A Proposal that Should Be Popped

By Paul Schott Stevens

December 15, 2016

The following ICI Viewpoints is a letter to the editor by Paul Schott Stevens, president and CEO of the Investment Company Institute, in response to an op-ed published on December 7, 2016, in the New York Times, “A Monopoly Donald Trump Can Pop.”

Millions of Americans could lose the low costs and broad diversification of fund investing under the dangerous proposal outlined in the op-ed by Posner, Weyl, and Morton.

Their work rests on untested academic theories and flawed assumptions. Asset managers do not move in lockstep or pursue identical strategies. Within a fund complex, dozens or hundreds of funds pursue specific objectives for thousands of clients.

Funds invest in companies in many different markets. Gains in one industry would not help index funds if they come at the expense of other fund holdings. Consider the op-ed’s reference to airlines: the five airline companies in the S&P 500 are only 0.64 percent of the index’s market value. Why would an S&P 500 index fund manager want an airline company to engage in behavior that hurts the remaining 99.36 percent of its portfolio that pay for airline services?

Public policy cannot be driven by academic literature neither peer-reviewed, nor tested. Millions of middle-class Americans ultimately would pay the price.

Paul Schott Stevens
President and CEO
Investment Company Institute

TOPICS: Bond Fund Equity Investing Exchange-Traded Funds Financial Markets Fund Regulation Mutual Fund Trading

The Taper Tantrum—Take II

By Shelly Antoniewicz

December 13, 2016

Long-term interest rates in the United States have been on the rise since summer 2016—slowly creeping up from July through October, and then jumping after the presidential election. Thus far, the response from bond mutual fund investors has been subdued. Nevertheless, various commentators—from the vice chairman of the Federal Reserve Board to the multinational Financial Stability Board—have expressed concerns that bond fund investors may rush to redeem shares to avoid portfolio losses stemming from unexpected increases in interest rates.

Investor Protection Priorities for the New Year

By David Blass

December 12, 2016

The following ICI Viewpoints is adapted from a presentation that ICI General Counsel David Blass gave to the Investor Advisory Committee of the US Securities and Exchange Commission on December 8, 2016. Visit this page to read the entire presentation.

If I were to poll ICI members about next year’s priorities, I am sure we would receive consistent feedback: give us an opportunity to implement all the rules that have been imposed on us. New rules from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) covering data reporting, swing pricing, and liquidity risk management will require huge expenditures and years of work to implement fully. And they were adopted in the aftermath of two rounds of money market fund reform, as well as many other rules applicable to the fund industry adopted by other regulatory agencies.

Fund Fees Have Been Falling for Two Decades

By Paul Schott Stevens

October 19, 2016

The following ICI Viewpoints is a letter to the editor by Paul Schott Stevens, president and CEO of the Investment Company Institute, in response to an editorial published on October 9, 2016, in InvestmentNews, “DOL fiduciary rule may finally spark lower fund fees for mutual funds.” It appeared in the print edition of the publication on October 17, 2016.

Money Market Fund Reforms Combine with Bank Regulations to Boost Interest Rates

By Sean Collins

September 28, 2016

As detailed in the previous ICI Viewpoints in this series, the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) new rules for money market funds induced a drop in the assets of prime and tax-exempt money market funds of $910 billion since January 2015 and a roughly comparable $872 billion rise in the assets of government money market funds.

As Money Market Fund Investors Adjust, Funds Have Managed Flows

By Sean Collins

September 27, 2016

The Securities and Exchange Commission’s new rules for money market funds, which must be fully implemented by October 14, largely center around two key reforms.

For Money Market Funds, Massive Preparation Has Paid Off in Smooth Transition

By Marty Burns

September 26, 2016

First in a series on money market funds.

By October 14, the money market fund industry must fully implement the 2014 money market fund reforms passed by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), cementing major changes for investors and fund complexes. ICI has been in close constant contact with members since the rules were enacted in 2014 and has been working with operations and other professionals throughout the industry to ensure an orderly transition—including fully informing investors—to the new regime in October.

