What is riskier: a short term investment or a long term investment?

Depends on the investment itself. There are high risk short term as well as long term investments. If you have to ask a question like that then you better stick with a CD. (certificate of deposit). They are usually about 12 months and are currently around 5% and higher which is pretty good for a safe investment. Shop around at all your local banks for the best deal.

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That depends on the investment itself, not on the term of the investment.

A short term investment is more risky. The market bounces around during a short period of time and it is possible to lose money. A long term investment, especially with a blue chip stock is the safest bet.

Time (in an investment) should never be a risk factor. What are you investing in ???? what is the history of return or profit...Is there steady growth or does it crash every so often...things to think about...

depends on investment - short term commodities are riskier than long-term treasuries; long-term WorldCom or Enron stock is riskier than short term money market funds.

definitely short-term in case u are running a portfolio; however in the case of CDOs or govt bonds there is no risk involved with short or long-term.

depends on the type of investment. But generally investment advisors would tell you short term investment are riskier.

It depends on the type of investment. In general, though, long term investments carry more risk and a correspondingly higher discount rate. This is reflected in the normal yield curve where long-term rates are usually higher than short-term rates. The investor needs to receive a higher rate to compensate for the future uncertainty.