Investing in a diverse range of assets is essential to safeguard oneself against the devaluation of any single asset. Diversification is a risk management strategy that prevents you from relying on a single investment type and protects you from risk and loss. You invest in different asset types, such as gold, cryptocurrency, bonds, and real estate. Let us guide you on the importance of diversifying your retirement portfolio and how you can do it.
Importance of Diversifying Your Retirement Portfolio
Diversifying your portfolio allows you to minimize your risks and maximize your returns; when one investment faces a downturn, others may perform well and balance out your losses. By strategically managing your withdrawals, you can enjoy your downtime for longer without losing your money.
It will help you meet various investment goals, such as capital preservation and income generation. Here, capital generation means protecting your capital by reducing the impacts of market volatility, and income generation denotes a steady stream of income in your retirement and long-term growth to extend the life of your retirement savings. These help you combat inflation by increasing your purchasing power over time, and you can rest easy as you retire, knowing you haven’t tied your savings to a single investment.
How to Diversify Your Retirement Portfolio
Here are a few tips to consider.
Asset Allocation Strategies
Asset allocation strategies balance returns and risks by investing in various asset classes. The three broad types of asset allocation strategies are:
- Strategic asset allocation: This is similar to a buy-and-hold strategy, a proportional combination of assets based on their expected rates of returns. You set target allocations across different asset categories/classes and regularly rebalance them so they stay close to the assigned allocation through all market conditions.
- Tactical asset allocation: Here, you deviate from the long-term strategic asset allocation to take advantage of market opportunities. You adjust your portfolio mix based on short market forecasts. It capitalizes on market irregularities or inefficiencies to reduce risk or generate excess returns.
- Dynamic asset allocation: In this technique, you constantly adjust your mix of assets according to market fall or rise.
Asset Class Diversification
You can use these four broad categories of asset classes to diversify.
- Cash and Cash equivalent: These are low-risk investments as you have little chance of losing money. However, you may lose your purchasing power over time because of inflation. Examples of cash equivalent include money market funds, cash in savings accounts, guaranteed investment certificates (GIC)
- Commodities: These are basic goods, such as gold, silver, oil, food crops, etc., that you can transform into other goods or services. They are crucial to the economy and a good hedge against inflation. For those who feel a standard employer-provided 401(k) will not be enough to sustain them, you can learn about gold IRA Rollover instead.
- Fixed Income: You lend money to any entity that pays you a fixed income or amount till a maturity date. A typical example is corporate and government bonds, where they pay you interest for the loan’s lifecycle.
- Equities: Equities mean owning a share in a company. You earn money when the company pays dividends or sells your shares for more than you paid.
International Diversification
This technique reduces volatility by spreading your risks across different geographical locations. If your country’s market performs poorly, you can invest in international markets, but they have different political climates, rules, processes, and regulations, so it’s crucial to be aware of them.
Endnote
You can reduce the risks of experiencing loss by diversifying your investments, mainly because as retirement comes, you will want to enter a life of peace and security. Some financial advisors recommend a mix of 60% stocks, 5% cash, and 35% fixed income when an investor reaches their 60s. This will ensure that one adverse event doesn’t wipe out your entire portfolio. Consider your risk tolerance, time horizon, and long-term goals before deciding.
