Investing in retirement is different than any investing you’ve ever done. The asset allocation that you’ve been doing your whole life won’t cut it in retirement. On this episode, you’ll learn what comes after asset allocation. You’ll also learn how to manage market risk. And BW joins us in the Coaches Corner to discuss how to survive bear markets in retirement. You’ll definitely want to listen in to hear my pie-cake analogy, don’t miss it!

What is asset-liability matching?

Have you ever heard of the term asset-liability matching? This is a term typically used in the pension management world but we can apply it to our own retirement. Asset liability matching is the process of investing in a pool of assets so that cash is available when you need it to cover consumption. It is when you take a pool of assets to cover the short-term but you also need that pool to cover expenses in the long-term as well. This is a good term to refer to how we must cover our retirement expenses. 

Asset allocation is not the only way of investing in retirement

You’ve been told your whole life that you need to focus on your asset allocation when investing. Asset allocation is so important to the accumulation stage of retirement planning. But in retirement, asset allocation is not the only thing to consider. Rather than sowing your seeds for growth, in retirement, you are now reaping the rewards from a lifetime of hard work. So now is the time to rethink your asset allocation strategy. 

The pie-cake analogy

We often refer to asset allocation as a pie. You’ve seen all of those pie charts with different percentages of stocks, bonds, and cash. But instead of a pie, in retirement, what you really need is a cake. One of those big, multi-tiered cakes, like a wedding cake. But the cake you need is actually made of pies. Yep, that’s it! A pie cake! You’ll want to create your cake with 3 or 4 layers and the pies will be made of different things. You really need to listen to hear how amazing this analogy is. 

What should your pie-cake look like?

So you’re all ready to build your pie-cake, but what should it look like? Sure there are layers, but layers of what?

• Layer 1 - this bottom layer is full of funds that are to be used in the next 2 years so it needs to be made of cash or cash-like investments
• Layer 2 - this second tier will be funding years 3-6 You’ll want some stability in this layer, but also some income. It could be made of bonds that will be maturing, stable value funds, and some cash.
• Layer 3 - this layer will have a very different looking pie than the bottom layers. The time frame of this layer is 6-10 years. There will be growth but it will be moderate growth. The objective here is income. A good mix could include bonds, real estate equities, but also consider growth. 
• Layer 4 - now we are talking 10-15+ years ahead. This is the pie where you can get aggressive. You’ll want this pie to be growth-oriented with more risk and less bonds and cash. 

Listen in to discover how you can build your cake-pie and eat it too!

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE RETIREMENT ANSWER MAN

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN SEGMENT

• [2:12] Asset liability matching

PRACTICAL PLANNING SEGMENT

• [3:55] Why asset allocation is not the only way to invest in retirement
• [6:46] How to figure your asset-liability matching

COACHES CORNER SEGMENT

• [12:50] How to survive a bear market in retirement
• [16:26] How we live our life can reflect how we react to a bear market
• [19:22] What can we do in a bear market?

TODAY’S SMART SPRINT SEGMENT

• [22:00] Relisten to the pie-cake analogy and think about the tiered approach

Resources Mentioned In This Episode

Rock Retirement Club

Roger’s YouTube Channel - Roger That

BOOK - Rock Retirement  by Roger Whitney

Work with Roger

Roger’s Retirement Learning Center