I don't know what you mean by "real investments" - it sounds like you're saying that since you don't know how to do it perfectly (e.g. buy a stock because you h

I don't know what you mean by "real investments" - it sounds like you're saying that since you don't know how to do it perfectly (e.g. buy a stock because you have some insight or have done some research that convinces you it will go up tomorrow), you won't do it at all. Finding an investment that outperforms other investments, yeah, that's hard. But you don't need to do that, you just need to beat inflation. Just put a little away in something relatively safe (your employer's 401k or an index fund perhaps) every month and ignore it. That's what 95% of the middle class does. If that's odious to you, if "relatively low risk" is too risky, you might consider some kind of annuity. One popular type is called Whole Life Insurance. Basically, you pay a set amount in each year for X years while you're working, and then when you retire they pay you back a set amount every month until you die. Some people consider them a ripoff, because you could (probably) make more by investing in the market yourself, but if you are adamantly opposed to the market, it's an option. But, be aware that some Whole Life policies are much worse than others, and all of them are sold by pushy salespeople with slick suits and fancy cars who will happily goad you into signing something that's not right for you. There is absolutely no scenario where you get a safe, assured retirement without doing some work for it. But in practice that means few hours of research every few years, not a full time job. Good luck.