Most of the calculations presented here are done with an advantage of hindsight.
To say You will find then that the stockmarket index gives the best long-term, low-cost real return. If you had invested Rs 10,000 in the Sensex in 1979, it would be worth over Rs 12.6 lakh today; a bank FD would have fetched Rs 1.58 lakh on the same amount.
If a different period is chosen say 1979 to 1997 the results would be different. Also have to understand that in 1979 investments in Stock markets were not so transperant or even liquid enough as they are now hence the choice of investments gets skewed by that.
Even now it is the same case. Investing in Real estate involves a lot of money for downpayment etc. Also it does not seem to be income generating asset for a long time. We need additional instruments like REIT's for the same which can produce incomes by use of liquid instruments like stocks.