US T+2 Is Coming—and Bringing Many Benefits with It

By Ahmed Elghazaly

September 6, 2016

On September 5, 2017, equities, municipal and corporate bonds, and unit investment trusts will reduce the amount of time it takes to settle trades from trade date plus three days (T+3) to trade date plus two days (T+2).

Revised Fed Data Show Mutual Funds’ Share of Corporate Bond Market Is Small and Stable

By Shelly Antoniewicz

August 26, 2016

Discussions among regulators and the financial press about the role of bond mutual funds in financial stability risks have been fueled by concerns about the size and apparent growth in bond funds’ participation in corporate bond markets. But what if that role and its growth have been largely overstated?

Cybersecurity at Work: The Risks of Information Sharing

By Peter Salmon

August 23, 2016

In the last installment of this series, we wrote about the importance of information sharing. Though important, there is a balance to be struck; you don’t want to share too much information. Growing up in New York City, for example, my friends and I would poke fun at drivers with personalized license plates. “Why would anyone want everyone to know where they were all the time?” was our usual comment.

Ten Years After the PPA, the Path to Retirement Saving Is Easier

By Sarah Holden and Elena Barone Chism

August 22, 2016

Ten years ago, on August 17, 2006, President George W. Bush signed the Pension Protection Act (PPA) into law, with the goal of ensuring greater retirement security for American workers. With regard to defined contribution (DC) plans, such as 401(k) plans, PPA further encouraged automatic enrollment while paving the way for diversified default investments and the creation of Roth accounts inside DC plans. PPA also made permanent previously legislated contribution-limit increases and the saver’s credit.

Secure Choice Is Risky for Workers and for the State

By Paul Schott Stevens

August 17, 2016

Millions of Americans save for retirement using employer-sponsored plans that offer tax advantages and excellent investment options.

Matching Models to Reality: Bond Market Investors Don’t Follow the “First-Mover” Script

By Brian Reid

July 18, 2016

Fourth in a series of ICI Viewpoints testing the hypotheses of academics and regulators about mutual fund and investor behavior during times of market stress.

Regulators and researchers have put forward a common narrative that fund investors can destabilize markets during a period of market stress. They have advanced several hypotheses—including the concept of a first-mover advantage—to support their narrative. These hypotheses produce testable predictions about how fund investors behave in troubled markets: not only will investors redeem their fund shares but they also will stop purchasing new fund shares, thus creating large destabilizing net outflows from funds.

Matching Models to Reality: In a Falling Market, the Real “Movers” May Be...the Buyers

By Brian Reid

July 15, 2016

Third in a series of ICI Viewpoints testing the hypotheses of academics and regulators about mutual fund and investor behavior during times of market stress.

Matching Models to Reality: The Real-World Challenges to Regulators’ “First-Mover” Hypothesis

By Sean Collins

July 14, 2016

Commentators have long predicted that, one of these days, a market downturn will send U.S. mutual fund investors racing for the exits.

Matching Models to Reality: Doomsayers Are Disappointed—Again—as Funds Weather Brexit Shock

By Paul Schott Stevens

July 13, 2016

On Thursday, June 23, the electorate of the United Kingdom voted in a referendum on the country’s membership in the European Union. The result—51.9 percent in favor of “Brexit,” 48.1 percent in favor of “Remain”—went against pollsters’ and pundits’ expectations and surprised the world.

Building on the Success of the Private-Sector Retirement System Is the Real “Secure Choice”

By David Blass

July 8, 2016

Retirement assets in the United States totaled $24 trillion at the end of 2015, bolstered by investments through employer-sponsored plans and individual retirement accounts (IRAs).

It’s Time: SEC Proposals Show the Need to Reexamine the Role of Fund Boards

By Amy B. R. Lancellotta

July 7, 2016

The proper role for fund independent directors—the role where they are best-positioned to represent shareholder interests—is to oversee the work of fund management. The sharp distinction between directors’ oversight role and management’s on-the-ground, day-to-day responsibilities has been a major factor in the modern fund industry’s 75-plus years of success.

