Three Portfolio Mistakes That Couples Make

There are three common portfolio mistakes that most couples will make.

A lot of couples will have the problem of creating a portfolio but not updating it. They will keep it outdated for years and not end up updating it when their employer’s preferences about their 401k or 401b change. Updating these portfolios will help keep their accounts stable and less viable to market drops.

Another common problem that is seen in couples is a term called di-worse-ification. This is when a couple invests their money in two different locations and ends up making their portfolio much more vulnerable to risk.  You must not only be diligent on how much to invest but also where to invest.  This is because they are splitting investments  in different places rather than one specific place, which can cause issues and increase the possibility of losing money in their portfolio. The best way to fix this is to use an investment questionnaire like the one at morningstar.com.

The last mistake commonly made is not maximizing the plan differences.  If you are on two separate plans — view them as one plan and take advantage of the uniqueness each plan offers.   For example compare the different investment sectors and diversify accordingly.   Each plan will often have benefits the other plan doesn’t.

Key Points:

  • 1There are a multitude of options to diverse your portfolio. Finding what is best for you and your partner is key.
  • 2Always look at the pros and cons of your option in relation to your goals and current time in your life.
  • 3Gain agreement with your partner on how much to invest. Plan for the long term and make sure no one is surprised.


Updating your asset allocation to reflect your timeline for retirement will likely mean a shift towards holding more bonds and stable value accounts rather than more stocks which can be more susceptible to market drops.
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Written by HealthStatus
Medical Writer & Editor

HealthStatus has been operating since 1998 providing the best interactive health tools on the Internet, millions of visitors have used our health risk assessment, body fat and calories burned calculators. The HealthStatus editorial team has continued that commitment to excellence by providing our visitors with easy to understand high quality health content for many years.

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