Making Cents: Americans Prefer Low-Risk Investments

Investors are playing it safe with their retirement holdings, according to a survey of 1,200 people with income above $25,000 by Fidelity Investments of Boston. On average, respondents had 42% of their individual retirement account assets in low-risk, low-return vehicles such as certificates of deposit and money market accounts, and they had 34% of their 401(k) assets in such instruments. The stock market has historically beaten those investments, despite its frequent gyrations.