Smart Retirement Investing: Using Asset Allocation in Retirement Plans

If you don’t already have your television set to record Jean Chatzky’s Money 911 segment on NBC’s TODAY Show, you might want to as she continues to speak about timely financial topics that are presented in a very straightforward manner, as recently done in an article about retirement plans and investing options.

For years, my husband and I have been watching her on the TODAY Show and every time we feel as though we walk away more financially savvy than we were before watching her segment. Oftentimes, it seems that financial experts speak in a different tongue as they make the subject so complicated and difficult to relate to. But once again, a recent article Retirement Investing: Tips for Creating the Proper Asset Allocation by Jean Chatzky, hits the nail on the head about how best to tackle retirement planning.

“No matter what retirement savings vehicle you’re using – 401(k), Roth IRA, Traditional IRA, or some combination of the three – once you find the money to stash away, you can easily set up automatic contributions each month. By doing so, the money is whisked out of your bank account before you ever have a chance to spend it. But that doesn’t mean your role in the retirement savings game is over.” This is where one’s role in their investing appears to be more daunting. But as she comments, “you’ll need to weigh a few factors about yourself – including your age, your risk tolerance, and when you plan to retire – and then figure out how you are going to spread your money across the different investment categories. This is called an asset allocation.” Whether you choose to hire an investment adviser to help you in this effort, or look to do-it-yourself portfolio management tools to assist you — such as one from MarketRiders Inc. — it is a step that must be taken for smart retirement investing. Read her recent article and you too will feel more financially savvy, not to mention better armed to tackle your retirement investing strategy.