Take our quiz: Which asset classes outperformed over the long term?

Did your money work as hard as you thought? It’s time for a 20-year gut check.

Forget the charts and the 24/7 market noise for a moment. How well do you really know the long-term winners and losers in Australian investing?

• Did soaring house prices create the most wealth for Australians?
• Did the global equity growth engine of the S&P 500 deliver the biggest returns?
• Or did the dividend-rich ASX 200 quietly steal the show?

Over the past few weeks, my colleague Kerry Sun and I - in partnership with Cotality Australia - have analysed two decades of hard data to uncover the winners. We’ve dissected everything from investment properties to fixed income to see what truly delivered since 2005, across 1 to 20-year periods.

The full, data-driven story is in our inaugural Livewire Long Term Investing Report 2025, which we'll publish next week.

But before we reveal the numbers, let’s test your intuition with the five multiple-choice questions below. Please refrain from searching for the answers and go with your gut! 👇

Poll 1) The ultimate 20-year winner

Asset prices have seen remarkable twists and turns over the past two decades. We want to know which of the below you think delivered the best returns over that period.

Poll 2) Australian shares vs property

It’s the question that’s defined countless investment debates - the stock market or real estate? Both have built fortunes, but only one has come out ahead over the long term.

Poll 3: Australia’s top property hotspot (since 2015)

Australia’s property market began to simmer in the early 2010s before boiling over mid-decade, as the cash rate plunged to 2% and then even lower. Values in all capital cities and key regional areas surged. Have a guess at which market really exploded in the past decade.

Poll 4: Gold vs Growth (since 2015)

Over the past decade, two assets have battled for supremacy. U.S. shares surged to new heights as tech dominance reshaped global markets, while gold quietly rallied as investors sought safety from debt, inflation, and a weakening U.S. dollar. But which glittered brightest is the question!

Poll 5: Did fixed income beat inflation (since 2020)?

Who could have predicted that within a decade, we’d swing from record-low interest rates to the fastest hiking cycle in history? And what did this mean for fixed income's ability to keep up with inflation?

📅 Stay tuned

The answers - and a few major surprises - are coming in the Livewire Long Term Investing Report 2025, launching next week. The results and analysis might just inspire you to think about whether your portfolio is shaped for success in the future.