Why invest in hedge funds?

Too few individual investors and pension plans have money in GOOD hedge funds while far too much is in long only. Why jeopardise a secure retirement and the health of corporate and state balance sheets with traditional risky UNHEDGED products when superior financial and investment technologies are now available?

A pension fund's function is to match liabilities not beat the market. Equities alone are too risky and bonds don't yield enough. The closest LIABILITY MATCHING product is a portfolio of well-run hedge funds producing 8-10% annualized compounded absolute returns. There is a big pension underfunding problem out there. Isn't it time everyone accepted the fact that stocks and bonds alone don't cut it.

Corporate pensions like Weyerhaeuser, Eli Lilly, among others, are not mavericks. They are taking LESS risk than many of their peers and have a higher chance of paying their retirees without resorting to higher contributions. The State of Pennsylvania gets it also; hedge funds are an asset management tool NOT an asset class. Investors should use these tools to help ENSURE they can pay out benefits to retired workers.