ICI Viewpoints Content

Over the past year, 2.3 million more US households became mutual fund investors. Surprised? Despite headlines forecasting the demise of the mutual fund, the product continues to garner new investors, even a century after its creation. That’s because the investment pie keeps growing...

Target date funds (TDFs) 1 have steadily become a mainstream option among retirement investors, 2 with some academics describing TDFs as “one of the most important financial innovations for the typical American retail investor” in recent decades. 3 These strategies, which are popular...

In late September, ICI convened more than 650 professionals in sunny Boca Raton for the 2024 Tax and Accounting Conference (TAC). The annual event connects leading experts in asset management, law, and accounting with top regulators for important conversations on tax policy and...

Adjusted for inflation, average retirement assets per US household are nearly 10 times what they were 50 years ago. That surge in wealth has been propelled largely by IRAs, 401(k)s, and similar plans, which provide retirement security for families of all backgrounds and income levels...

Summary: Central bankers and finance ministries have increasingly equated the size and growth of the non-bank financial intermediation (NBFI) space with increased financial stability risks. Their rhetoric is not supported by data. In absolute terms, NBFI has grown over the past decade...

With more than $25 trillion in assets, IRAs, 401(k)s, and similar retirement accounts are a growing source of financial security for everyday Americans. Balances in these accounts have climbed to or near record highs, helping the average long-term saver build a meaningful nest egg...

ICI’s 2024 Leadership Summit brought together central figures in asset management, technology, and government, sparking thought-provoking conversations about the future of investing. Against the backdrop of rapid innovation, monumental policy proposals, and a celebration of the mutual...

In 1957, the National Association of Investment Companies, predecessor to the Investment Company Institute, produced its first consumer education film: The Hope that Jack Built. Featuring a bow tie-wearing character named Jack, the seven-minute short film played in movie theaters...

As ICI celebrates the 100th anniversary of the mutual fund, we’re all celebrating 100 years of innovation across the regulated funds industry—innovation that has enriched everyday investors. In 1924, when the Massachusetts Investors’ Trust opened, no one could have imagined today's...