Home Insights Asset allocation Target date funds: Optimizing risk and return for retirement

Target Date Funds (TDFs) have emerged as a pivotal innovation, simplifying the process of saving for retirement, especially for individuals who may lack the expertise or time to manage their investment portfolios actively. TDFs simplify retirement planning by automatically adjusting investments as retirement nears, shifting from growth to preservation, and offering a hands-off, strategic approach to managing risk and achieving retirement goals.

In the retirement planning landscape, target date funds (TDFs) have simplified investing for individuals who lack the time or expertise to manage portfolios. With total assets nearing $4 trillion in 2024, TDFs have become the default in defined contribution plans, driven by their automatic asset allocation and risk management features. They address the inadequacies of traditional single-asset-class lineups, which often left investors with inappropriate risk exposure, and evolved from target risk portfolios by introducing dynamic, age-based risk reduction.

Central to TDFs is the “glide path,” which gradually shifts investments from growth-focused assets, like equities, to conservative ones, such as bonds, as retirement approaches. This automatic transition minimizes risk and protects savings, making TDFs a “set it and forget it” option for busy or inexperienced investors. Professional managers oversee diversified portfolios, using strategic and tactical asset allocation to navigate market volatility and enhance returns. They also design glide paths to mitigate behavioral risks, such as abandoning portfolios during downturns.

Despite their benefits, TDFs have drawbacks. Their one-size-fits-all approach may not suit individual needs, and fees, while declining, remain a consideration. Advisors should periodically review TDFs to ensure alignment with evolving goals and educate clients on their features. With proper oversight, TDFs serve as a cornerstone of modern retirement planning, offering simplicity, professional management, and adaptability.

To learn more about the evolution of target date funds, and their advantages and disadvantages read Retirement ready: The power of target date funds.

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Disclosure

Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal. Equity investments involve greater risk, including heightened volatility, than fixed income investments. Fixed‐income investment options are subject to interest rate risk, and their value will decline as interest rates rise. Lower-rated securities are subject to additional credit and default risks. Investment risk may be magnified with alternative investment strategies due to their use of arbitrage, leverage, and derivatives. Neither the principal nor the underlying assets of target-date portfolios are guaranteed at any time.

Target-date portfolios are managed toward a particular target date, or the approximate date the investor is expected to start withdrawing money from the portfolio. As each target-date portfolio approaches its target date, the investment mix becomes more conservative by increasing exposure to generally more conservative investments and reducing exposure to typically more aggressive investments. Neither the principal nor the underlying assets of target-date portfolios are guaranteed at any time, including the target date. Investment risk remains at all times. Neither asset allocation nor diversification can ensure a profit or protect against a loss in down markets. Be sure to see the relevant prospectus or offering document for a full discussion of a target-date investment option including determination of when the portfolio achieves its most conservative allocation.

Asset allocation and diversification do not ensure a profit or protect against a loss. The risk management techniques discussed seek to mitigate or reduce risk but cannot remove it. Inflation and other economic cycles and conditions are difficult to predict and there is no guarantee that any inflation mitigation/protection strategy will be successful. The information presented has been derived from sources believed to be accurate; however, we do not independently verify or guarantee its accuracy or validity. Any reference to a specific investment or security does not constitute a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold such investment or security, and does not take account of any investor’s investment objectives or financial situation and should not be construed as specific investment advice, a recommendation, or be relied on in any way as a guarantee, promise, forecast or prediction of future events regarding an investment or the markets in general. The opinions and predictions expressed are subject to change without prior notice.

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