Resolved: Look Less
TOO MUCH FREE TIME, coupled with easy access to the internet, create a problem for this retiree. I obsessively check my IRA at least once���and often several times���each day.
I retired two years early with an above-average Social Security payment and a decent state pension, but not a whole lot in my IRA, which is my only retirement savings. Experts say I need much more, but a job loss in my late 50s, and the inability to find an equivalent position in my field and at the same pay level, have left me far behind where I���d hoped to be.
My account is like my baby. I want to make sure it stays healthy and grows. But there���s not much I can do most days, as the markets gyrate up and down.
I don���t actually make frequent changes. I know investing is for the long haul, but when you���re age 65, the road might be short. I look at the many mutual funds and individual stocks, and ponder my choices. Here���s what the software tells me:
My stock holdings have drifted higher than my target allocation.
The "style" of my stock holdings looks pretty similar to a benchmark that follows the U.S. stock market.
The "style" of my bond holdings appears pretty similar to a benchmark that follows the U.S. investment-grade bond market.
The portfolio doesn't appear to be too heavily weighted in the stocks or bonds of any one company.
I need to learn to trust my decisions and let go of this IRA babysitting. It���s my New Year���s resolution to end this obsession and check the account no more than once a day, if that.
It has become almost a hobby to find and research investments. Admittedly, that can be enjoyable. But it���s time for a new hobby���one that���s less stressful.
I retired two years early with an above-average Social Security payment and a decent state pension, but not a whole lot in my IRA, which is my only retirement savings. Experts say I need much more, but a job loss in my late 50s, and the inability to find an equivalent position in my field and at the same pay level, have left me far behind where I���d hoped to be.
My account is like my baby. I want to make sure it stays healthy and grows. But there���s not much I can do most days, as the markets gyrate up and down.
I don���t actually make frequent changes. I know investing is for the long haul, but when you���re age 65, the road might be short. I look at the many mutual funds and individual stocks, and ponder my choices. Here���s what the software tells me:
My stock holdings have drifted higher than my target allocation.
The "style" of my stock holdings looks pretty similar to a benchmark that follows the U.S. stock market.
The "style" of my bond holdings appears pretty similar to a benchmark that follows the U.S. investment-grade bond market.
The portfolio doesn't appear to be too heavily weighted in the stocks or bonds of any one company.
I need to learn to trust my decisions and let go of this IRA babysitting. It���s my New Year���s resolution to end this obsession and check the account no more than once a day, if that.
It has become almost a hobby to find and research investments. Admittedly, that can be enjoyable. But it���s time for a new hobby���one that���s less stressful.
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