Tags: bonds | gold | risk | Treasury bonds

Spooked by market volatility, many investors want to put their money into supposedly safer investments such as gold and U.S. Treasury bonds.

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Current valuations of traditional safety plays make them a potentially expensive option, though.

Russell Investments has produced a graphic that advisors may use to show clients the current costs involved in seeking out safer investment vehicles.

“Assets purchased at relatively reasonable levels tend to provide a higher likelihood of meeting return expectations,” writes Mike Smith, a consulting director for Russell’ U.S. private client consulting services group. “Assets purchased at a premium often disappoint.”

Smith compares current prices of various investments to their historically typical range and finds many safer assets are currently selling at a premium. The survey includes gold, cash, corporate bonds, and government bonds, along with a comparison to U.S. equity and international equity prices.