Lordhenrivoton | E + | Getty images
Retiree maybe move all their investments in cash and obligations – and out of actions – Protects their nest egg against risk.
They would be wrong, say the experts.
Most, if not all, retirees need actions – the growth engine of an investment portfolio – to ensure that they do not lack money during a retirement that could last the decadessaid experts.
“It is important that retirees have actions in their portfolio to increase long -term yields,” said David Blanchett, head of retirement research for PGIM, a private financial investment management branch.
Longevity is the greatest financial risk
The risk of longevity – the risk of surviving its savings – is the greatest financial danger for retirees, said Blanchett.
The average lifespan has increased by About 68 years in 1950 to 78.4 In 2023, according to the centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In addition, the number of 100 years in the United States is expected to quadruple Over the next three decades, according to Pew Research Center.
Retirees may think that stocks take off – especially during volatility episodes such as the Recent sale induced by the price – Isulate their risk portfolio.
They would be right in one direction: species and obligations are generally less volatile than shares and therefore the retirees of the tampon of short -term giations on the stock market.
Indeed, finance experts recommend repressing exposure to actions over time and stimulating allowances to obligations and species. Thought is that investors do not want to submit a large part of their portfolio to steep losses if they need to access these short -term funds.
However, listening to it of actions also presents a risk, said experts.
More personal finances:
Money may feel safe when actions slide, but has risks
How a trade war could have an impact on the price of clothing
Is it a good time to buy gold?
Retirees who reduce their exposure to actions too much exposure may be more difficult to follow in inflation and they increase the risk of surviving their savings, said Blanchett.
Actions have experienced a historic return of around 10% per year, surpassing the bonds of approximately five percentage points, said Blanchett. Of course, this means that in the long term, investment in shares has given higher yields compared to investment in bonds.
“Retirement can last up to three or more decades, which means that your wallet will still have to grow to support you,” wrote Judith Ward and Roger Young, certified financial planners at T. Rowe Price, an asset manager.
What is a good stock allowance for retirees?
So, what is a good number?
A golden rule is that investors subtracted their age of 110 or 120 to determine the percentage of their portfolio which they should allocate to the shares, said Blanchett.
For example, an allowance of around 50/50 to shares and obligations would be a reasonable starting point for the 65-year-old man, he said.
An investor in sixties could hold 45% to 65% of his share portfolio; 30% to 50% in bonds; and 0% to 10% in cash, Ward and Young by T. Rowe Price wrote.
Someone in the 1970s and more could have 30% to 50% in shares; 40% to 60% in bonds; And 0% to 20% in cash, they said.
Why your stock allowance may differ
However, each investor is different, said Blanchett. They have different capacities to take risks, he said.
For example, investors who have saved too much money or can finance their lifestyles with guaranteed income such as pensions and social security – can choose to take less risks with their investment portfolios because they do not need the growth of long -term investments, said Blanchett.

The less important consideration for investors is “appetite,” he said.
It is essentially their stomach for risk. A retiree who knows that they panic in a slowdown should probably not have more than 50% to 60% in the shares, said Blanchett.
The more comfortable volatility, the more the best, the more aggressive they can be, said Blanchett.
Other key considerations
There are some other important considerations for retirees, experts said.
- Diversification. Investing in “shares” does not mean putting all your money in an individual stock like Nvidia or some technological actions, said Blanchett. Instead, investors would be well adapted by putting their money in an index total market fund which follows the vast stock market, he said.
- Bucket. Retirees can make sustainable damage to the longevity of their portfolio if they draw money from actions that decrease in value, experts said. This risk is particularly high during the first years of retirement. This is important for retirees To have separate obligations and money buckets, they can draw To make them pass this period as the actions are recovering.