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For most of the period from the Global Financial Crisis in 2008 through the end of the COVID pandemic in 2022, the Federal Reserve held interest rates near zero. As post-pandemic inflation surged in early 2022, the Federal Reserve began a rapid rate-hike cycle that ended in July 2023 with the Federal Funds Rate at 5.25% - 5.50%. As noted in this Investment Report, the yields above 5% attracted investors to money market funds as total assets grew approximately 20% in 2023 to more than $6 trillion.

After the Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) collapse marked another bank failure, it triggered questions regarding the various considerations and options for holding short-term funds. With this reference chart, see the comparisons that show the characteristics of demand deposits with government securities and various money market funds as cash management alternatives.