Planning to Retire

Rebalance Your Portfolio

By Emily Brandon

Posted: December 23, 2008

If you were invested 50 percent in stocks and 50 percent in bonds at the beginning of the year, your portfolio almost certainly doesn't have those proportions anymore, because you have probably taken big losses in stocks. "The temptation this year is going to be to stay where you are or get rid of stocks. Most people today should probably buy stocks," says Andrew Biggs, a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and a former deputy commissioner for policy at the Social Security Administration. "Whatever ratio people have, people should think about where they want to be and be proactive about getting their portfolio back where it should be."

More New Year's resolutions for retirement:

Delay retirement

Put off claiming Social Security

Get your 401(k) match

Avoid early withdrawals

Scrutinize 401(k) fees

Determine your risk tolerance

Evaluate your target-date fund

Pay off your mortgage

Get a pension

Downsize

Bump up your contributions

More money-related New Year’s resolutions

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Planning to Retire

Planning to Retire

Reporter Emily Brandon tells you how to get ready financially for retirement and to make your golden years the best they can be.

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