Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Don't Take Unnecessary Retirement Risks

These days, people are being way too risky when it comes to their retirement funds. For starters, a lot of investors are relying too much on stocks in their later years. With a huge over-reliance on equities and not enough reliance on fixed income, the retirees of the future are not setting themselves up for happy, secure retirements.

So, why, exactly are today’s retiree’s so invested in stocks and equities? Well, a lot of them are trying to make up losses experienced during the recession while others just love the excitement of stocks. While bonds might be more reliable, the risk taken with stocks is appealing to some, but in the long run, isn’t very practical as a sole or major investment strategy. Investors also tend to prefer the chance of a “big payoff” with stocks to the slow but steady growth of bonds.

So, what’s a smart retiree to do? Fortunately, the answer isn’t to steer clear of stocks altogether.  
Rather, it’s to have a balanced, diverse portfolio and to stick to some solid investment strategies.

To begin with, take a look at your current investments. If you’re over the age of 50 and your retirement funds are made up mainly of stocks or entirely of anything, it’s definitely time to diversify. Talk to your investment advisor about how you can make smart investments that keep risks low while still allowing you to have a diverse investment portfolio.

Also make sure you’re getting all of the fixed income that you’re entitled to. This is very low-risk and well-deserved money, and you don’t want to miss out on any of it. Check to make sure that, if you qualify for any of the following sources of fixed income, you are getting them and that you are getting them to the fullest amount possible:

l  Social Security
l  Certificates of deposit
l  Pension
l  Short-term bonds
l  Lifetime-payout annuities
l  Inflation-adjusted bonds


If you can follow these helpful tips and consistently seek help and advice from a trustworthy financial advisor, there’s no reason you can’t retire securely in your later years.

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