Treasuries and CDs way to go in these difficult financial times

The Baby-boomers -- those of us born between 1946 and 1964 -- the majority of the breadwinners across this great country right now, are heavy investors in the stock market. And it makes sense that many in this age bracket are heading into retirement, if not already there.

In the wake of the Wall Street situation, the two absolute safest investments are U.S. treasuries and certificates of deposits (CDs). Read on and I'll explain why these two elements are so vitally important in terms of securing your investments.

U.S. TREASURIES
# Any good list of investments for retirement-aged individuals could start and end here. These are the ultimate in safe, reliable investing. In fact, their yields are considered the literal benchmark of safety (the risk-free rate of return) when modeling more risky investments.

# The U.S. government has never defaulted on a treasury bond, making it a beacon for investors around the world. For most investors over 60, capital preservation is more important than capital appreciation (such as gains in stocks).

# Treasuries provide a steady income stream and a good shot at preserving your assets in the face of inflation.

CERTIFICATES OF DEPOSIT
# CDs pay a higher yield than treasuries (of the same maturity).

# CDs have the feel-good factor of giving your money to a bank, along with its Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).

# The limit for FDIC has been increased to $250,000 per individual customer at each bank. A service called the certificate of deposit account registry service (CDARS) allows you to deposit more than the FDIC limit at participating banks. Other banks in the network will effectively insure portions of your money by creating CDs for you at their banks. You can go to CDARS.com to find more information and see what banks are affiliated.

In these troubled financial times, it's reassuring to know there are safety valves in place if you invest wisely and shop around.