Alternative Investments – OKF Knowledge Bundle
What This Is
A structured self-study knowledge base for building working familiarity with alternative investments. It is intended for professionals in banking, asset management, or fund operations who are developing their understanding of private markets.
Important: All content is based on publicly available, general knowledge. Nothing here constitutes legal, tax, accounting, or regulatory advice, employer-confidential material, or investment advice. Content is intentionally simplified for learning purposes. Verify technical details against authoritative sources before relying on them professionally.
Start Here
New to alternatives? Take this path:
- Learning Path — read this first; it sequences all 7 stages with study questions
- Glossary — use alongside Stage 1 to anchor terminology
- Sources – Index — use in Stage 7 to verify knowledge against public standards
Best First 10 Files
If you want to read the single most useful file from each major area before deciding where to go deeper:
| File | Why Start Here |
|---|---|
| J-Curve | Explains the central PE return pattern; anchors everything else |
| Limited Partnerships | The legal backbone of most alternative funds |
| LP Roles | Clarifies who does what and what protects investors |
| Carried Interest | Explains GP incentive structure |
| Waterfalls | Shows how profits are divided, step by step |
| NAV | Defines the number that everything else is measured against |
| Valuation Risk | Explains why private asset NAV is an estimate, not a price |
| IRR | The most commonly cited performance metric, with caveats |
| TVPI | Explains the DPI + RVPI relationship and what it tells you |
| Liquidity Risk | The risk most distinct from public markets |
Bundle Sections
| Section | Files | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Asset Classes | 7 | What each major alternative asset class is and how it works |
| Concepts | 17 | Core mechanics: waterfalls, carry, clawback, DSCR, NAV facilities, overcommitment, ESG, and more |
| Fund Structures | 7 | How alternative funds are structured legally and operationally |
| Risk | 7 | The key risk types specific to alternative investments |
| Operations | 8 | Capital calls, distributions, NAV production, reporting, and more |
| Metrics | 8 | Performance and risk metrics: IRR, MOIC, TVPI, DPI, RVPI, PME |
| Sources | 13 | Public industry standards: ILPA, IPEV, AIMA, FATF, RICS, CRS/FATCA, AIFMD, and others |
Supporting Files
- Glossary — Thematic definitions with links, from fund structure to standards
- Learning Path — 7-stage reading sequence with self-check questions
- Log — Changelog for this bundle