The Best (and Worst) Funds to Start in 2026 : Ep 385
From Investment Fund Secrets S2 by Bridger Pennington
February 26, 2026 · 9 min · Episode 385
About this episode
Bridger Pennington discusses the best and worst funds to start in 2026, analyzing market trends and investment strategies.
In this forward-looking episode, Bridger Pennington breaks down which types of funds he would start in 2026, which ones he would avoid, and which ones fall somewhere in the middle. Drawing from real conversations with fund managers and insights from reviewing hundreds of funds, Bridger covers: Why secondary funds may benefit from a wave of long-delayed IPOs and renewed liquidity in private markets. The headwinds facing hedge funds, from AI-driven competition to volatile, news-driven markets and historically high valuations. Why crypto funds sit in a neutral category—attractive entry prices, but extreme volatility and leverage risk. The real estate opportunity: three years of rate-driven pain potentially setting up a multi-year recovery cycle. Why private credit may face increasing competition and margin compression as interest rates decline. The nuanced case for early-stage venture capital: better entry valuations and AI-driven efficiency gains—but intensified competitive disruption. This episode is a macro-informed framework for thinking about fund strategy selection in 2026—grounded in market cycles, capital flows, and evolving technology trends.
People in this episode
Host: Bridger Pennington
Topics covered
- fund strategy selection
- market cycles
- capital flows
- technology trends
- investment opportunities
- hedge funds
- crypto volatility
Keywords
- funds
- investment
- 2026
- hedge funds
- crypto
- real estate
- private credit
- venture capital
- market analysis
- IPO
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: AI, crypto funds, real estate, private credit, early-stage venture capital
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