My advice: Start by completing a risk tolerance questionnaire so you have a realistic idea of what sort of stocks -
bonds mix jibes with your appetite for risk.
Not exact matches
The better strategy: create a diversified
mix of stock and
bond funds that
jibes with your risk tolerance and that makes sense given the length of time you plan to keep your money invested.
Better to create a
mix of low - cost stock and
bond index funds that
jibes with your tolerance for risk and allows you to fully participate in the financial markets» long - term gains than to opt for an investment that severely limits your upside in return for providing more protection from periodic setbacks than you really need.
Next, make sure your portfolio
jibes both with the level of risk you're willing to accept, and that your
mix of stocks and
bonds makes sense given your investment goals.
You can then invest the remainder of your nest egg in a diversified
mix of stocks and
bonds that
jibes with your tolerance for risk.
You can ensure that your portfolio
mix of stocks and
bonds jibes with your investing time horizon and tolerance for risk by completing this asset allocation - risk tolerance questionnaire.
You devote a portion of your nest egg to an immediate annuity and invest the rest in a diversified
mix of stock and
bond mutual fund that
jibes with your tolerance for risk.
Risk Questionnaire — Allocation Tool One of the most important aspects of setting an investing strategy is choosing a stocks -
bonds mix that
jibes with your appetite for risk.
If you go to this risk tolerance - asset allocation questionnaire and answer the 11 questions, you will come away with a suggested
mix of stock and
bond funds that should
jibe with your risk tolerance and financial needs.
To build wealth and invest for retirement, you're much better off settling on a
mix of stocks,
bonds and cash that
jibes with your risk tolerance (which you can gauge by completing this risk tolerance - asset allocation questionnaire) and largely sticking with that
mix through good markets and bad.
Which is why once you've build your broadly diversified portfolio with a
mix of stock and
bond index funds that
jibe with your tolerance for risk, you pretty much should leave it alone, except to periodically rebalance your holdings (and perhaps gradually shift to a more conservative stance as you age).
In fact, the more sensible strategy is to settle on a
mix of stocks and
bonds that
jibes with your financial goals, and then go right to that
mix.
As a practical matter, that means settling on a broadly diversified
mix of stocks and
bonds that
jibes with your tolerance for risk and is compatible with your financial goals.