Should You Be Investing for Growth or for Financial Security?

This Element is an excerpt from Higher Returns from Safe Investments: Using Bonds, Stocks, and Options to Generate Lifetime Income (9780137003358) by Marvin Appel. Available in print and digital formats.

Why income investing may be your best strategy—now, and for the foreseeable future

After the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, many investors wonder how they can get attractive returns and still sleep at night. The allure of investing for capital gains is that when you are successful, the profits can be large. But there’s significant risk of loss. Conversely, you can choose investments that pay you income for just holding them, regardless of how the markets are moving.