivated me to create AI Insight in the first place. I wanted to build capabilities to facilitate due diligence and proper compliance along with education and documentation of these efforts when selling complex products – those products that the regulators have called out as needing heightened supervision or training.

From a company perspective, we have found in any situation of which we’re aware, if you stay up-to-date on the requirements around selling any type of investment – and make sure everyone involved is aware of their obligations, adhering to the process, plus documenting all efforts – then the regulators are generally satisfied.  That’s been our experience with our clients and their audits.

If you fail to make these efforts up front and you’re inconsistent in how you conduct your business from a compliance perspective, you’re just leaving yourself open to trouble from a client who ends up unhappy about something or getting in the news for the all the wrong reasons.

Q: You are involved in mentoring young women in the financial industry. Tell us about it.

SC: A group of members of the Investment Program Association (IPA) formed the Women’s Initiative Network (WIN).  One of our key goals has been to help promote and support women within the financial services industry, which traditionally has been very male-dominated. I launched our first local initiative with Ohio State University’s Fisher School of Business this past year.  We had a group of young women who had an interest in Financial Services get together once a month to hear stories about the journeys of women in our area who have been successful in the financial world.

We talked through some of their concerns and real-life challenges they’ve encountered or that we, as mentors, have experienced.  We also introduced them to many unknown and non-mainstream facets of the investment world, which was really exciting. 

Q: What is your focus for 2018?

SC: From a business owner’s perspective, ensuring that our team and our product continues to maintain consistent integrity of value and exceptional service; this is the backbone of our business – and making sure that our AI Insight team is challenged and fulfilled in their roles within our company.

From an industry perspective – we believe that there is a tremendous amount of value for advisors to differentiate themselves and bring really great opportunities through the thoughtful and diligent understanding of alternative products. We provide this value by building and bringing together our network of broker-dealers, advisors, RIAs, alternative investment firms and industry partners.

Therefore, as in past years, I always look forward to working with our business partners to explore new possibilities and find what more we can bring to the table for our customers in the new year.

As I’ve already mentioned, I’m excited about developing even more education and support in the liquid alternatives space. These funds are gaining increased awareness from a due diligence and compliance perspective. We currently have education and training for 30 closed-end funds available on our platform and expect to see real growth in this area in the coming year. We’ve expanded our CE course offerings to include a FINRA alternative mutual fund course and a course on interval funds. Plus, we’ve recently published a comprehensive white paper called, “Understanding the Complexities of Liquid Alternatives” to help support these growth plans in 2018. I’m really proud of our efforts when it comes to education on key industry initiatives and concerns, so we are particularly excited about the new plans around the liquid alts sector for the coming year. It’s important to our entire team that we continue to do our very best to evolve with the industry – hopefully always a few steps ahead of the primary curve – to bring our customers what they need to confidently offer their clients a full and rich palette of investment solutions. That’s our goal for 2018…and every year after!

Sherri Cooke is the CEO and founder of AI Insight, Inc. and has been in the financial services industry for over 25 years. Cooke formed AI Insight in 2005 with the primary goal of providing the financial planning community with a consistent database of alternative investment programs.