Curated Private Equity Collection
Explore the Certificates
Research and Videos
The Economics of Private Equity: A Critical Review
Private equity is a $3 trillion asset class, attracting many investors. This literature review synthesizes the main insights of the academic literature on private equity, focusing on its performance, value creation, and key aspects for investors.
Private Markets: Governance Issues Rise to the Fore
Private markets have ballooned since the Great Financial Crisis. While advocates hail their efficiency, critics call for more regulation. This report illuminates how private markets function and uses the results from our global survey to inform recommendations for investors and policymakers.
Conversations with Frank Fabozzi, CFA, Featuring Ludovic Phalippou
Conversations with Frank Fabozzi, CFA, featuring Ludovic Phalippou. Gain expert insight from Professor Ludovic Phalippou on the hidden risks, flawed return metrics, and governance gaps shaping private equity today. Walk away with a deeper understanding of where the industry stands—and where it may be headed.
Accessing Private Markets: What Does It Cost?
Applying a novel model to a proprietary dataset, this study estimates that financial intermediation costs impose a meaningful drag on investor returns. Other findings include the impact of economies of scale and non-performance fees.
Private Equity Performance around the World
Using a novel dataset, we investigate fund performance and persistence in private equity returns in international (non–North American) markets. We find that investment strategy and investment geography distinguish the returns of private equity.
A Latent Factor Cash Flow Model for Alternative Investment Funds
A novel model enhances private investment cash flow risk assessment by integrating economic factors and randomness. It enables stress testing, scenario analysis, and portfolio risk management, helping investors optimize liquidity and allocation strategies.
Blogs and Podcasts
Private Equity’s New Exit Playbook
Private Equity Returns Without the Lockups
Private Equity at a Crossroads: A Conversation with Ludovic Phalippou
Eric Hanno, CFA: Unlocking Opportunities in a Volatile Market
What Lies Beneath a Buyout: The Complex Mechanics of Private Equity Deals
Private Equity and Private Debt: Two Sides of the Same Coin
Webinars
Continuation Funds: Ethics in Private Markets
This webinar features the authors of Continuation Funds: Ethics in Private Markets, the first installment in a new three-part research series from the CFA Institute Research and Policy Center. They will be joined by a panel of senior industry experts to examine the ethical and structural implications of this fast growing market. The conversation draws on original research that includes insights from more than 30 global industry professionals.
The evolution of family offices: From 60/40 to direct private equity
Family offices are no longer content with traditional 60/40 portfolios. According to UBS’s 2025 Family Office Survey, allocations to alternative investments now surpass those to public markets, with direct buyouts representing the largest share – 44% of the average portfolio. The appeal is clear. But concentrated private holdings introduce new fault lines: liquidity traps, opaque valuations, and the risk of internal conflict as generational voices multiply.