Shrinking Money-Market Mutual Funds

How the mighty flows have shifted! Last year, investors were rushing into money-market mutual funds as a safe haven in the escalating credit crisis. In November, for example, $25.2 billion poured into the investments, helping propel the year to a record inflow. Then the tide changed. Concerns grew about the underlying securities of some of the funds. After an exodus -- more than $190 billion went fleeing in the week ended Thursday -- the government took the extraordinary step to insure the funds.