T. Rowe Price Personal Investor - Retirement Savings by Age: What to Do With Your Portfolio in 2024 (2024)

FAQs

How should your investment portfolio change with age? ›

A typical rule of thumb is that the percentage of an investor's portfolio of financial assets that is held in equities should equal 100 minus her age, so that a 30-year-old would hold 70 percent of her financial wealth in stocks, while a 70-year-old would hold 30 percent in stocks.

The conservative allocation is composed of 15% large-cap stocks, 5% international stocks, 50% bonds and 30% cash investments. The moderately conservative allocation is 25% large-cap stocks, 5% small-cap stocks, 10% international stocks, 50% bonds and 10% cash investments.

For example, if you're 30, you should keep 70% of your portfolio in stocks. If you're 70, you should keep 30% of your portfolio in stocks. However, with Americans living longer and longer, many financial planners are now recommending that the rule should be closer to 110 or 120 minus your age.

For most retirees, investment advisors recommend low-risk asset allocations around the following proportions: Age 65 – 70: 40% – 50% of your portfolio. Age 70 – 75: 50% – 60% of your portfolio. Age 75+: 60% – 70% of your portfolio, with an emphasis on cash-like products like certificates of deposit.

Conventional wisdom holds that when you hit your 70s, you should adjust your investment portfolio so it leans heavily toward low-risk bonds and cash accounts and away from higher-risk stocks and mutual funds. That strategy still has merit, according to many financial advisors.

The safest place to put your retirement funds is in low-risk investments and savings options with guaranteed growth. Low-risk investments and savings options include fixed annuities, savings accounts, CDs, treasury securities, and money market accounts. Of these, fixed annuities usually provide the best interest rates.

Some financial advisors recommend a mix of 60% stocks, 35% fixed income, and 5% cash when an investor is in their 60s. So, at age 55, and if you're still working and investing, you might consider that allocation or something with even more growth potential.

Ideally, you'll choose a mix of stocks, bonds, and cash investments that will work together to generate a steady stream of retirement income and future growth—all while helping to preserve your money.

Orman likes Roth plans, where you pay taxes on your contributions but get tax-free withdrawals in retirement. Not all employers offer Roth 401(k)s, so if yours doesn't, there's another option. Save in a Roth IRA. If you don't have a Roth 401(k) available, you can open a Roth IRA instead.

Yes, and Here's How. You might have switched to the spending phase of your retirement plan, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't invest any longer, or plan for market volatility. Investing is a smart financial move to make regardless of what stage you're at in life.

How aggressive should a retirement portfolio be? ›

The conventional wisdom has traditionally been that you should invest aggressively when you're young and then move gradually toward a more conservative approach. By the time you retired, you would probably end up with a portfolio made up mostly of high-grade bonds and other low-risk investments.

Your investment is put into various asset options, including stocks. The value of those stocks is directly tied to the stock market's performance. This means that when the stock market is up, so is your investment, and vice versa. The odds are the value of your retirement savings may decline if the market crashes.

It is possible to lose money in a Roth IRA depending on the investments chosen. Roth IRAs are not 100% safe, but they offer the potential for growth over time. Market fluctuations and early withdrawal penalties can cause a Roth IRA to lose money.

A forward-looking measure of the U.S. economy continued to decline in January but importantly it is no longer signaling a recession in 2024, reflecting an economy outperforming expectations. READ: Where Are the Economy and Rates Headed?

What Is a 70/30 Portfolio? A 70/30 portfolio is an investment portfolio where 70% of investment capital is allocated to stocks and 30% to fixed-income securities, primarily bonds.

Returns for the 60/40 portfolio — traditionally split between the S&P 500 Index of stocks (60%) and 10-year U.S. Treasury bonds (40%) — will probably be limited. That's because the stock market is already priced for a soft landing, and markets are already pricing many rate cuts.

Most financial advisors meet with their clients at least annually. You can go over your position, ask questions, and discuss your options. If your portfolio's balance shifts 5% or more, that's a signal to take a look at your allocations, but you may or may not decide to do anything about it.

The three-fund portfolio consists of a total stock market index fund, a total international stock index fund, and a total bond market fund. Asset allocation between those three funds is up to the investor based on their age and risk tolerance.