Is 100 Minus Your Age Outdated? (2024)

One of the most basic principles of investing is to gradually reduce your risk as you get older. That makes sense when you consider that retirees don’t have the luxury of waiting (or the capital, for that matter) for the market to bounce back after a dip. The dilemma is figuring out exactly how safe you should be relative to the stage of life you're in at any given point in time.

For years, a commonly cited rule of thumb has helped simplify asset allocation. According to this principle, individuals should hold a percentage of stocks equal to 100 minus their age. So, for a typical 60-year-old, 40% of the portfolio should be equities. The rest would comprise high-grade bonds, government debt, and other relatively safe assets.

Key Takeaways

  • Reducing the amount of risk as you get older is one of the basic principles of investing.
  • One of the common rules of asset allocation is to invest a percentage in stocks that is equal to 100 minus your age.
  • People are living longer, which means there may be a need to change this rule, especially since many fixed-income investments offer lower yields.
  • It may make sense to hold a percentage of stocks equal to 110 or 120 minus your age.
  • You should consider other factors in your investment strategy, including the age at which you want to retire and the amount of money you think you'll need.

Reasons to Change the Rules

Pretty straightforward, right? Not necessarily. While an easy-to-remember guideline can help take some of the complexity out of retirement planning, it may be time to revisit this particular one. Over the past few decades, a lot has changed for the American investor.

For one thing, modern portfolio theory was birthed in the 1950's by Harry Markowtiz. Since then, life expectancy here (as in many developed countries) has steadily risen. The average American lives approximately 77 years, while the average lifespan at the theory's creation was closer to 70 years old. What's the lesson here? Not only do we have to increase our nest eggs, but we also have more time to grow our money and recover from a dip.

At the same time, U.S. Treasury bonds are paying a fraction of what they once did. As of May 2022, a 10-year T-bill yields 2.75% annually. In the early 1980s, investors could count on interest rates upwards of 10%.

Make sure you consult a financial professional when undertaking any investment strategy and before you make any investment decisions.

Revised Guidelines

For many investment pros, such realities mean that the old “100 minus your age” axiom puts investors in jeopardy of running low on funds during their later years. Some modified the rule to 110 minus your age. Those with a higher tolerance for risk may further modify that rule by going even further to 120 minus your age.

Not surprisingly, many fund companies follow these revised guidelines(or even more aggressive ones) when putting together their own target-date funds. For example, funds with a target date of 2035 are geared to investors who are currently around 50 (as of 2020). But instead of allocating 50% of their assets to equities:

  • Vanguard's Target Retirement 2035 Fund has more than 70% allocated to equities
  • T. Rowe Price's Retirement 2035 Fund builds in even more risk with more than 50% invested in equities

It’s important to keep in mind that guidelines like this are just a starting point for making your investment decisions. A variety of factors may shape an investment strategy, including the age at retirement and the assets needed to sustain one’s lifestyle.

Since women live nearly five years longer than men on average, they have higher costs in retirement than men and an incentive to be slightly more aggressive with their nest egg.

Is There a Proper Asset Allocation by Age?

Your age dictates how much risk you're willing to take on in your investments. The general rule is that the younger you are, the more risk you're able to tolerate. The older you get, though, means you must cut back on the amount of risk in your portfolio. The common rule of asset allocation by age is that you should hold a percentage of stocks that is equal to 100 minus your age. So if you're 40, you should hold 60% of your portfolio in stocks.

Since life expectancy is growing, changing that rule to 110 minus your age or 120 minus your age may be more appropriate.

What Is the Old Rule About the Best Portfolio Balance by Age?

The old rule about the best portfolio balance by age is that you should hold the percentage of stocks in your portfolio that is equal to 100 minus your age. So a 30-year-old investor should hold 70% of their portfolio in stocks. This should change as the investor gets older.

But with individuals living longer, investors may be better suited in changing that rule to 110 minus your age or even 120 minus your age.

Does Changing Investment Portfolio Allocation by Age Make Sense?

It does make sense to change your portfolio allocation by age. That's because the older you get, the less risk you can tolerate. Put simply, you don't have the time to lose and replenish the capital base in your nest egg. Preservation of capital is important for those who are closer to retirement. As such, financial security is important to them since they can't wait for the market to bounce back.

The Bottom Line

Basing one's stock allocation on age can be a useful tool for retirement planning by encouraging investors to slowly reduce risk over time. However, at a time when adults are living longer and getting fewer rewards from “safe” investments, it might be time to adjust the 100 minus your age guideline and take more risk with retirement funds.

Is 100 Minus Your Age Outdated? (2024)

FAQs

Is 100 Minus Your Age Outdated? ›

The '100 minus age' rule, is a classic guideline on how to allocate money across equity and fixed income. Investors must simply subtract their age from 100 to arrive at an approximate equity allocation, with fixed income accounting for the rest.

