
SI305: Building A Hedge Fund Allocation ft. Alan Dunne
About this episode
Together with Alan Dunne, we take the temperature of the current state of affairs in the U.S. election and how the election impacts the economy and markets. Alan also shares his advice for allocator looking to start a new trend following fund and we discuss how fees are currently the big differentiator in the CTA space, with one manager increasing it's performance fee to 30%. We also discuss the "Dual Mandate of Managed Futures Strategies" and how how different frequencies of skewness affect strategies and delves into the use of "delay" by pure trend managers to smooth returns. We continue our conversation on the topic of Building a Hedge Fund Allocation, diving into the considerations and strategies involved in creating a robust hedge fund portfolio and more.
-----
50 YEARS OF TREND FOLLOWING BOOK AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO FOR ACCREDITED INVESTORS - CLICK HERE
-----
Follow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.
IT’s TRUE ? – most CIO’s read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.
And you can get a free copy of my latest book “Ten Reasons to Add Trend Following to Your Portfolio” here.
Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.
Send your questions to [email protected]
And please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest Rating & Review on iTunes or Spotify so more people can discover the podcast.
Follow Alan on Twitter.
Episode TimeStamps:
01:02 - What has been on our radar recently?
05:38 - How we utilize AI in our own work
09:14 - Price on fossil hit an all time high
09:54 - The FOMO narrative in investing
11:52 - Alan's thoughts on the state of affairs in the U.S. Election
19:50 - An unsustainable path
24:37 - Industry performance update
27:58 - Q1, Ciaran: What are allocators looking for in a new trend following fund?
34:25 - Fees - the big differentiator
38:46 - Key takeaway from the paper "Skew Spectrum"
48:20 - Paper on building a hedge fund allocation
01:00:34 - Thanks for listening
Resources discussed in this Episode:
Copyright © 2025 – CMC AG – All Rights Reserved
----
PLUS: Whenever you're ready... here are 3 ways I can help you in your investment Journey:
1. eBooks that cover key topics that you need to know about
In my eBooks, I put together some key discoveries and things I have learnt during the more than 3 decades I have worked in the Trend Following industry, which I hope you will find useful. Click Here
2. Daily Trend Barometer and Market Score
One of the things I’m really proud of, is the fact that I have managed to published the Trend Barometer and Market Score each day for more than a decade...as these tools are really good at describing the environment for trend following managers as well as giving insights into the general positioning of a trend following strategy! Click Here
3. Other Resources that can help you
And if you are hungry for more useful resources from the trend following world...check out some precious resources that I have found over the years to be really valuable. Click Here
Get every episode summarized
Each time Top Traders Unplugged publishes, we email you a written briefing from the transcript — the topics, who appeared, and any specific claims, with the ad reads skipped.
Email me new episodesFree for 3 shows. No card needed.
Hosts & guests
No transcript yet
This episode has not been transcribed. Request it and it moves to the front of the queue.
More episodes
More from Top Traders Unplugged

OI21: The Hidden Edge in Markets No One Is Trading ft. Tom Babbedge
Top Traders Unplugged

SI394: The Quarter That Tested Every Trend Follower ft. Katy Kaminski & Harry Mo...
Top Traders Unplugged

GM98: Powerlessness Is Rising and Nobody Is Ready ft. Peter Atwater
Top Traders Unplugged

SI393: The Illusion of Control in Modern Markets ft. Yoav Git
Top Traders Unplugged