Financial Planning Advice For Retirees
Asset allocation is an important part of financial planning. Asset allocation is the method of allocating your savings into multiple asset classes to achieve many important goals. One of the most important goals is diversification which aims to reduce asset specific risks. For instance, you invest in multiple stocks to avoid company specific risks. Diversification is an important part of financial planning. The different asset classes behave differently to economic data. Hence in most circumstances, they are not highly correlated. It is important to look out for assets whose returns have a very low or negative correlation. Another important goal of asset allocation is to build a portfolio which is in line with the investor's investment objectives and provides a good risk-adjusted return. Asset allocation into the asset allocation also depends on the age and risk appetite. For instance, a person in his early twenties can afford to allocate more than 70% of his savings to equity if he is doing retirement planning. However, if the same person is investing for the purpose of higher education, it is recommended not to allocate more than 30% to equities.
Some asset classes are more risky than others. Equities as an asset class are certainly more risky than bonds. Risk usually refers to uncertainty of returns and can be easily measured by calculating the standard deviation of returns. It is always best to look out for reasonable risk adjusted return. Financial planning for retirement can also be done purely by investing in income generating instruments. Income generating instruments are dividend stocks, bonds and property. Dividend stocks with a good dividend yield pay regular dividend. This can be a potential income during after retiring. Bonds and fixed income securities pay coupon on a specific principal. Investments in property may generate significant rent. Hence while performing retirement planning; it is good to allocate significant portion your savings into income generating instruments. Investment is gold and other asset classes are recommended purely for diversification purpose. Financial planning if done sensibly and early on can help you achieve your financial goals. Investing monthly into your retirement account can help you invest in a disciplined manner. This can also save you taxes on dividends and other returns until later. It is always best to consider various options and select the one which suits your preferences.