People who might need to retrieve part or all of their investment relatively soon, such as the elderly, are often advised to invest a higher percentage of their money in bonds, and thus a lower...

Although stocks have a higher rate of return in the long run, they are much more volatile, or riskier, in the short run. Therefore, there is a higher probability that the value of the stocks will be less than the original value of the investment for people who might need to withdraw the investment in the short run.

Although stocks have higher average rates of return in the long run, bonds have higher average rates of return in the short run. Therefore, bonds are likely to be more profitable for people who might need to get their investment back in the short run.

Since bondholders get paid before stockholders in the event of bankruptcy of a firm, the average "real" rate of return on stocks and bonds will be the same, with bonds being less risky.

This is bad advice. People should always invest in whichever assets have the highest average rate of return.