The long-term behaviour of prestressed permanent ground anchors has been a prime question since decades. This paper summarizes the author's comprehensive experience of 45 years based on ground investigation, design, execution, testing and monitoring. It focuses on anchored retaining structures and bridges along roads, highways and railways in unstable or steep slopes. However, the findings and recommendations can be also applied to other anchorage systems. Pore water pressure, residual shear strength and creeping behaviour turned out to be the ground parameters with greatest influence on the long-term behaviour of an anchorage. Finally, the paper presents case histories and gives 20 recommendations based on long-term experience/monitoring.