Stocks are attractive because over the long run investment returns are far higher than for bonds. For example,, stocks have generated an average annual return of about 11.73% while Treasury bonds have returned about only 6.59%.
Bonds generally are less volatile than stocks and overall carry less risk. But as we have seen over the past year, when interest rates rise, older bonds that pay relatively low rates of interest can lose a lot of their value. Over the long run, a well-balanced portfolio of stock and bonds can outperform bonds with relatively little additional risk.
Of course, whatever the asset allocation, any public trust fund needs appropriate investment guardrails and oversight. The system must make sure that managers avoid chasing high returns at the price of excessive risk .But as the California task force and some political leaders in Washington State are coming to realize, limiting investments for long-term care insurance comes with a price that may not be worth paying.