What is the age minus 100 rule? ›

The '100 minus age' rule, is a classic guideline on how to allocate money across equity and fixed income. Investors must simply subtract their age from 100 to arrive at an approximate equity allocation, with fixed income accounting for the rest.

What is the 120 minus age rule? ›

The 120-age investment rule states that a healthy investing approach means subtracting your age from 120 and using the result as the percentage of your investment dollars in stocks and other equity investments.

Is it optimal to use the rule 100 minus age for asset allocation in goal based portfolio? ›

Conclusion. The 100 minus your age is a simple, yet effective way to easily allocate assets depending on the stage of your life. This age rule is based on the principle of minimizing risks as you grow old and hence, simplifies the asset allocation.

What is the 110 rule? ›

For example, there's the rule of 110. This rule says to subtract your age from 110, then use that number as a guideline for investing in stocks. So if you're 30 years old you'd invest 80% of your portfolio in stocks (110 – 30 = 80).

How old is the rule of 72? ›

An early reference to the rule is in the Summa de arithmetica (Venice, 1494.

What is the original rule of 100? ›

The calculation begins with the number 100. Subtracting your age from 100 provides an immediate snapshot of what percentage of your retirement assets should be in the market (at risk) and what percentage of your retirement assets should be in safe money (no risk) alternatives.

Is the 100 minus your age approach a general rule of thumb for the percentage of stocks you should have in your portfolio? ›

The common rule of asset allocation by age is that you should hold a percentage of stocks that is equal to 100 minus your age. So if you're 40, you should hold 60% of your portfolio in stocks. Since life expectancy is growing, changing that rule to 110 minus your age or 120 minus your age may be more appropriate.

What should the asset allocation be for a 70 year old retiree? ›

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).

What is the best asset allocation for a 60 year old? ›

You may have heard of age-based asset allocation guidelines like the Rule of 100 and Rule of 110. The Rule of 100 determines the percentage of stocks you should hold by subtracting your age from 100. If you are 60, for example, the Rule of 100 advises holding 40% of your portfolio in stocks.

What is the 70% rule investing? ›

Basically, the rule says real estate investors should pay no more than 70% of a property's after-repair value (ARV) minus the cost of the repairs necessary to renovate the home. The ARV of a property is the amount a home could sell for after flippers renovate it.

What should the asset allocation be for a 65 year old? ›

For most retirees, investment advisors recommend low-risk asset allocations around the following proportions:
  • Age 65 – 70: 40% – 50% of your portfolio.
  • Age 70 – 75: 50% – 60% of your portfolio.
  • Age 75+: 60% – 70% of your portfolio, with an emphasis on cash-like products like certificates of deposit.

What is the 100 minus age portfolio? ›

According to the '100 minus age' rule, an investor's portfolio should comprise 100 minus their age percentage of their surplus funds in equities and the remainder in debt.

How much money do you need to retire? ›

How much money do you need to retire? A good rule of thumb is to save enough to cover 80% of your pre-retirement income. You'll need to account for inflation and how it affects your purchasing power down the line. Retirement needs are highly individualized based on your desired lifestyle.

What is the rule of 69? ›

What is the Rule of 69? The Rule of 69 is used to estimate the amount of time it will take for an investment to double, assuming continuously compounded interest. The calculation is to divide 69 by the rate of return for an investment and then add 0.35 to the result.

How long does it take to double your money at 4%? ›

The Rule of 72 is a calculation that estimates the number of years it takes to double your money at a specified rate of return. If, for example, your account earns 4 percent, divide 72 by 4 to get the number of years it will take for your money to double. In this case, 18 years.

What is the rule of 42? ›

The so-called Rule of 42 is one example of a philosophy that focuses on a large distribution of holdings, calling for a portfolio to include at least 42 choices while owning only a small amount of most of those choices.

Is the Rule of 100 true? ›

For a $2,000 item, $500 off seems larger than 25%, which makes people more likely to purchase when they see the absolute dollar discount. The Rule of 100 says that under 100, percentage discounts seem larger than absolute ones. But over 100, things reverse. Over 100, absolute discounts seem larger than percentage ones.

What is the Rule of 100 psychology? ›

He called this theory, “The Rule of 100.” Based on his research, he found that: A percentage discount off an item under $100 off will always look larger than the dollar discount. For example: 25% off of $75 appears larger than $18.75 off of $75.

Why is the 100% Rule important? ›

Applying the 100% Rule allows the manager to know that all efforts in each area are captured where they belong and also that nothing unrelated is included in an element. The work breakdown structure contains a planning framework of planned outcomes that precedes project scheduling.

