7 Steps to Refresh and Fine-Tune
Your Investments Before the Year Ends
As the year begins to wind down and fall sets in, it’s a great time to take a closer look at your investment portfolio. With the hustle and bustle of the holiday season approaching, fall presents a quieter window to assess, adjust, and prepare your financial strategy for the year’s end and beyond. A thorough review of your portfolio can help you make informed decisions that could benefit your overall financial plan as you move into the new year. Here’s a guide on how to conduct a fall portfolio clean-up and get your investments in shape for the year’s final quarter.
1. Revisit Your Financial Goals
A fall portfolio clean-up starts with reviewing your financial goals. Are they still relevant to your current life circumstances? Personal and financial priorities may have shifted since you set your goals, so it’s important to evaluate whether your portfolio is still aligned with them.
For example, if you were saving for a large purchase, such as a home or car, and that goal has changed, it may be time to adjust how your investments are allocated. Additionally, if you’re nearing retirement or planning for a major life transition, it’s a good time to reassess your investment strategy and see if it’s still appropriate for your timeline and risk tolerance.
Regularly reviewing your goals can provide clarity as you head into the new year and help you make adjustments that align with where you’re heading next.
2. Assess Asset Allocation
Asset allocation—how you divide your investments across stocks, bonds, and other asset classes—is crucial to your overall investment strategy. Over time, market performance can cause your portfolio’s asset allocation to drift from its original intended balance.
For instance, if your stocks have grown significantly, your portfolio may now carry a higher level of risk than you’re comfortable with. Conversely, under performing investments may have reduced your exposure to growth opportunities. This fall, take the time to assess whether your asset allocation is still in line with your risk tolerance and long-term goals. If not, re-balancing your portfolio could help restore the intended balance.
Re-balancing typically involves selling some of the assets that have grown and buying more of those that are underrepresented in your portfolio. Selling winners and buying losers can be a strategy to manage risk and enhance diversification, but it’s important to consider individual circumstances and market conditions.
3. Review Investment Performance
A fall portfolio clean-up is also a good time to evaluate how your individual investments have performed over the year. Take a closer look at each stock, bond, or fund in your portfolio, comparing their performance to relevant benchmarks and your expectations.
If an investment has significantly under performed for a sustained period, consider whether it’s worth keeping. However, it’s important not to react to short-term market movements—investment performance should be evaluated with a long-term perspective. Some fluctuations are normal, and every asset will go through up and down cycles. The key is to determine whether an investment is still aligned with your overall strategy.
If an investment has shown strong performance, consider whether its current allocation in your portfolio may be excessive and could potentially increase risk. This is a good opportunity to make strategic decisions about trimming or holding certain investments.
4. Harvest Tax Losses (or Gains)
Tax-loss harvesting is a strategy that involves selling investments that have lost value to offset capital gains from selling better-performing assets. This can reduce your taxable income for the year and help you manage your overall tax liability.
When implementing tax-loss harvesting, be mindful of the wash-sale rule, which prevents you from buying back the same or a substantially identical security within 30 days of selling it. It’s also important to work with a tax advisor who can help you navigate tax strategies while staying compliant with tax regulations.
If you’ve had a year of high gains, you might consider reviewing your portfolio to see if there are any opportunities to realize some of those profits. This could be particularly beneficial if you expect to be in a higher tax bracket in the future, or if you need to withdraw funds to meet year-end financial goals.
5. Check on Retirement Contributions
As you continue with your fall portfolio clean-up, review your retirement account contributions to make certain you’re taking full advantage of any tax-deferred savings opportunities. Contributing to a 401(k), IRA, or another retirement account can be a beneficial step for your financial future, but it’s important to consider your individual circumstances and financial goals.
If you’re 50 or older, don’t forget about catch-up contributions, which allow you to contribute more to your retirement accounts than the standard annual limits. Even if you can’t contribute the full allowable amount, contributing something can still be beneficial. Additionally, check whether your employer offers a retirement contribution match, and try to contribute enough to take full advantage of it.
6. Review Fees and Expenses
Investment fees and expenses can eat into your returns over time, so it’s worth reviewing the costs associated with your investments. These might include management fees for mutual funds, commissions on trades, or fees from your financial advisor.
Fall is a great time to ensure you understand what fees you’re paying and whether they’re reasonable for the services you’re receiving. If the fees are too high or you’re not getting value for the cost, consider switching to lower-cost investment options, such as exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or index funds, which typically have lower expense ratios.
7. Prepare for the Year Ahead
Finally, as you wrap up your fall portfolio clean-up, think about the year ahead. What financial goals do you want to achieve in the next 12 months? Are there any changes to your personal or professional life that could impact your investment strategy?
Take time to outline your priorities for the new year, whether that’s continuing to grow your portfolio, generating income, or preparing for retirement. Planning ahead can help you align your portfolio with your evolving financial goals, which may contribute to your confidence entering the new year.
Consider a Fall Portfolio Clean-Up to Strengthen Your Finances
Fall is a great time to review and refresh your portfolio as the year winds down. By conducting a fall portfolio clean-up and taking a closer look at your financial goals, asset allocation, and investment performance, you can make informed adjustments that help prepare your investments for the year ahead. Whether you’re re-balancing, harvesting losses, or reviewing fees, a fall portfolio clean-up is a practical way to keep your portfolio stays on track.