Ten tips for investing success in 2026 for retirees

Introduction

It is fair to say that many of our posts go into a lot of detail, and for some, they might be TLDR (too long; didn't read!). This short and sweet post identifies the key topics to consider for the best chance of investing success.

The ten tips for investing success

1. Create your financial plan before creating your investment portfolio.

Having clear goals and objectives should help you stick with the plan during turbulent markets.

2. Don't try to beat the market.

There are many incredibly talented people operating in the markets, and trying to outsmart the market means competing against them. It's unlikely you will be the winner. It's also highly unlikely that you will have access to someone who can beat the market (although you will find no shortage of people who say they can!)

3. Try not to check your investment balances too often

Checking your portfolio balances once a year should be sufficient if you are holding a globally diversified portfolio, typically undertaken when you update your financial plan (see #1)

4. Optimise (lifetime) taxation

One key driver of retirement success is to (legally) optimise your lifetime taxation. Taxation comes in many forms, including income, inheritance, and capital gains. It is essential to evaluate these over the whole retirement period rather than focusing on individual years.

5. Diversify

It's the one "free lunch" when it comes to investing! Understand each asset's role in the portfolio (e.g., defensive or growth), and schedule periodic rebalancing to ensure the portfolio's overall volatility remains aligned with your objectives.

6. Take the right amount of risk

Consider

• How much risk do you need to take to ensure you won't run out of money in retirement?

• How much risk are you happy taking? Are you confident you will stay invested during inevitable periods of market turbulence?

7. Have a savings float

Withdrawals from your retirement savings should ideally be planned rather than made on an ad hoc basis. A float is there to absorb fluctuations in spending rather than act as a cash buffer to mitigate sequencing risk. (it probably won't!)

8. Don't chase past performance

Chasing past performance can be detrimental to retirement success.

9. Don't watch too much NEWS (Negative Events World Service)

It's a controversial one, but we hear of many retirement plans that are derailed because someone made a decision based on bad news they read or watched.

10. Understand that a decade is not a long time when it comes to investing.

Base your investing on what has always worked rather than what is working now.

Conclusion

All the above might seem very obvious, but we often find it's the simple things that determine retirement success.

About Pyrford Financial Planning

Pyrford Financial Planning is an Independent Financial Adviser based in Weybridge, Surrey.

We specialise in retirement planning and provide independent financial advice, including pension and investment advice, and inheritance tax planning.

We offer a no-obligation introductory meeting, which will be held over Zoom.

Our office telephone number is 01932 645150.

Our address is No. 5 The Heights, Weybridge, Surrey, KT13 0NY.

Please note: This blog is for general information only and does not constitute advice. The information is aimed at retail clients only.

Although best efforts are made to ensure all information is accurate, you should not rely on this blog for your personal situation or planning.

The value of your investment can go down as well as up, and you may not get back the full amount you invested. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

About the author

Noel is passionate about helping clients plan for retirement, preparing and guiding them through this key life transition. He has written a book on retirement planning and regularly publishes retirement research on this blog.