A question from Yahoo! Answers:

Are ther any true HYIP programs that have been running for years successfully and still in business.?

Programs may still be in business, but what about their clients?

HYIP is usually a misnomer, since most of strategies advertised as HYIP (precious metals, currency trading, stock-picking, etc.) have no yield whatsoever; programs are expected to generate short-term capital gains rather than current income. In reality, HYIP is either a fraud (the “investment manager” takes the client’s money and disappears) or a cover for high brokerage fees.