I am retired with a military pension and social security. I average from 70% to 95% of my IRA in ETFs and the remaining cash in the brokerage money market fund for distributions or purchase of stocks or ETFs. I have not been in any bonds since 1999.

A majority of my IRA is currently in S&P 500 and NASDAQ ETFs with around 10% in small cap growth and 10% in mid cap growth ETFs.

quote:

Originally posted by JALLEN:

Why must you have a "non-stock part of the portfolio?"

Well, to reduce volitility and risk. I was very happy with the cash part of my portfolio back in 2008, and we can't rule out another stock crash.

The problem now is cash is making nearly nothing, which brings me to where I am now. So, I'm looking for some alternative that is mostly safe but making a little bit.

Would you seriously go 100 percent stock for all life phases?

quote:

Would you seriously go 100 percent stock for all life phases?

Depends on the stock.

I bet LimaCharlie has done well with his strategy.

a couple of things to remember

how risk tolerant or risk averse are you?

how long do you have before retirement? depending on the time you may decide to be a bit more aggressive with stocks in the short term before you migrate over to 'safer' stocks or bonds or whatever instrument you want

there is a ton of information out there - but ultimately its up to you

I was invested heavily in technology stocks at one point when I was in the semiconductor business, and was a member of several committees from various other fabs

it was the only time in my investment career where I not only knew what we did, but to a certain extent I also knew what we knew

in most cases, you may know what a company does, but seldom will you know what the leadership knows - and that can be the difference between a good investment and a bad one

quote:

Originally posted by radioman:

quote:

Originally posted by JALLEN:

Why must you have a "non-stock part of the portfolio?"

Well, to reduce volitility and risk. I was very happy with the cash part of my portfolio back in 2008, and we can't rule out another stock crash.

The problem now is cash is making nearly nothing, which brings me to where I am now. So, I'm looking for some alternative that is mostly safe but making a little bit.

Would you seriously go 100 percent stock for all life phases?

I can't say that I have, in real life. However, I have never had a bond in a portfolio I was responsible for. For most of my investing life, bonds have been considered safe, prudent, offering acceptable returns for little risk. I don't consider that true now, or for the last several years, as I described earlier in the thread.

I've never been enamored of asset allocation, so much in this, so much in that. Too much forecasting in that. I try to find value, and most often that has meant out of favor.