You'll often hear that it's best to start investing your money at a young age so that it's able to grow into a notable sum over time. Case in point: The stock market has delivered an average annual return of 10% over the past 50 years, as per the S&P 500 index's performance. Investing $10,000 at age 25 would therefore leave you with a balance of almost $729,000 in your brokerage account if we were to apply that same 10% return over your 45-year investment window.
But the older you are, the more careful you have to be when it comes to investing in stocks. That's because once you're near or at retirement age, the investments you have might need to serve as an income source so you can pay your bills in the absence of having access to a paycheck. And you don't want to run into a situation where you have to keep cashing out investments at a loss to access the cash you need to pay your expenses.
That's why going heavy on stocks later in life isn't necessarily the best bet. But if you're 65 and on the cusp of retirement, it's absolutely not too late to invest your money.
It's all about the having the right asset allocation
When you're 25, 35, or 45 and are looking to invest, it's actually a good idea to keep the bulk of your portfolio in stocks. That's because you want your portfolio to generate the highest possible returns at a time when you're not close to having to tap that money. But as retirement nears, it's a good idea to shift away from stocks to some degree and move toward less volatile investments, like bonds.
As such, if you're 65 years old and are gearing up to invest for the first time, you don't want to put 100% of your money into stocks. That's because you might need that cash soon enough to pay your living expenses. But it's also not unreasonable to put half of your money into stocks and the other half into bonds.
Bond values don't tend to swing as wildly as stock values. So let's say you have a portfolio that's split evenly between stocks and bonds. If the stock market tanks and you need money, it may be that the bond portion of your portfolio hasn't lost value at all. So in that case, you'd just sell your bonds if conditions aren't great for selling stocks.
You don't want to steer clear of stocks completely
Even though you don't want to take on too much risk in your portfolio later in life, it's generally a good idea to hold onto some stocks in retirement. That way, the stock portion of your portfolio can continue to generate stronger returns than the bonds portion (which is likely to happen, based on how the stock and bond markets have performed historically).
As far as finding the right percentages of stocks goes, one rule of thumb you can use is to subtract your age from 110. If you're 65, that brings you to 45 -- meaning, you can consider keeping 5% of your portfolio in stocks at that age. If you're 70, you'd look at sticking to 40% stocks.
Of course, there's wiggle room with this formula, and it's really just a way to get started. And for many older investors, a 50-50 split of stocks and bonds is what's preferred throughout retirement, and that's fine, too.
The point, though, is that it's never too late to start investing your money. And you certainly shouldn't assume that stocks are off the table, even if you're getting started later in life.
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FAQs
(If you have additional questions about investing or retirement, this tool can help match you with potential advisors.) It's never too late to start investing, but starting in your late 60s will impact the options you have. Consider Social Security strategies, income sources and appropriate asset allocation.
What is the best investment for a 65 year old? ›
These seven low-risk but potentially high-return investment options can get the job done:
- Money market funds.
- Dividend stocks.
- Bank certificates of deposit.
- Annuities.
- Bond funds.
- High-yield savings accounts.
- 60/40 mix of stocks and bonds.
Near and current retirees are often encouraged to invest their money so it's able to grow. If you're 65, it means you may want to keep a notable portion of your portfolio in safer assets. It can still make a lot of sense for a 65-year-old to own stocks.
At what age should you get out of the stock market? ›
There are no set ages to get into or to get out of the stock market. While older clients may want to reduce their investing risk as they age, this doesn't necessarily mean they should be totally out of the stock market.
How much should I have in stocks at age 65? ›
At age 60–69, consider a moderate portfolio (60% stock, 35% bonds, 5% cash/cash investments); 70–79, moderately conservative (40% stock, 50% bonds, 10% cash/cash investments); 80 and above, conservative (20% stock, 50% bonds, 30% cash/cash investments).
How much should a 65 year old have in savings? ›
Savings Benchmarks by Age—As a Multiple of Income
| Investor's Age | Savings Benchmarks |
|---|
| 50 | 3.5x to 6x salary saved today |
| 55 | 4.5x to 8x salary saved today |
| 60 | 6x to 11x salary saved today |
| 65 | 7.5x to 13.5x salary saved today |
4 more rowsExperts say investors usually need about 80% of their pre-retirement income in retirement. So if they earned $100,000 per year pre-retirement, they'd need $80,000 per year in retirement.
When should seniors stop investing? ›
A general rule of thumb says it's safe to stop saving and start spending once you are debt-free, and your retirement income from Social Security, pension, retirement accounts, etc. can cover your expenses and inflation.
How much money do I need to invest to make $1000 a month? ›
A stock portfolio focused on dividends can generate $1,000 per month or more in perpetual passive income, Mircea Iosif wrote on Medium. “For example, at a 4% dividend yield, you would need a portfolio worth $300,000.
What should a 65 year old portfolio look like? ›
In your later years, a conservative allocation of 30% cash, 20% bonds and 50% stocks might be appropriate. Diversified portfolios typically include a core of at least 50% stocks in part because equities alone offer the potential to generate long-term returns exceeding inflation.
A recession could result in a lower IRA balance, but that's not guaranteed to happen. If a recession does negatively impact your IRA, your best bet is to do nothing. It's a good idea to have an emergency fund for surprise expenses that could pop up during a recession, so you can let your IRA recover.
How much should a 70 year old have in the stock market? ›
If you're 70, you should keep 30% of your portfolio in stocks. However, with Americans living longer and longer, many financial planners are now recommending that the rule should be closer to 110 or 120 minus your age.
What happens to 401k if the stock market crashes? ›
Your investment is put into various asset options, including stocks. The value of those stocks is directly tied to the stock market's performance. This means that when the stock market is up, so is your investment, and vice versa. The odds are the value of your retirement savings may decline if the market crashes.
What is a good net worth at 65? ›
Typical Net Worth at Retirement
| Age Range | Median Net Worth | Average Net Worth |
|---|
| 55-64 | $212,500 | $1,175,900 |
| 65-74 | $266,400 | $1,217,700 |
| 75+ | $254,800 | $977,600 |
Oct 5, 2023
It's never too late to start investing, but starting in your late 60s will impact the options you have. Consider Social Security strategies, income sources and appropriate asset allocation. A financial advisor may be able to help you project out your investment and income plan into the coming decades.
How much is the average 65 year old worth? ›
The average American net worth is $1,063,700, as of 2022. Net worth averages increase with age from $183,500 for those 35 and under to $1,794,600 for those 65 to 74. Net worth, however, tends to drop for those 75 and older.
Is 65 too old to start investing? ›
It's never too late to start investing and managing your money. But I don't want to sugarcoat it. If you're planning to invest for retirement, getting the ball rolling in your late 60s certainly limits your options.
What is the safest investment with the highest return? ›
Here are the best low-risk investments in June 2024:
- High-yield savings accounts.
- Money market funds.
- Short-term certificates of deposit.
- Series I savings bonds.
- Treasury bills, notes, bonds and TIPS.
- Corporate bonds.
- Dividend-paying stocks.
- Preferred stocks.
The government-backed-guaranteed return schemes should be the first choice. These are the Senior Citizen Saving Scheme (SCSS), Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana (PMVVY) and Post Office Monthly Income Scheme (PO-MIS). An individual can collectively invest up to Rs 34.5 lakh as the maximum possible amount.
