All those Federal Reserve hikes – 16 of them since June 2004 – have inspired investors to return to money market funds and CDs, The Wall Street Journal reports. Luring them back are not only the Fed increases and shaky stock market, but also the fact that short-term Treasury bills are now yielding more than 5%, the highest in five years. Morgan Stanley and Credit Suisse Group already are offering money market mutual funds at those rates, but many more may jump aboard if, as speculated, the Federal Reserve boosts short-term interest rates once again later this month. In fact, according to the Journal, investors are now being advised to cut their exposure to bonds and allocate more to cash in the short term. Recent events have once again elevated money-market instruments as a vehicle for earning more money, and not just a safe haven from stormy events, according to market observers.
