Money Fund Assets Continue Slide
ICI's weekly "Money Market Mutual Fund Assets" release says, "Total money market mutual fund assets decreased by $37.65 billion to $3.161 trillion for the week ended Wednesday, February 17.... Taxable government funds decreased by $26.91 billion [to $969.95 billion, or 30.7% of assets], taxable non-government funds decreased by $11.47 billion [to $1,809.78 billion, or 57.3% of all assets], and tax-exempt funds increased by $730 million [to $380.99 billion, or 12.0%].... Assets of retail money market funds increased by $2.73 billion to $1.050 trillion [33.2% of all money fund assets].... Assets of institutional money market funds decreased by $40.38 billion to $2.111 trillion [66.8% of assets]." Year-to-date in 2010, money fund assets have declined by $132 billion, or 4.0%, following a 14.0%, $537 billion decline in 2009 (according to ICI's weekly asset series). In other news, Dow Jones writes "Adviser Volcker: Money Funds Are 'Banks Without The Burdens'". The article says, "White House economic adviser Paul Volcker on Thursday reiterated his view that money-market mutual funds should be regulated much as banks are if they promise to maintain a stable net asset value and pay on demand, calling the funds 'banks without the burdens'."
