ICI research demonstrates Americans’ steady savings behavior and positive attitudes toward the 401(k) system. Majorities of the 3,000 households surveyed opposed ideas that would fundamentally change 401(k)s.

ICI’s annual survey of U.S. households finds shareholders’ sentiment toward mutual funds declined in 2009, as views continued to track stock market performance.

This ICI research report finds that mutual fund fees and expenses fell in 2008, continuing a trend observed since the early 1980s.

As an ICI analysis shows, the Summary Prospectus adopted by the SEC will give investors what they want: a clear, concise document that provides the information they need most.

ICI’s annual compilation reports on retirement assets, characteristics of fund owners, use of index funds, and other trends.

ICI’s annual survey of U.S. households finds shareholders’ sentiment toward mutual funds declined in 2009, as views continued to track stock market performance.

This research presents a comprehensive overview of mutual fund owners, including their demographic characteristics, the ways in which they purchase fund shares, and the ways in which U.S. households use funds to meet their current and long-term financial needs.

Nearly half of U.S. households owns equities or bonds, a significant increase during the last two decades, according to joint research released by ICI and SIFMA.

More than 50 million U.S. households owned mutual funds in 2009, according to an annual ICI survey of U.S. households.

ICI research demonstrates Americans’ steady savings behavior and positive attitudes toward the 401(k) system. Majorities of the 3,000 households surveyed opposed ideas that would fundamentally change 401(k)s.

Americans are accumulating significant resources in IRAs through rollovers from employer-sponsored retirement plans and contributions.

Despite market challenges, IRA ownership in 2009 and IRA owners’ contribution and withdrawal activities in tax year 2008 were in line with recent historical experience.

U.S. retirement assets rose $1.2 trillion to $15.6 trillion in the third quarter of 2009, accounting for 35 percent of all household financial assets in the United States.

Total money market mutual fund assets decreased by $13.55 billion to $3.205 trillion for the week ended Wednesday, February 3.

Total estimated inflows to long-term mutual funds were $8.86 billion for the week ended Wednesday, January 27.

The combined assets of the nation’s mutual funds increased by $170.7 billion, or 1.6 percent, to $11.126 trillion in December.

The combined assets of the nation’s exchange-traded funds (ETFs) were $777.13 billion in December.

Unit investment trusts, investment companies that hold fixed portfolios of selected stocks or bonds, had total deposits of $2.32 billion in December.

The combined assets of the nation’s closed-end funds were $223.53 billion at the end of October 2009.

Mutual fund assets worldwide increased 10.0 percent to $22.38 trillion at the end of the third quarter of 2009.

Americans held $14.0 trillion in retirement assets at year-end 2008, down 22 percent from year-end 2007.

ICI’s annual compilation reports on retirement assets, characteristics of fund owners, use of index funds, and other trends.