Expert: Doug Ingram - 10/12/2009

Question
What is best place to store money and make it last for a long time or forever?

Answer
There is no clear answer to this question because of long cycles.

If you catch a low in land property, that's a valid long term buy.

Bonds are usually the safest investment, but they have very low returns (partially) because of the guarantees.

Stocks will outperform over the long haul, but have now gone nowhere over the past 10 years.

What most advisers would recommend would be a mix based on your age, expectations, and needs.  (The younger you are, weight more equities, the older, more bonds.)

In a time when the markets have been challenged, that's a tough call.

To answer your question, the best place would probably be in government guaranteed debt (Treasuries) with maturities averaging 2 to 3 years.  Any shorter, there's little return.  Much longer, and liquidity may be an issue if you need the money.  That won't offer the best returns over the long haul, but it preserves (stores) money.