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I don't ignore my retirement accounts, but I consider myself mostly a set-it-and-forget-it investor. I prefer to pick an investment strategy, arrange automatic contributions and then sit back without tinkering much with my portfolio. For that reason, I used a target-date fund in my 401(k) when I had one (I'm self-employed now). My husband invests in a fund with a 2050 target date through his employer plan.
A target-date fund aims to create an appropriate investment mix for the investor's age and approximate retirement date. A fund designed for someone with many years until retirement includes a high proportion of stocks for growth. Over time, the fund regularly rebalances, allocating a greater percentage of assets to less-risky, income-producing investments, such as bonds, as retirement nears.
We're far from alone in our preference for target-date funds. Among 401(k) participants in their twenties, 54% of their assets were in target-date funds at the end of 2019, and investors in their thirties had 45% of assets in target-date funds, according to a study from the Investment Company Institute and Employee Benefit Research Institute. Many large employer plans automatically enroll employees and use target-date funds as the default investment choice.
SEE MORE PODCAST: The Pros and Cons of Target Date Funds with Tony Drake
Evaluating Your Plan.
Target-date funds are attractive for their simplicity. But if you're dissatisfied with your plan's target-date offerings or have the appetite to construct a customized portfolio, you can typically select among a menu of several other investment options. If you have decades to go until retirement, you may want to dedicate 80% to 90% of your portfolio to stocks. I
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