The Liquidity Provided by ETFs Is No Mirage

By Todd Bernhardt

June 20, 2016

The article above ignores fundamental information about ETFs, the behavior of investors, and the effects of market structure on the ETF product.

Cybersecurity at Work: The Benefits of Information Sharing Networks

By Peter Salmon

June 16, 2016

In the last installment of this blog series, we wrote about the need for training—specifically, cyber tabletop exercises.

When Investor Protection Becomes Protectionism

By Patrice Bergé-Vincent

June 14, 2016

Today, Europe is facing two related needs: to provide its citizens with efficient, lower-cost vehicles for savings and investment, and to bolster economic growth.

Industry Operations Leaders Address Needs of Investors and Advisers

By Candice Gullett

June 6, 2016

In conversations exploring regulation, demographics, and technology, industry leaders offered their perspectives on serving investors and advisers in an evolving world at ICI’s annual Operations and Technology Conference, held concurrently with the General Membership Meeting on May 18–20 in Washington, DC.

Industry Leaders Address Changing Industry Terrain

By Miriam Bridges

June 3, 2016

Will fund industry leaders need to rethink their traditional operating models? Experts shared their views on this question and others, as well as the opportunities presented by a rapidly changing industry, in a candid discussion on the second day of ICI’s 58th General Membership Meeting, held May 18–20 in Washington, DC.

Conducting Business in a Rapidly Changing World

By Jeanne Arnold

June 1, 2016

The global operating environment is evolving and it is critical for corporations to understand the changes afoot if they are to succeed in the 21st century, said Kevin Kajiwara, co-president of Teneo Intelligence, a division of global advisory firm Teneo. Speaking on the final day at ICI’s 58th General Membership Meeting (GMM), Kajiwara gave an overview of the economic and political shifts taking place around the world during his session, “Geopolitical Risks and the Global Economy.” After the overview, he engaged in an insightful question-and-answer session with Tom Faust, chairman and CEO of Eaton Vance Corp.

A Changing Landscape for the Fund Industry—and Fund Investors

By Rob Elson

May 27, 2016

Continue to expect change in the investment landscape, with the Federal Reserve, the Millennial generation, and technological evolution all playing major roles.

Ops Leaders Extol the Transformational Power of Data and Analytics

By Todd Bernhardt

May 26, 2016

The evolution of fund companies’ ability to gather and analyze data is creating a revolution in the way that those companies serve their customers, said panelists at “Big Data Initiatives and the Power of the Cloud,” the session that kicked off ICI’s Operations and Technology Conference on May 19 in Washington, DC.

The SEC’s Historic Success: Six Key Ingredients

By Paul Schott Stevens

May 20, 2016

This ICI Viewpoints is adapted from ICI President and CEO Paul Schott Stevens’s introduction for SEC Chair Mary Jo White at the 2016 ICI General Membership Meeting on May 20.

More than 80 years have passed since Congress—looking to restore public confidence in markets at the height of the Great Depression—established the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to administer the federal securities laws enacted as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal.

SEC Chair White Expects Continued ‘Bright Spotlight’ on Asset Management

By Rachel McTague

May 20, 2016

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is contemplating several new initiatives governing registered funds, in addition to adopting rules this year on reporting modernization, liquidity management, and the use of derivatives, SEC Chair Mary Jo White announced at the opening session on the final day of ICI’s annual General Membership Meeting (GMM).

Walter Isaacson: Where Art Meets Science

By Rob Elson

May 19, 2016

Our world’s greatest innovations, according to Walter Isaacson, can be traced to “people who truly have a sense of what it is to be human…but also feel very comfortable with science and technology, and can make the connection.” And he’s got the evidence to back this belief up.

