Frustrated with mutual fund and stock market performance? Looking for alternative ways to invest your money? Hedge your bets with Hedge Funds!? It's no secret that stock market performance over recent years has been disappointing, to say the least-or abysmal, to be more realistic. And when the markets go down, mutual funds go down with them. So what are Canadian investors to do? Hedge funds are alternative investments that are designed to provide investors with strong returns during both bull and bear markets. Often misunderstood by the average investor, the popularity of hedge funds has been growing rapidly in Canada, thanks to regulatory changes and the continued poor performance of more traditional investment vehicles. More widely available than ever before, hedge funds can reduce overall risk and volatility, and improve performance regardless of the general stock market direction. Written by two of the industry's top experts and commentators, this is the first book of its kind: a complete guide to the hedge fund industry in Canada. Includes complete coverage on: what hedge funds are and how to use them to your advantage; myths and facts about hedge funds; the difference between hedge funds and mutual funds; how to assess hedge funds and measure your risk; how to buy a hedge fund; how to apply different hedge fund styles in your portfolio; and much more. Features profiles and ratings of 50 hedge funds currently available in Canada, including a description of each fund, information on the fund's manager, performance numbers, terms and conditions, and risk data.

Peter Beck is a well-known financial expert and President of Swift Trade Securities, Canada's leading direct-access trading firm. <P> A true entrepreneur, Peter started his colourful career as a chef in Hungary. He immigrated to Canada in 1979 where he started a number of successful businesses, including the country's first long distance company in 1988, competing directly with Bell Canada. When he sold the company in 1993, there were offices coast to coast making it one of the leaders in the industry. <P> In 1997 Peter read an article about a US Day Trading firm and decided to bring the concept to Canada. In just four years, Swift Trade Securities grew from one office to 10 across Canada, used by over 400 full-time traders. Swift Trade Securities remains Canada's premier Direct Access Electronic Trading Centre, and was named one of the Top 10 Hottest Startups in Canada by Profit Magazine in 2001 for its remarkable two-year growth rate of almost 4000%. <P> Mr. Beck has been featured in media across the country, including The Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star, CTV News, ROB TV and Canadian Business. He regularly appears on television to offer commentary on the US markets. <P> <br> <P> Miklos Nagy is President, co-founder and CEO of Canadian Hedge Watch Inc., a Toronto based publishing and educational firm focusing on the Canadian hedge fund industry, and a Partner at Nagy-Sanfelice Alternative Asset Management. Mr. Nagy has 16 years of financial industry experience in Canada including Senior Partner at York Financial Group, financial planning at Money Concepts (Newmarket) and credit analysis at Credit Suisse Canada in Toronto. <P> Mr. Nagy studied Math and Computer Science in Hungary, and graduated with a B.Sc.(Hons.) degree from the University of Toronto in Economics and Statistics. He holds the CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) and CFP (Certified Financial Planner) professional designations. <P> A leading authority on alternative investments and hedge funds in Canada, Mr. Nagy has been featured extensively on national television and in newspapers speaking about hedge funds. He has also been a speaker at financial seminars and conferences for numerous organizations. <P> He is a member of AIMR (Association of Investment Management and Research), the Toronto Society of Financial Analysts and a founding member of the Hungarian Society of Investment Professionals, Budapest. 30 02 <BR> "Hedge Funds for Canadians is a thorough and highly readable look at a subject many Canadian investors probably haven't felt comfortable with. Peter Beck and Miklos Nagy have managed to take the mystery out of this relatively sophisticated investment strategy." <BR> James Walker, Editor, Investment Executive <P> "Investors looking for more oomph in their portfolios won't want to make the leap into hedge funds without first reading this simple-to-read but thorough guide to hedge funds in Canada." <BR> Edward Trapunski, Author of Secrets of Investing in Technology Stocks <P> "A useful and thorough primer on a subject of critical importance to Canadian investors." <BR> Michael den Tandt, Columnist with The Globe & Mail's Report on Business