This content is from: Innovation
Risky Business: HFs Are Underinsured
Hedge funds make their money taking risks, but one they shouldn’t tamper with is insurance.
Hedge funds make their money taking risks, but one they shouldnt tamper with is insurance, says BestWeek. The insurance industry newsletter, which says a hedge funds rapid growth in addition to industry-related business risks contribute to its having not enough of the right insurance. Some funds, it says, have no insurance at all. What I hear from agents is that the hedge fund managers dont think the insurance is worth the premium, Kellie Varden of Chubb Specialty Insurance Co., told BestWeek. Many wont buy until a client thats investing with them mandates it. Michael Zeldes of Hub International Northeast says HFs likely will take out property insurance, but as for other coverages such as errors and omissions, directors and officers, and the like, they might not have the time or focus to say thats more important than chasing the next deal or investor. Which can be unfortunate, if the hedge fund gets sued. These days the most common charges lobbied against a hedge fund is fraud. Prompting such charges, says the newsletter, is the fact that HF managers, in an effort to produce the best results, may suffer from style drift or morphing, which leads them into acquiring financial instruments that leave clients unhappy, and willing to sue for breach of fiduciary duty.