This table provides an overview of the main investment sectors:

Investment sector	Cash	Fixed interest	Property	Shares
Examples	Bank accounts, bank bills, cash funds.	Bonds, debentures, mortgage trusts, fixed term trusts.	Houses, offices, factories, shopping centers, property funds.	Australian shares, international shares, share funds.
Timeframe	1 year +	3 - 5 years +	5 years +	5 – 7 years +
Advantages	Very liquid. Easy to understand.	Suitable short term investment. Solid income producer.	Long term growth potential. Resistance to inflation.	Long term growth potential. Resistant to inflation. Have historically outperformed all other sectors in the longer term.