When it comes to building an investment portfolio, managing risk is a key part of the process. Even if you’ve been building one steadily for years, an uncertain economy might make you think twice about the level of risk you’re taking on.
With managing investment risks at the top of my mind, I asked ChatGPT for what it considered the safest investments for 2026. While some of the answers matched up with my own ideas, other suggestions surprised me. Here’s a look at what ChatGPT suggested adding to my portfolio if I want to stick with safe options.
1. US Treasury Securities
According to the AI tool, U.S. Treasury Securities are safe because they’re “backed by the U.S. government, extremely liquid [and] historically considered the global ‘risk-free’ asset.” It noted these investments as a good form of capital preservation for conservative investors.
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2. High-Yield Savings Account
Not too surprisingly, ChatGPT suggested a high-yield savings account (HYSA) for keeping my money safe. “Rates are still relatively high due to a slow Fed easing cycle,” said ChatGPT.
And it’s true, as some banks are still offering savers APYs above 4.00% as of the beginning of 2026. For now, tucking funds into a carefully chosen HYSA could help your money grow without the threat of market volatility.
3. Gold and Precious Metals
When it comes to preserving capital, gold and precious metals have served as a standby for generations. With that in mind, it’s not shocking that ChatGPT suggested tucking some of my portfolio into gold and other precious metals as a hedge against inflation risks.
While buying gold might help to preserve capital, there are significant security risks to think through. Generally, it’s not a good idea to buy a treasure chest full of gold to tuck under the bed. Instead, you’ll likely need a more involved security set up, like an alarm or safe, or opt to purchase a gold ETF or stock to minimize physical security risks.
4. Real Estate
As far as one of ChatGPT’s surprise picks, it threw real estate into the mix as a safe investment. And not just any real estate, but rental properties in strong cash-flow markets.
In general, real estate, especially physical real estate ownership, isn’t recommended to inexperienced investors. Unlike other types of investing, owning property and renting it out to tenants often comes with significant time commitments.
As the owner of a few rentals myself, I personally know the time costs of renting out single-family homes isn’t always the right fit for every investor. Beyond that, renting out real estate often comes with more risk than you might expect. For example, if your tenant loses their job in a tough economy, they might struggle to pay rent, which could lead to a difficult situation for both of you.
Unless you have a robust emergency fund to cover the unexpected costs that surround rentals, it’s usually a major risk to jump into buying and renting out single-family homes.
5. Broad Index ETFs
Another somewhat surprising suggestion from ChatGPT was that I include broad index ETFs in my portfolio to mitigate risks. As a part of its reasoning, ChatGPT stated, “S&P 500 or total-market ETFs offer diversification, which historically reduces volatility over long periods.”
While it’s true that opting for a broad index fund that covers a vast swath of the market can help to lower risk, leaning heavily into the stock market comes with some volatility risks. Investors who jump into stocks of any kind, even diversified ETFs, should expect significant ups and downs, which certainly might not feel safe along the way.
Final Take
ChatGPT steered me toward some generally safe investments, like Treasury bonds and gold. However, it also threw some less than stable investments into the mix, like single-family home rental properties and index funds — both of which come with higher levels of risk than Treasury bonds.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: I Asked ChatGPT for Investments It Considered ‘Safe’ in 2026 — Some May Surprise You
