> all good points in replies. i stand corrected on my understanding of this issue :) Madoff's fund wasn't regulated, too. If you buy a house or stocks, you are

> all good points in replies. i stand corrected on my understanding of this issue :) Madoff's fund wasn't regulated, too. If you buy a house or stocks, you are into a regulated market. Edit : by "regulated" I probably meant public. Not sure if the english term is correct ; one may want to check Shiller's course about hedge funds on youtube. My point being, those funds are only accessible to the very rich who will never spend their principal.