The older an investor gets, the more important risk-free investments become. They may not be able to take risks or bear losses as well as they could when they were young. As people age, they need to pay closer attention to the safety of their investments. A failure of an investment can cause a large amount of stress and trouble for people who are living on a fixed income. That is why many seniors prefer investments that are safe but with little or no gains. A person can invest $1K in Treasury Bills that pay out interest every six months and have no risk of loss of principal value) or invest their money in low-risk stocks like utility stocks or real estate investment trusts). Savings bonds are a good option for investors who want to make small investments over a long period of time in a low-risk way.