More Canadians are pressing pause on retirement savings to pay for things now. Just how long should you do that? The answer may surprise you + MORE Jun 1st

–Jonathan

Couch potato ETFs

Conventional investing wisdom says that young people can afford to be aggressive, especially if they can look forward to a defined pension plan in retirement. I’ve heard from many investors in their 20s and 30s who, like you, are contemplating an all-equity portfolio, and it’s not surprising. Stocks have a significantly higher expected return than bonds, so if you have a long time horizon, why not strive for maximum growth?

The problem is that what makes sense on a spreadsheet doesn’t always hold up in real life. While long-term stock investing has mostly been rewarding, the short-term is often gut-wrenching. We have seen this in 2022. Market fluctuations will frequently trim your portfolio by 20% in a matter of a few months—this is called a bear market—and during your lifetime you should probably expect an all-stock portfolio to be cut in half at least once, as well…