Retirement Tips from Warren Buffet

Warren Buffet is one of the richest men in the world, and he is regarded as one of the savviest investors in history. Thankfully, he is fairly open about his investment strategies. If you are feeling a little lost about where to get started with your retirement plan, you may want to take a look at these tips. Here is Warren Buffet’s retirement strategy:

1. Consider Paying Down Credit Card Debt.

Buffet may be a wizard when it comes to investing, but even he has said that if you have debt, it’s a much better investment to pay that off than “any investment idea [he’s] got.”^[1] Consider this: if you owed $1000 in credit card debt and your APR is 20%, that would mean that you would owe an additional $200 at the end of the year. If you can pay off that debt, you are, in a sense, saving yourself 20% of that $1000. Buffet has said that there is almost no investment on the market that will get you a 20% return in only a year, so that is why he recommends paying down your credit card debt.^[1]

2. Get “Father Time” on Your Side

When it comes to the stock market, jumping in and out of the market may be a bad choice.^[1] Managing your risk tolerance may be the key to dealing with the movements in the market. Many investors, Buffet included, take a long view when it comes to stocks.^[1] They don’t put money in expecting to get rich quickly. Instead, they put their money in and are aware that it may take time for stocks to go up.^[1]

3. The 90/10 Portfolio

This is the most controversial advice from Warren Buffet. He recommends investing 10% of your available investment money in short-term government bonds and 90% in an S&P index fund.^[2] While this may be a good idea for some people, many experts recommend against putting all of your investments into any single thing, even if it’s a diversified index fund.^[2] Many recommend diversifying your investments even further, not just in index funds.^[2]

While Buffet might be a very successful investor, he’s not investing with your specific retirement in mind or with your specific financial needs. That’s why it’s important you make sure that your financial strategy reflects your situation, needs, and goals.

The biggest downside to Buffet’s retirement strategy is that it isn’t personalized. He’s giving everyone general advice about retirement. On the other hand, retirement strategies work best when they are tailored and specialized for you. If your retirement strategy isn’t personalized to meet your needs and goals, consider reaching out to one of our professionals today for a complimentary review of your finances.