Many of these managers often rely on seed capital from family and friends prior to institutionalizing their businesses. A dry up of this seed capital through more restrictive net-worth and income thresholds could hinder these managers' ability to raise money. The passage of the JOBS (Jump-start Our Business Start-ups) Act, which allowed hedge funds and other private funds to publicly market and advertise their businesses is another regulatory driver behind toughening up the eligibility criteria for accredited investors. A number of policymakers and consumer groups had warned some investors could be susceptible to fraud following the JOBS Act. In reality – however – very few hedge funds have taken advantage of the JOBS Act. A hedge fund survey conducted by international law firm Seward & Kissel found that not a single manager had taken advantage of the eased marketing and advertising rules under the JOBS Act.