ICI Viewpoints Content

A mental model that James Gorman uses in his role as chairman and CEO of Morgan Stanley involves viewing the world as a series of concentric circles: the innermost circle represents the firm itself, while the subsequent circles represent the industry, the economy, and the political...

Those of us who wear glasses know that one of the most crucial elements in seeing the world is the right lens. A bad lens warps the light and distorts the signals; the right lens sharpens the image and enhances our understanding. This is a useful metaphor for the work that ICI...

What's the actual participation rate of Americans preparing for retirement through a workplace retirement plan? It's an important question, and one that ICI economists Peter Brady and Steven Bass shed some light on in their new analysis of tax data, "Who Participates in Retirement...

Nearly 44 million US households invest and save for their future through individual retirement accounts (IRAs). If your household isn't one, now is a great opportunity to join them. And if you are already saving in an IRA, there are some advantages that you may not be aware of—and...

Millions of Americans personally direct their retirement investments in defined contribution (DC) plans, which account for nearly $8 trillion in savings. Because it is vitally important that regulators, policymakers, and employers understand the beliefs and behaviors of these...

For decades, Charles Schulz kept us in suspense: surely this time, Lucy would let Charlie Brown kick the football. Nope. Every time, at the last second, she pulled the ball away—and Charlie Brown fell flat on his back. We've seen the same gap between wish and fulfillment around market...

With all the recent volatility in the US stock market, two questions are frequently being asked: Are fund investors fleeing the stock market? Are index funds causing market turbulence? The short answer to both questions is no. Experience and research show that investor flows to and...

The following appeared as the "Letter from the Managing Director" in IDC's 2017 Annual Review. If there has been a single constant across the 13-year history of the Independent Directors Council (IDC), it's the stability of our four-part mission...

The following ICI Viewpoints is a letter to the Wall Street Journal by Sean Collins, ICI chief economist, in response to an article published on January 4, 2018: Are America's individual investors missing out on one of the biggest bull markets in history? No. The Wall Street Journal's...

Imagine finding out that your investment account has been turned over to your state because it was considered "abandoned." Imagine, too, that after the account was turned over to the state, the account received a capital gains distribution. As a result, you are liable for paying the...