Where do you see yourself after you retire? Do you want to tour the world or spend your golden days cherishing old hobbies? Well, to make your dreams come true, you need to secure financial stability and independence after retirement.
You may have access to a PPF, pension plan, and other incentives, but you should still proactively plan out your retirement savings. Why? For starters, these schemes do not stand up well enough against inflation. And second, you do not have much control over how they invest their corpus.
This is why you need to create a successful retirement investment plan. Keep reading to learn how.
5 Steps for creating a successful retirement investment plan
1 Start by defining your retirement goals
Before exploring retirement investment options, it is essential to establish your financial goals. Write down your retirement age and estimate your post-retirement expenses. Also, consider factors like your current income, assets, and how much your income might grow by the time you retire.
Once you complete this initial step, you will have a clear idea of the following:
1. Your investment capacity
2. Your investment horizon
3. Your long-term financial goal
2 Next, assess your risk tolerance
Understanding your risk tolerance is crucial when designing your retirement investment plan. Without assessing your risk tolerance before you invest, you may unknowingly expose yourself to excessive risk or hold back and miss out on lucrative investment opportunities.
Being unaware of your tolerance for risk could lead to investing in highly volatile assets that you are uncomfortable with, which may result in significant losses during market downturns. At the same time, being overly risk-averse might make you miss out on potential returns that could help you reach your long-term monetary goals.
Another benefit of assessing your risk tolerance is that it allows you to personalise your financial plan according to your individual circumstances, retirement goals, and comfort level.
If you still have a few decades to go before you retire, you can afford to take more risks because of the longer time horizon. If you’re nearing retirement, a more risk-averse approach will suit you.
Once you are sure of your risk tolerance, it is time to build your retirement investment plan’s portfolio.
3 Diversify your portfolio, but beware of over-diversification
We all are familiar with the saying, “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” The same applies to your retirement savings plan. Financial portfolio diversification is a key principle in creating a successful retirement investment plan.
Ensure that your investments are spread across various asset classes, such as equity, debt instruments, gold, etc. Doing so helps reduce your overall risk and enhance your potential returns. When diversifying your portfolio, you should also consider the different risk profiles, historical performance, and correlation of assets. For example, avoid investing in two mutual funds that have overlapping underlying assets.
When you build your portfolio, beware of over-diversification, lest you spread your money too thin.
Portfolio over-diversification happens when you excessively diversify your portfolio to the point where it no longer provides significant benefits - or may even become counterproductive. An over-diversified portfolio leads to diluted results, increased cost of investment, and higher risk.
4 Invest for the long term
Planning for your retirement is a long-term endeavour. And so, it’s essential to remain patient, stay consistent, and always maintain your focus on the big picture.
It is best to avoid making investment decisions based on short-term market fluctuations or attempting to time the market. Instead, adopt a disciplined approach and stay committed to your long-term investment strategy.
One of the most lucrative types of investments for your retirement investment plans is mutual funds. You can start investing through an SIP (Systematic Investment Plan) regularly and consistently. When you start an SIP, you invest the same amount of money in the mutual fund at regular intervals, say a month or a quarter. When the markets are down, you get allocated more mutual fund units, and when they’re up, you purchase fewer units. Over time, this ends up reducing the average price of each mutual fund unit. This is known as Rupee Cost Averaging.
Another attractive feature of SIP investments is that you can start small. And as your income grows, you can also increase the investment amount proportionally.
5 Review and rebalance your portfolio regularly
Periodically review and rebalance the portfolio of your retirement savings plan. While this step may seem confusing to beginners, it is crucial for all long-term investment plans. Portfolio rebalancing ensures that your portfolio remains aligned with your goals and risk tolerance as the years go by.
Market conditions and personal circumstances change over time, so adjustments may be necessary!
Portfolio rebalancing involves:
1. Selling assets that have performed well and met their intended goal within the expected time horizon.2. Reallocating funds to more undervalued areas to maintain a balanced and diversified portfolio.
3. Exiting from investments that do not show potential.
When is the right time to create your retirement investment plan?
As the ancient Chinese proverb goes, “The best time to plant a tree was a year ago. The second best time is now.” So, the earlier you start, the more your savings will grow. With a longer time horizon, you will also be able to:
1. Invest more
2. Stay invested in the market for a long term
3. Gain more returns from the benefit of compounding
In conclusion
Creating a retirement investment plan requires careful consideration, patience, and a long-term perspective.
By defining your retirement goals, understanding your risk tolerance, and diversifying your portfolio, you can maximise your potential returns. By doing so, you’ll be able to enjoy a comfortable and financially secure retirement. As you navigate your investment journey, you should regularly review and adjust your investment strategy and rebalance your portfolio as needed.
02 June 2023
5 mins read
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