I guess this must be how it was like when The Talking Heads, R.E.M. or The Cure graduated beyond college radio.

Yesterday, MFWire ran a story on Morningstar's efforts to adapt to the torrent of new alts products hitting the market.

For example, the rapid growth of some alts products has Morningstar analysts debating whether the three-year requirement in favor of a minimum asset-size.

Fund analysts aren't the only folk navigating the flood. MarketWatch recently ran an article explaining some changes made by the Investment Company Institute with regards to its investment-objective classifications for funds.

To whit, MarketWatch reports, the new system has 42 categories, the old system had 33, including "alternative strategy funds."

The change is not earth-shattering per se, the ICI does these kinds of makeovers every decade or so, but it does reflect that alts have hit primetime.

Well, close to primetime at least. InvestmentNews recently ran a storyraises five issues related to alts products, such as declaring that "the expected value proposition of multi-alternative funds has not materialized."

Nonetheless, in another article, InvestmentNews reports that a number of other research firms are starting to provide analyses of alts products.

Now that alts funds have moved beyond college radio, what kind of impact will they have on the rest of the industry?

Investors will probably get comfortable with lot more unconventional melodies, and may never look at your offerings, whatever they are, the same way again. 

Edited by: Tommy Fernandez


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