UK retail investors have put a record £19bn (€21bn) into investment funds so far this year, according to the Investment Management Association, providing a boost to asset managers, which derive higher profits from retail assets than equivalent amounts of institutional money.

Retail investors placed a net £2.7bn into funds in September, bringing the total over nine months to £18.7bn. In 2000, net retail sales hit £17.7bn, according to the IMA: 2009 would only fail to be a record year if investors withdrew substantial amounts of money from their funds before the end of December.