4 strategies for building a ‘good enough’ financial plan and portfolio
I’m a classic satisficer: I’m usually quick about making decisions and often fall back on the tried-and-true. Some people are optimizers, carefully analyzing almost every choice, whether it’s a new sofa or a cup of coffee.
If you want to make decent, “good enough” choices about your financial plan and portfolio and get onto other things, what strategies should you employ? And what should you stop doing? Here are some strategies to embrace.
Eliminate ‘onesies’ and embrace simple building blocks
Step away from those individual stocks. Forget I bonds and laddered portfolios of individual Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities. If you’re a satisficer, they’re not for you. Reduce your number of accounts and the holdings within them.
A portfolio with fewer moving parts is easier to oversee and simpler to document in case your loved ones or a financial advisor needs to take the wheel. Moreover, Morningstar research indicates that investors tend to do a better job buying and holding broadly diversified investments than they do ones that are more focused.
While they might not compel over some shorter time horizons, total-market index funds have been highly competitive with actively managed funds on a long-term basis, and they require little to no oversight. That means that satisficer portfolios should be heavy on total market index funds and even all-in-one investments like target-date funds. Satisficers should have as few accounts as possible, too.
Minimize other financial relationships
I’m part of a group chat with some delightful people who are keen to maximize their gains from credit cards and hotel loyalty programs. They’re always sharing tips on new card offers and swapping in and out of cards to score free travel.
These people have traveled all over the world, and there’s something to be said for beating the banks at their own game. They’re also eager to take advantage of free financing programs when buying cars, furniture, and electronics. Why not let the bank float you a loan and invest the funds in the interim, particularly now that you can earn a decent return on your safe money?
Yet as much as the math might argue for such strategies, managing multiple credit relationships requires time, energy, and discipline that most people don’t have to spare. For that reason, taking a minimalist approach to credit cards and other financial relationships is a good policy for most households, especially satisficing ones. My credit-card-optimizer friends might disagree, but I tend to think that a single, well-chosen credit card or two is plenty.
Automate everything you can
The data suggest that dollar-cost averaging is inferior to lump-sum investing. To which I say, “So what?” The fact is, most of us don’t have big lump sums lying around; we’re able to invest only as we earn money and save it.
Making automatic investments addresses a number of financial pain points in a single shot. It eliminates any question marks about whether and when to invest. And if the target investment amounts are high enough and you increase them as you receive pay increases and bonuses, it also obviates the need to track expenses or budget in the traditional sense.
Pay for help if you need it
Here’s another way in which the satisficers may be willing to depart from the optimizers. Yes, paying for financial planning guidance costs money, maybe more than you think it should. (It’s not unusual for good-quality planners to charge $350-$500 an hour or more.)
But if paying for professional financial help frees you up to do other things you enjoy more and it provides peace of mind with your decision-making, it can be money well spent. Moreover, a planner can help point out blind spots that even the most competent DIYers may have missed, while also serving as a valuable receptacle of financial information in case you’re unable to manage your own finances at some point. Finally, planners can leverage high-powered software that puts more precision behind decisions like whether to convert traditional IRAs to Roth.
This article was provided to The Associated Press by Morningstar. For more personal finance content, go to https://www.morningstar.com/personal-finance.
ChristineBenz is director of personal finance and retirement planning for Morningstar.
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—Christine Benz of Morningstar