Will I outlive my investments? This is a question many Canadians are pondering as their life expectancy continues to increase and the markets continue on a path of uncertainty and volatility. To help investors better understand how to improve their odds of a financially healthy retirement, the Financial Post recently spoke with Sightline Wealth Management for insight.
According to Sightline Wealth Management Senior Vice President and Investment Advisor Paul de Sousa, investors who have not been contemplating their portfolio’s ability to meet their retirement needs should probably start.
“Some of us know we haven’t saved enough, or know that our portfolios aren’t diversified and our asset allocation isn’t set right,” de Sousa tells the publication. “If our portfolios have performed well in the recent past, we may have misplaced confidence that they’ll continue to perform well into the future. Markets always revert to the mean… we just don’t know when.”
However, while it is possible to use simple calculations to ballpark one’s retirement needs, de Sousa often finds that retirees typically spend more than they originally planned.
“Their living expenses are greater than they counted on, due to inflation. They spend more on travel, or they give money to children,” he explains. “However you look at retirement, your actual financial needs may wind up being higher than you accounted for.”
Fortunately, there is a way for investors to proactively develop resilient portfolios that are designed for long-lasting financial security: consulting with a financial advisor. Advisors have the knowledge and capabilities to help adjust portfolios according to long-term market trends while also avoiding the temptation to emotionally react to short-term market conditions – and the sooner investors properly diversify their portfolios, the better.
“We don’t know when we’ll see the next market downturn,” says de Sousa. “The earlier we consider diversifying and rebalancing a retirement investment portfolio, the greater the potential to affect future investment income.”
Important Information:
Sightline Wealth Management LP (“Sightline”) is an investment dealer and is a member of the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC) and the Canadian Investor Protection Fund (CIPF). Sightline provides management and investment advisory services to high-net-worth individuals and institutional investors primarily through fee-based accounts.
Sightline Wealth Management LP is a wholly owned subsidiary of Ninepoint Financial Group Inc.
(“NFG Inc.”). NFG Inc. is also the parent company of Ninepoint Partners LP, it is an investment fund manager and advisor and exempt market dealer. By virtue of the same parent company, Sightline is affiliated with Ninepoint Partners LP. Information and/or materials contained herein is for information purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell or solicitation to purchase securities of any issuer or any portfolio managed by Sightline Wealth Management or Ninepoint Partners, including Ninepoint managed funds.
Sightline Wealth Management (“Sightline”) makes every effort to ensure that the information has been derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, Sightline assumes no responsibility for any losses or damages, whether direct or indirect, which arise out of the use of this information. Sightline is not under any obligation to update or keep current the information contained herein. The information should not be regarded by recipients as a substitute for the exercise of their own judgment. Past performance is not indicative of future performance. Please speak to your Advisor regarding the suitability of information provided in this article for you. The opinions, estimates, projections and/or recommendations contained in this document are those of the author as of the date hereof.