How much cash should I have on hand? ›

While you're working, we recommend you set aside at least $1,000 for emergencies to start and then build up to an amount that can cover three to six months of expenses. When you've retired, consider a cash reserve that might help cover one to two years of spending needs.

What percentage of cash should be in my portfolio? ›

Cash and cash equivalents can provide liquidity, portfolio stability and emergency funds. Cash equivalent vehicles include savings, checking and money market accounts, and short-term investments. A general rule of thumb is that cash and cash equivalents should comprise between 2% and 10% of your portfolio.

How much of my net worth should be in investments? ›

“Ideally, you'll invest somewhere around 15%–25% of your post-tax income,” says Mark Henry, founder and CEO at Alloy Wealth Management. “If you need to start smaller and work your way up to that goal, that's fine. The important part is that you actually start.”

What is the average 401k balance for a 70 year old? ›

The median 401(k) balance was $20,100 in the third quarter of 2022.
...
Median 401(k) balance by age.
AgeMedian 401(k) account balance
35 to 44$21,900.
45 to 54$39,000.
55 to 64$56,450.
65 and up$55,300.
2 more rows
Dec 22, 2022

Is $500000 enough to retire on at 70? ›

The bottom line is that you can retire at 70 with $500k if you are comfortable with the resulting lifestyle. Your savings will provide you with approximately $20k per year, and the average Social Security benefit will add another $18k or so.

How much should a 72 year old have saved for retirement? ›

Financial experts generally recommend saving anywhere from $1 million to $2 million for retirement. If you consider an average retirement savings of $426,000 for those in the 65 to 74-year-old range, the numbers obviously don't match up.

What is the 7 percent rule for retirement? ›

What is the 7 percent rule? The 7 percent rule is a retirement planning guideline that suggests you can comfortably withdraw 7 percent of your retirement savings annually without running out of money.

What is the most popular asset allocation? ›

Dynamic Asset Allocation

The dynamic asset allocation is the most popular type of investment strategy. It enables investors to adjust their investment proportion based on the highs and lows of the market and the gains and losses in the economy.

What is the best 401k asset allocation by age? ›

We assume retirement at age 65.
  • Age: Less Than 40 -- 100% in equities. ...
  • Age: 40 to 50 -- 80% in equities and 20% in fixed income. ...
  • Age: 51 to 55 -- 70% in equities and 30% in fixed income. ...
  • Age: 56 to 60 -- 50% in equities and 50% in fixed income.

What is the Buffett rule investing 70 30? ›

The rule of thumb advisors have traditionally urged investors to use, in terms of the percentage of stocks an investor should have in their portfolio; this equation suggests, for example, that a 30-year-old would hold 70% in stocks, 30% in bonds, while a 60-year-old would have 40% in stocks, 60% in bonds.

What is the #1 rule of investing? ›

Warren Buffett once said, “The first rule of an investment is don't lose [money]. And the second rule of an investment is don't forget the first rule. And that's all the rules there are.”

What is rule number 1 of investing? ›

1 – Never lose money. Let's kick it off with some timeless advice from legendary investor Warren Buffett, who said “Rule No. 1 is never lose money.

How much money should a 65 year old have saved for retirement? ›

Saving 15% of income per year (including any employer contributions) is an appropriate savings level for many people.
...
Savings Benchmarks by Age—As a Multiple of Income.
Investor's AgeSavings Benchmarks
605.5x to 11x salary saved today
657x to 13.5x salary saved today
6 more rows

How much does the average retiree have in assets? ›

The average retirement savings by age is: Under 35: $30,170. 35-44: $131,950. 45-54: $254,720.

How much should a 75 year old have saved for retirement? ›

Federal Reserve SCF Data
Age rangeMedian Retirement Savings
Americans aged 45-54$100,000
Americans aged 55-64$134,000
Americans aged 65-74$164,000
Americans aged 75+$83,000
2 more rows

What is a very high net worth portfolio? ›

A high net worth portfolio is a portfolio of liquid financial assets whose value is at least $1 million, assets such as cash, bank accounts, money market funds, stocks, and bonds.

What is the downside of a 60 40 portfolio? ›

The 60/40 Portfolio's Critical Flaw

The issue with 60/40 predates the 2022 Fed tightening and is as big a problem today as ever: 60/40 is simply not very well-balanced. It excludes critical inflation-hedge assets, such as Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities, gold and commodities.

What is the golden rule of portfolio? ›

Look beyond the short-term

Trying to time the market increases your risk of buying or selling at the wrong time. By investing over a longer timeframe, you're more likely to benefit from trends that can support positive performance over a matter of years.

What is the average Social Security check? ›

Average Social Security retirement benefits in 2023

Average payments for all retirees enrolled in the Social Security program increased to approximately $1,827, according to the Social Security Administration (SSA).

