Investment Company Institute (ICI)

The search for retirement income sources in a low-yield environment has highlighted a trio of possibilities — some counterintuitive.

Industry trade group up in arms over amendment to rule that exempted mutual funds from having to register as commodity pool operators

The following is an edited version of remarks made by Investment Company Institute general counsel Karrie McMillan on March 19 at the organization's Mutual Fund and Investment Management Conference in Phoenix.

Securities and Exchange Commissioner Elisse Walter would prefer that firms kept their thoughts on money market fund reform out of the public eye.

Investors can say goodbye to $1 shares of money market funds and hello to $100 or even $1,000 shares if the Securities and Exchange Commission requires the funds to float their net asset value, Investment Company Institute general counsel Karrie McMillan said at the ICI conference last week.

Mutual funds aren't allowed to charge hedge-fund-style performance fees, but some managed-futures funds are taking advantage of a loophole.

INHERENT CONFLICT NO FIREBRANDS PROPOSALS FOR MSRB With people around the world fighting and dying for the right to vote, it is sad that democratic elections seem increasingly rare in the U.S. securities industry. Specifically, I am referring to the process of electing board members to the

CREDIT QUALITY "TAX-FREE INCOME' A dramatic increase in the number of “superdowngrades” could wallop the municipal bond market this year, muni experts predict. They believe that the number of such double- or triple-tier declines in credit ratings could jump from the typical one or two per year to

What a difference a year makes. Twelve months ago, banking analyst Meredith Whitney predicted that 2011 would bring “hundreds of billions of dollars” of municipal bond defaults due to intense fiscal stress on states and local governments.

TOO GOOD TO IGNORE "FLIGHT TO QUALITY' In stark contrast to the gloom and doom that plagued the municipal bond market a year ago, muni bonds have never looked as good as they do right now. Although there are some obvious forces driving the trend, it is nonetheless rare to see muni bonds compare

ETFs keep growing, underscoring the importance of exactly how they are bought and sold.