For every investor, the world has become a hard place. But for those reaching retirement, pressure is significantly mounting. Here's how to cope with a roller-coaster market on the lead up to your golden years.
When you think of retirement, many Americans imagine a fun and relaxing lifestyle. However, preparing for retirement is no easy task– especially with volatility and rising interest rates. This past year has been especially challenging to plan for retirement. The economy has been turbulent and many are having a hard time keeping up with the cost of living.
It's estimated that 1.5 million retirees have re-entered the U.S. labor market over the past year due to such factors as more flexible work arrangements, rising costs, and the inability to keep up while on a fixed income (according to an analysis of Labor Department data by Nick Bunker, an economist at Indeed). Additionally, 25% of Americans feel they have to delay their retirement plans because of disrupted savings resulting from increased prices and market instability.
During such an uncertain time many are second guessing their road to retirement. However, a down market should not deter you from reaping the benefits of a fruitful retirement. Here are a few tips to help you prepare for your golden years in a volatile market.
Evaluate Risk Tolerance
When it comes to risk tolerance, having a diversified portfolio will help minimize the impact of risk and total loss in a volatile market. The right mix of investments for you will depend on your unique circumstances, including your age, investment goals, and risk tolerance.
The key is to find the right balance of risk and reward for you.
Investing Without Emotions
It can be hard not to invest with emotions. After all, it's your hard-earned cash you're watching rise and fall. Market volatility is a stressful environment for anyone with money in the stock market. Investing with emotions can lead to significant losses.
It can be difficult to impulse buy or sell stocks when the market is experiencing a hiccup. In the end, it’s hard to predict market behavior—so try not to make any risky or permanent decisions regarding your portfolio when it’s likely that current market conditions are temporary. Stick to your investment plan and build on these important building blocks:
- A retirement date. Figure out how long you’ll have to save.
- Your major life goals. Plan for small and big events in the future.
- Your tolerance for risk. Find your comfort zone.
Your plan is like a safety belt when the market starts seesawing. Stay on track by sticking to it during market swings.
Having a Plan in Place
When it comes to planning for retirement, having a long-term plan can help ease stress and keep you on track for the long-run. Market volatility can tempt you to want to ditch your plan, but it's important to think long-term. If you're nearing retirement it may be an appropriate time to make some small changes in order to reduce the chances of major risk. Make sure to rebalance your investment plan on a regular basis — quarterly, semiannually or once a year. Why? Because volatile markets can change the proportion of your funds in different asset classes. Therefore, rebalancing resets your portfolio to your desired investment mix.
Note: It's important not to make any significant changes without consulting your financial advisor. A trusted advisor is crucial to your success when preparing for retirement during a volatile market.
Final Thoughts
Don't let market volatility derail your retirement savings plan. With the market's current conditions, it may not be as smooth of sailing as you'd hope for–but market downturns don't last forever.
The investment professionals at Agemy Financial Strategies can help you make sure your investments and assets are mixed to create a balanced plan for your unique retirement goals. Regardless of a volatile market, we can help strategize asset allocations to help stomach inflation, or revise your current plan to make helpful amendments.
If you're looking for more ways to prepare for retirement with inflation, connect with the team at Agemy Financial Strategies here to help you get started on your portfolio diversification journey today.