Stock and bond fund assets have grown at a 26% annual rate-from $49 billion in 1979 to $3.2 trillion in 2001
1995 marked the first time assets in the mutual fund industry exceeded total deposits in the commercial banking system - making the U.S. a nation of investors rather than savers
Experts estimate that Baby Boomers will inherit $26 trillion in the next decade and predict this money wil join assets already forsaking traditional bank accounts for mutual funds, money market funds and other financial vehicles
72% of investors say they own up to five funds; 20% own more than five
Fund sponsors launched more than 10,000 funds during the past 20 years - 9,000 of them since 1990