what are the regulatory standards for alternative investments 
regulations for alternative investments are less clear than they are for more traditional securities although alternative investment vehicles are regulated by the sec their securities do not have to be registered as a result most of these investment vehicles are only available to institutions or wealthy accredited investors the bottom linealternative investments are investment options outside of traditional investments such as stocks bonds and cash alternative investments may include a wide range of assets such as real estate commodities private equity hedge funds art collectibles or cryptocurrencies these investments are generally less liquid than traditional investments though they may boast diversification and higher returns compared to more popular forms of investing 