Property

A growing number of people see property as an alternative to a pension.

There has been rapid expansion in the buy-to-let mortgage market and these loans are now better value - although they are still more expensive than a standard homeowner's mortgage.

Because there are so many variables with property - such as location, time periods, peaks and troughs in the cycle and so on - there is little research to show how property compares to the stock market.

It is generally believed that growth from property is broadly in line with that of the stockmarket, although many people have done far better while some have lost out as a result of negative equity.