This article is an attempt to present some aspects of the investment fund industry in Poland and in the USA. The choice of the American market for comparison was determined by the fact that American funds’ assets are the highest in the world. The Polish fund industry has existed for only 13 years. The authors focused on the assets of investment funds and channels of distribution in these countries. Assets of investment funds are sharply increasing in Poland and the USA, and this kind of common investment is becoming more and more important. There are about 200 investment funds in Poland, and several thousands in the USA. The changes in the distribution of investment funds during the last few years have allowed investors to choose from a wider range of services, and provided better access to investment funds than ever before. Internet channels of distribution will probably not dominate traditional ways of selling investment funds, but nonetheless have a great potential for the future. Strong competition results in a considerable decrease of commissions and asset-based fees, yet this system becomes more complicated and less transparent for investors.