The moderately conservative allocation is 25% large-cap stocks, 5% small-cap stocks, 10% international stocks, 50% bonds and 10% cash investments. The moderate allocation is 35% large-cap stocks, 10% small-cap stocks, 15% international stocks, 35% bonds and 5% cash investments.
Two to four years' worth of living expenses: Over the past 50 years, it took the S&P 500® Index an average of roughly three years and eight months to recover from a downturn.
Key Takeaways
Retirement-fund portfolios need to balance between two conflicting needs: preservation of capital for safety, and growth of capital to protect against inflation.
For years, a commonly cited rule of thumb has helped simplify asset allocation. According to this principle, individuals should hold a percentage of stocks equal to 100 minus their age. So, for a typical 60-year-old, 40% of the portfolio should be equities.
As you reach your 50s, consider allocating 60% of your portfolio to stocks and 40% to bonds. Adjust those numbers according to your risk tolerance. If risk makes you nervous, decrease the stock percentage and increase the bond percentage.
The moderately conservative allocation is 25% large-cap stocks, 5% small-cap stocks, 10% international stocks, 50% bonds and 10% cash investments. The moderate allocation is 35% large-cap stocks, 10% small-cap stocks, 15% international stocks, 35% bonds and 5% cash investments.
One of the best ways to invest for retirement at age 60 is through an IRA, 401(k), or a combination thereof. All of these will allow you to save more money over time. And, you can use tax-free and tax-deferred advantages to pay less to Uncle Sam.
The old rule of thumb used to be that you should subtract your age from 100 - and that's the percentage of your portfolio that you should keep in stocks. 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.
If you're interested in short-term investment options, look into Treasury bills, notes, bonds, and Treasury inflation-protected securities (TIPS). For example, Treasury bills are good short-term investment options that range from a few days to several weeks, according to Treasury Direct.
The long-term goal of every investor is to get the highest returns possible while at the same time minimizing risk. A typical portfolio should have a good spread of stocks and shares, bonds, and cash and equivalents. Some people also like to include gold.
But if you can supplement your retirement income with other savings or sources of income, then $6,000 a month could be a good starting point for a comfortable retirement.
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.
For instance, to retire comfortably, Fidelity recommends that you save 10 times your annual salary by age 67. It also provides a timeline with benchmarks to help you achieve the recommended amount of savings needed to stay on track: By 30: Have the equivalent of your salary saved. By 35: Have twice your salary saved.
The remaining respondents calculated that they need less than $500,000. But how many people have $1,000,000 in savings for retirement? Well, according to a report by United Income, one out of six retirees have $1 million.
According to data from the Federal Reserve, the average amount of retirement savings for 65- to 74-year-olds is just north of $426,000. While it's an interesting data point, your specific retirement savings may be different from someone else's.
The site says that on average when looking at data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the average monthly Social Security benefits, having $1 million for retirement could last as long as 29 years, 1 month, and 24 days on paper. That's certainly a good amount of time if you retire at age 60.
Many financial advisors suggest age 70 to 75 may be the best time to start an income annuity because it can maximize your payout. A deferred income annuity typically only requires 5 percent to 10 percent of your savings and it begins to pay out later in life.
The #1 Rule For Asset Allocation
One common asset allocation rule of thumb has been dubbed “The 100 Rule.” It simply states that you should take the number 100 and subtract your age. The result should be the percentage of your portfolio that you devote to equities like stocks.
If you're looking to grow your portfolio throughout retirement while maintaining some semblance of conservativeness, consider a Money Market Account, mutual fund, preferred stock, life insurance, CD, or treasury securities.
Opening or converting to a Roth in your 50s or 60s can be a good choice when: Your income is too high to contribute to a Roth through normal channels. You want to avoid RMDs. You want to leave tax-free money to your heirs.
The point is that you should remain diversified in both stocks and bonds, but in an age-appropriate manner. A conservative portfolio, for example, might consist of 70% to 75% bonds, 15% to 20% stocks, and 5% to 15% in cash or cash equivalents, such as a money-market fund.
You probably want to hang it up around the age of 70, if not before. That's not only because, by that age, you are aiming to conserve what you've got more than you are aiming to make more, so you're probably moving more money into bonds, or an immediate lifetime annuity.
Bottom Line. The 60/40 portfolio has been a popular asset allocation for retirees and those approaching retirement, and for good reason. The strategy has offered just enough exposure to equities to benefit from the growth of stocks, while bonds serve as a ballast and cut down on volatility.
The general rule of thumb is to aim to invest 15% of your gross income into your 401(k), including your employer match. But the exact target for you depends on your life stage and investing goals and the aggressiveness of your portfolio.