The role of alternative assets in a portfolio

But what actually are alternative assets, and what are the risks involved? Will they become more mainstream?

Some of these assets can sound far-fetched to the conventional investment professional - they include items such as music royalties - while others are simply deemed suitable for more sophisticated tastes, such as private equity funds.

But the real reason they have become more popular is that they offer real diversification to clients looking to balance out their exposure to equities.

Professional investors are now taking alternative assets seriously, and subjecting them to serious analysis. This CPD feature takes a look at how the investment world views them.