According to Warren Buffet. Yes they are, over the long term. I went with two Vanguard ETF's, one that tracks the FTSE 100, one that tracks the S&P 500. Obviously at the moment they're not doing much. But for me they're fire and forget. I'm hoping over 10 years plus they should do alright. Please note, I am not a financial advisor and this is not financial advice! The nature of all investments is a risk/reward gamble...no one knows for certain what's going to happen in the markets.