A leap into the mainstream

Warren Buffet once famously labelled derivatives "weapons of financial mass destruction". And widespread mistrust of complex financial products is still evident. But, as Robert Benson notes, these products are here to stay

Structured products are without doubt one of the most successful growth markets of the past 10 or 15 years. Riding on the back of the phenomenal explosion in the use of financial derivatives since the early 1980s, structured products have become an increasingly important part of investment portfolios for both individuals and institutions. The industry now employs many thousands of specialists and effectively manages many billions of dollars of investors' money. But the rapid expansion to