Read more…

TOPICS: Cybersecurity Events GMM

GMM Policy Forum: Michael Bloomberg and the Focus on Value

By Todd Bernhardt

May 18, 2016

Businesses and people can both prosper if they focus on providing a service that is unique and that has real value, said Michael R. Bloomberg at ICI’s 58th Annual General Membership Meeting (GMM) today. The noted entrepreneur, philanthropist, and three-term mayor of New York City covered a wide range of topics in a lively back-and-forth with ICI President and CEO Paul Schott Stevens during the meeting’s opening Policy Forum, attended by about 1,500 fund industry leaders.

To the SEC and FINRA: It’s Your Move

By David W. Blass

April 21, 2016

Earlier this month, I wrote about the wide-ranging benefits of the proposed Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) rule to give U.S. regulated funds the option of making online access to shareholder reports their default method for informing their shareholders.

Cybersecurity at Work: Exercise Is Important

By Peter Salmon

April 20, 2016

In this installment of our series focusing on cybersecurity, we are going to look at exercising—not the type of exercising that many of us do to stay in shape, though that is a good place to start.

The SEC’s Online-Delivery Gift to Fund Shareholders

By David W. Blass

April 4, 2016

A recent SEC rulemaking proposal presages good news for America’s 90 million mutual fund shareholders. Proposed Rule 30e-3 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, introduced last year as part of a larger initiative to enhance and modernize fund data reporting, would give funds the option of flipping their default mechanism for delivering shareholder reports from U.S. mail to online access.

Factors Contributing to the Decline of Expense Ratios in 2015

By Sean Collins and James Duvall

March 31, 2016

ICI recently released its annual update on the expense ratios of mutual funds, showing expense ratios to be at their lowest levels in at least 20 years.

Cybersecurity at Work: Incident Response Plans and What They Entail

By Peter Salmon

March 21, 2016

In this second posting in our series, I’d like to focus on computer incident response planning. In last month’s post, I mentioned that there are many more data breaches that take place than we are made aware of through the media. These cybersecurity events can affect networks large and small, from large multinational corporations to your own home.

Yes, Funds Come and Go—Without Government Help

By Todd Bernhardt

March 11, 2016

For several years now, ICI has pushed back against those advocating for bank-like regulations on the asset management industry, pointing out the numerous reasons why regulated funds or their managers are not sources of risk to the overall financial system.

The “Waterfall Theory” of Liquidity Management Doesn’t Hold Water

By Sean Collins and Chris Plantier

March 9, 2016

In a series of recent blog posts, economists at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York have discussed new research assessing the potential for bond mutual funds to pose systemic risks.

Three Reasons Why You Should Consider an IRA

By Sarah Holden

March 8, 2016

April 18 is the deadline to file income tax returns with the federal government this year.

Getting Started in a 401(k) Plan—and Getting the Most Out of It

By Christina Kilroy

February 26, 2016

This week, ICI and the Investment Company Institute Education Foundation (ICIEF) joined thousands of corporations, nonprofits, and government agencies to celebrate America Saves Week.

How America Supports Retirement: The Incentive to Save Is Not Upside Down

By Peter J. Brady

February 25, 2016

In my new book, How America Supports Retirement: Challenging the Conventional Wisdom on Who Benefits, and the first three ICI Viewpoints in this series, I’ve demonstrated that Social Security’s benefit formula drives participation in tax-deferred employer-sponsored retirement plans ; that the full system of government support for retirement is progressive; and that those in higher tax brackets don’t enjoy greater “bang for their buck” from tax deferral.

Models vs. the Real World—Why Bond Funds Aren’t the Bond Market

By Chris Plantier and Sean Collins

February 25, 2016

In two recent blog posts, economists at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York use a theoretical model to assess the size of potential spillover effects from bond mutual fund outflows.

How America Supports Retirement: What Do Tax Rates Have to Do with the Benefits of Tax Deferral? Less Than You Think

By Peter J. Brady

February 24, 2016

In my new book, How America Supports Retirement: Challenging the Conventional Wisdom on Who Benefits, I set out to gain a comprehensive view of how government policy supports American workers as they gather resources for retirement.

