{2 minutes to read} One of the most important principles in long-term investing is also one of the simplest: protect your golden goose. For many of us, that goose is the portfolio we’ve built over decades—patiently, deliberately, and with the goal of supporting a confident and durable retirement. The objective isn’t just to reach retirement; it’s to maintain financial independence throughout retirement and, if desired, to leave something meaningful behind.
A key part of protecting that portfolio is ensuring it’s structured to minimize unnecessary risk. While individual stocks can have high potential returns, the expected return of any single company is far less reliable than that of a broad, diversified market portfolio. The experience of owning one stock versus thousands is very different. Concentration creates fragility. Global diversification — owning companies across the U.S., developed markets, and emerging economies — delivers the same long-term expected return profile with dramatically lower volatility. Technically, diversification reduces idiosyncratic risk; behaviorally, it helps investors stay the course.
Adding a thoughtful allocation to high-quality fixed income strengthens that stability. Bonds serve as the portfolio’s ballast, providing steadier performance in turbulent markets and lowering the likelihood that you’ll need to sell equities at an inopportune time. A blend of global equities and fixed income creates a more reliable framework for long-term withdrawals.
And that brings us to a critical behavioral element: spending discipline. Even the best-designed portfolio can be strained by excessive withdrawals, especially early in retirement. But when spending is aligned with a sustainable plan, your portfolio is far more likely to continue supporting your lifestyle year after year. In many cases, this approach not only funds a comfortable retirement but also leaves room for gifts to family or charitable causes — should you choose to create that kind of legacy.
In short: don’t kill your golden goose through concentration, unnecessary risk, or overspending. A globally diversified mix of equities and fixed income, paired with consistent, thoughtful spending, helps ensure your nest egg continues to produce for as long as you need it — and perhaps even for the next generation.
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VIA IV Investments
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