What is the average 401k balance for a 65 year old? ›

To help you maximize your retirement dollars, the 401(k) is an employer-sponsored plan that allows you to save for retirement in a tax-sheltered way. You can contribute up to $22,500 in 2023.
...
The average 401(k) balance by age.
AgeAverage 401(k) balanceMedian 401(k) balance
55-60$199,743$55,464
60-65$198,194$53,300
65-70$185,858$43,152
6 more rows

How much do I need to retire if my house is paid off? ›

One rule of thumb is that you'll need 70% of your pre-retirement yearly salary to live comfortably. That might be enough if you've paid off your mortgage and are in excellent health when you kiss the office good-bye.

What is the rule of 100 investing? ›

The 100-age rule of asset allocation is a guideline that investors use to determine how much of their investment should be allocated to each asset class based on their age. The rule states that an investor's portfolio should contain 100 minus their age in stocks and the remaining amount in bonds.

Do you know the rule of 70? ›

The rule of 70 is used to determine the number of years it takes for a variable to double by dividing the number 70 by the variable's growth rate. The rule of 70 is generally used to determine how long it would take for an investment to double given the annual rate of return.

What is the rule of thumb in investment age? ›

Thumb Rule #5: 100 minus Age Rule

The 100 minus age rule is designed to help you determine the asset allocation between equity and debt. According to this rule, you need to subtract your age from the number 100. The result is the percentage of equity exposure that can suit you. The balance can be invested in debt.

What is the Buffett rule of investing? ›

Warren Buffett once said, “The first rule of an investment is don't lose [money]. And the second rule of an investment is don't forget the first rule. And that's all the rules there are.”

What are the 5 golden rules of investing? ›

The golden rules of investing
  • If you can't afford to invest yet, don't. It's true that starting to invest early can give your investments more time to grow over the long term. ...
  • Set your investment expectations. ...
  • Understand your investment. ...
  • Diversify. ...
  • Take a long-term view. ...
  • Keep on top of your investments.

What is the rule of 69 investing? ›

The Rule of 69 is a simple calculation to estimate the time needed for an investment to double if you know the interest rate and if the interest is compound. For example, if a real estate investor can earn twenty percent on an investment, they divide 69 by the 20 percent return and add 0.35 to the result.

What is the 10 5 3 rule? ›

The 10,5,3 rule

Though there are no guaranteed returns for mutual funds, as per this rule, one should expect 10 percent returns from long term equity investment, 5 percent returns from debt instruments. And 3 percent is the average rate of return that one usually gets from savings bank accounts.

What is the golden rule of 70? ›

Basically, the rule says real estate investors should pay no more than 70% of a property's after-repair value (ARV) minus the cost of the repairs necessary to renovate the home.

Is Rule of 72 always correct? ›

The Rule of 72 is derived from a more complex calculation and is an approximation, and therefore it isn't perfectly accurate. The most accurate results from the Rule of 72 are based at the 8 percent interest rate, and the farther from 8 percent you go in either direction, the less precise the results will be.

What age is too late to start investing? ›

No matter your age, there is never a wrong time to start investing. Let's take a look at three hypothetical examples below. For these examples, everyone invests $57.69/week with a 7% growth rate and has an annual salary of $30,000. Ashley started contributing early at 21 but stops at age 35.

What is the best portfolio allocation by age? ›

The common rule of asset allocation by age is that you should hold a percentage of stocks that is equal to 100 minus your age. So if you're 40, you should hold 60% of your portfolio in stocks. Since life expectancy is growing, changing that rule to 110 minus your age or 120 minus your age may be more appropriate.

Is 70 too late to start investing? ›

It's never too late to start investing, but that doesn't mean you'll have the same investment strategy as your 22 year-old niece. Younger folks have more time to ride out the highs and lows of the stock market over time. People who are near retirement, or who are already retired, may want to take a different tack.

Why does the rule of 70 exist? ›

The reason why the rule of 70 is popular in finance is because it offers a simple way to manage complicated exponential growth. It breaks down growth formulas into a simple equation using the number 70 alongside the rate of return.

Should I use rule of 70 or 72? ›

The rule of 72 is best for annual interest rates. On the other hand, the rule of 70 is better for semi-annual compounding. For example, let's suppose you have an investment that has a 4% interest rate compounded semi-annually or twice a year. According to the rule of 72, you'll get 72 / 4 = 18 years.

What is the rule of 70 for retirement? ›

Eligibility for Retiree Health and Life Insurance Benefits

Rule of 70: the employee's age plus years of continuous, full-time service equal 70 or more, and the employee is at least age 55, with at least ten years of continuous, full-time service.

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