Why the 60/40 retirement portfolio needs a revamp

The 60/40 portfolio, stocks to bonds, has long been the tried-and-true method for those building their retirement nest eggs with a safety net of diversification. But times, they are a-changing and BlackRock CEO Larry Fink is advising a makeover. 

"Generations of investors have done well following this approach, owning a mix of the entire market rather than individual securities. But as the global financial system continues to evolve, the classic 60/40 portfolio may no longer fully represent true diversification. The future standard portfolio may look more like 50/30/20—stocks, bonds, and private assets like real estate, infrastructure, and private credit", Fink wrote in his 2025 Letter to Investors. 

BLACKROCK CEO LARRY FINK'S ANNUAL LETTER TO INVESTORS

In the case of infrastructure, Fink touted its inflation protection characteristic; revenue generation from payments, stability vs. volatile public markets and solid returns with even as little as 10% of allocation, he noted. 

BlackRock recently paid $23 billion for Panama Canal ports. As an example, revenue can be generated by charging vessels fees to pass through the waterways.

BLACKROCK PAYS $23 BILLION FOR PANAMA CANAL PORTS

Even though BlackRock, with over $11 trillion in assets is the world’s largest asset manager, a 50/30/20 mix or other split with alternative assets, can make sense for smaller, retail investors. 

"For somebody who has a lot of time ahead of them and has the assets to justify an allocation to privates, we think it's a really exciting opportunity because of the diversification it provides to a portfolio", Katie Klingensmith, Chief Investment Strategist at Edelman Financial Engines, told FOX Business. 

MORTGAGE RATES SPIKE AMID MARKET VOLATILITY

"From our perspective in general, when we think about building those really robust portfolios for our clients, but when we also think about what we think is best for the majority of investors who are not necessarily ultra-high net worth. Private markets have some really interesting characteristics, and it'll be quite exciting to see how they respond to this period right now of public market instability", she added. 

The S&P 500, the broadest measure of the U.S. stock market, has lost 10% this year. 

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Morningstar's US Core Bond Index is up about 2% this year. It measures fixed-rate, investment-grade U.S. dollar-denominated securities with maturities of greater than one year, according to the firm.