"Lenders are asking more questions," he said, "and they want to see assets verified".
Neuberger Berman, for years one of the best value managers, has seen assets flow out as its funds underperform.
On that note, it's encouraging to see assets in European ETFs, less than $1 billion back in 2000, have now grown to more than $192 billion.
Not many regular guys last long after behaving erratically, running a bond fund whose performance had been flagging, and seeing assets dwindle month after month after month.
They are likely to give Mr Putin more time to meet the Minsk obligations, though more rebels in Ukraine could see assets frozen.
"If nothing changes, if the headline out of the weekend is that the talks have broken down, I think you'll start to see assets reacting to that," Mr. Todd said.
FINANCIAL TIMES Investors Predict Hedge Fund Assets Will Rise | The global hedge fund industry may see assets rise 12 percent this year, to $2.13 trillion, due to a combination of positive performance and net inflows, according to a Credit Suisse survey, Bloomberg News reports.
Additionally, "a lot of lenders will want to see assets to cover as many as 24 months' worth of principal, taxes and insurance payments," said Richard Pisnoy, a principal of Silver Fin Capital, a brokerage in Great Neck, N.Y.
One of the biggest such funds, PIMCO's Commodity Real Return Strategy fund, has seen assets grow four-fold.Once, the main way of benefiting from commodities was buying shares in mining companies.
