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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteA stock index reaching a record high is not, by itself, a reason to buy more stocks or sell them. Build your portfolio around your goal, time horizon and ability to tolerate losses, then diversify across asset categories and within each category. If market gains push the portfolio away from that planned mix, rebalancing can bring it back in line.
This guidance is conditional: the sources cited here do not establish whether indexes are currently at record highs. It is educational information, not individualized investment or tax advice.
Start with your goal, time horizon and risk tolerance
Decide what the money is for and when you expect to need it before choosing investments. Your time horizon and comfort with potential losses help determine how much volatility you can reasonably accept. A shorter horizon may call for less volatility than a distant goal, all else equal; there is no stock, bond and cash percentage that is right for everyone. The SEC’s asset allocation guide explains how these personal factors inform an allocation.
Write down a target mix across broad asset categories—such as stocks and bonds—and the role each category plays in your plan. Treat that target as a strategic decision tied to your circumstances, not a response to recent market performance.
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Diversify across investments, not just fund labels
Diversification means spreading investments across asset categories and within them, rather than relying heavily on one company, sector or type of asset. A mutual fund or ETF can hold many investments, but the label alone does not prove that your overall portfolio is diversified. A narrow sector fund may concentrate risk, and several funds may hold many of the same companies.
Review what each fund actually owns and how its holdings overlap with the rest of your portfolio. The SEC’s beginner’s guide to asset allocation and diversification describes both the potential convenience of pooled funds and the limits of assuming every fund provides broad diversification.
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Do not let a record high set your allocation
A rising market can make stocks a larger share of a portfolio even if you have not bought any. That drift is a reason to compare your current mix with your plan—not automatically to raise your stock target. The SEC guide cautions that savvy investors typically do not change allocation based on relative performance, such as increasing stocks because the market is hot; instead, they rebalance toward their chosen mix.
Likewise, a record high alone does not establish that a downturn is imminent or that it is safe to take more risk. The sources cited here do not provide a market forecast or a universally best allocation. Keep the decision anchored to your goal and risk tolerance.
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Rebalance when the portfolio drifts from its plan
“Rebalancing brings a portfolio back to its original asset allocation mix,” according to the SEC’s glossary definition. Rebalancing can involve selling some of an overweight asset, buying an underweight one, or directing new contributions and cash flows toward underweights.
Choose a review approach
There is no official rebalancing timetable. The SEC describes reviewing at six- or twelve-month intervals or using preset thresholds as possible approaches, and says rebalancing tends to work best relatively infrequently. FINRA notes annual review as one consideration. Choose a process you can follow consistently rather than reacting to every market move.
- Calendar review: Check the allocation on a set schedule, such as every six or twelve months, without assuming that a review requires a trade.
- Allocation bands: Set thresholds around your target and consider rebalancing if an asset category moves outside them.
- Cash-flow rebalancing: When practical, direct new contributions or available cash toward underweight categories before selling investments.
- Selling and buying: Sell part of an overweight category and buy underweights when needed to restore the target mix.
Before selling, consider transaction fees and possible tax consequences. The SEC and FINRA discuss these trade-offs in their guidance on asset allocation and allocation and diversification. Tax outcomes depend on individual circumstances and applicable rules.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What diversification can—and cannot—do
Diversification can reduce concentration risk by spreading exposure, but it cannot guarantee a positive return or protect a portfolio from losses during a market decline. Investments across different categories can still fall in value. The SEC explains this limitation in “Diversify Your Investments.”
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Use diversification to manage how your risks are distributed, not as a promise that the portfolio will avoid losses.
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