Business Week Poll: What Investors Are Thinking

The views of U.S. investors in the aftermath of the financial crisis:

If you have to choose the one investment that you think would be the best to make right now, what would it be?

1. Common stock

2. Government bonds

3. Real estate

4. Mutual funds

5. Bank or savings or loan deposits

6. Moneny market funds

7. Gold or other precious metals

In the long run, what sort of total returns (capital gains plus dividends) do you expect the stock market to produce for you?

49%: 5% to below 10% a year

24%: 10% to below 12% a year

10%: below 5% a year

8%: 12% to below 15% a year

5%: 15% or higher a year

4%: don't invest in stocks

How helpful or harmful has your adviser's advice been throughout the past year?

Very helpful: 23%

Somewhat helpful: 35%

Neither helpful nor harmful: 29%

Somewhat harmful: 10%

Very harmful: 3%

Extracted from: Special Issue: Investment Outlook, Business Week Dec 29, 2008