Do 'safe' investments exist?

MEERA PATEL, SENIOR ANALYST AT HARGREAVES LANSDOWN The word safe should not be used synonymously with investment as it generally suggests that investors will not lose any money. I’m afraid that this is not always possible. Look at corporate bonds, for example. Who would have thought that the higher-rated bonds could have lost 40% or 50% of their value in 2008? Prior to that, they were considered to be relatively cautious investments. Even gilts, which are considered to be cautious, may see a fall in their capital values over the next few years if inflation persists and interest rat...