Hedge Fund Disclosure Rules Sought

A White House task force plans to recommend today that Congress require the vast investment pools known as hedge funds to disclose previously private financial information on a regular basis, thus giving regulators and investors advance knowledge of their borrowings and risk-taking in the securities markets.

The plan, part of a package of recommendations negotiated by the Federal Reserve, Treasury and other top regulators, is intended to bring more oversight to these largely unregulated investment vehicles.

Last fall, global financial markets plunged and major banks and securities firms lost huge sums when Long-Term Capital Management LP, one of the biggest hedge funds, nearly collapsed after a series of complex market bets made with about $125 billion in loans went sour. Hedge funds generally pool money from wealthy individuals and organizations--say, a minimum investment of $10 million--and invest in exotic securities around the globe using sophisticated investment strategies to reduce risk.