Abstract in English:
The goal of this report is to provide policymakers, regulators, journalists, and the public with an objective overview of the industry in order to better understand the benefits and risks associated with the industry. We believe this is to be a critically important task, given the industry’s increasingly central role in the economy and society and the often polarized debate about alternatives. We have aimed, as much as possible, to explain the industry in plain English, but some concepts pre-suppose our reader’s fundamental understanding of financial markets and concepts such as liquidity. A list of useful primers on potentially puzzling terms can be found in the appendix. Our hope is that this report clarifies much of the mystery surrounding alternative investments, and provides readers with a framework to evaluate facts in a comprehensive manner.