MetLife Case Shows That “Assuming the Worst of the Worst of the Worst” Doesn’t Work

By Mike McNamee

February 24, 2016

If regulators are going to impose strict rules and heavy burdens on a business, should they have to demonstrate that those rules and burdens address an actual and probable risk?

How America Supports Retirement: No, Benefits Are Not “Tilted” to the Higher Earners

By Peter J. Brady

February 23, 2016

Second in a series of ICI Viewpoints.

In my new book, How America Supports Retirement: Challenging the Conventional Wisdom on Who Benefits, I analyze the benefits individuals receive from the major government policies that help American workers accumulate resources for retirement: Social Security and tax deferral on compensation set aside for retirement in employer-based plans (both traditional pensions and defined contribution plans, such as 401(k) plans).

New Research by New York Fed Confirms: Bond Funds Don’t Pose Systemic Risks

By Chris Plantier and Sean Collins

February 23, 2016

In a series of recent blog posts, economists at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York discussed results from a theoretical model assessing the potential for bond mutual funds to pose systemic risks.

Derivatives—Please Don’t Let Them Be Misunderstood

By Shelly Antoniewicz

February 22, 2016

Derivatives are important portfolio management tools that provide funds with many potential benefits, including the ability to:

hedge risk;
enhance liquidity, because derivatives can be more liquid than traditional physical securities;
gain or reduce exposure to unique markets or to asset classes when access through other instruments is difficult, costly, or impossible;
manage or equitize cash; and
reduce cost.

How America Supports Retirement: Tackling the Myths That Surround Us

By Peter J. Brady

February 22, 2016

America’s retirement system isn’t perfect but it’s a lot stronger than many people think. Whether by accident or design, the U.S. retirement system provides benefits to workers across the earnings distribution and has helped millions of retirees maintain their standard of living in retirement.

Cybersecurity at Work: Creating Passwords That Are More Secure

By Peter Salmon

February 17, 2016

Welcome to the first in a monthly series of ICI Viewpoints focusing on sound practices in cybersecurity.

U.S. and European Fund Investors Continue to Take Long View on EM Economies

By Chris Plantier

February 12, 2016

In an ICI Global Research Perspective last year, we showed that U.S. and European registered funds held $1.7 trillion in emerging market (EM) stocks and bonds at the end of 2014 (this total counts Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan as emerging markets). Of that, $1.27 trillion was estimated to be in equities and $431 billion was in bonds. We also showed that this $1.7 trillion was spread widely, across 80 different EM countries, and that fund net purchases of EM securities explained little of the variability of capital flow to EM countries.

All Pain and No Gain for Fund Investors

By Paul Schott Stevens

February 5, 2016

The following is a letter submitted to the editor of the New York Times. A financial transaction tax (FTT) (editorial, The Need for a Tax on Financial Trading, Jan. 28) is a terrible idea that would harm all investors, especially American workers saving for retirement. We have yet to see an FTT proposal that would not hurt Main Street nor weaken our capital markets.

Liquidity Risk Management Must Be Done Right

By Paul Schott Stevens

January 15, 2016

The following ICI Viewpoints is a lightly edited version of a letter that ICI President and CEO Paul Schott Stevens sent to U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Mary Jo White, as part of the Institute’s overall response to the SEC’s liquidity risk management proposal.

How the SEC’s Six-Bucket Approach Could Provide a False Picture of Liquidity

By Brian Reid

January 14, 2016

As I explained in a previous post, I filed a letter on January 13 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in response to its liquidity risk management proposal and to Liquidity and Flows of U.S. Mutual Funds, a study by the Commission’s Division of Economic and Risk Analysis (DERA). My letter was one of four components of ICI’s multipart response to the SEC proposal.

The SEC’s Liquidity Proposal: Good Goals, Unintended Consequences

By Brian Reid

January 13, 2016

On January 13, I filed a letter with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), in response to the SEC’s liquidity risk management proposal and to Liquidity and Flows of U.S. Mutual Funds, a study by the SEC’s Division of Economic and Risk Analysis (DERA). My letter was one of four components of ICI’s multipart response to the SEC proposal.