53 years old, $1.2M invested, targeting retirement at 59. How did you rebalance 8–10 years out?
I’m curious what others actually did as they got within 8–10 years of retirement.
I’m 53 with about $1.2M invested across retirement accounts(deferred & non-taxable)and hoping to retire around 59.
Most of my growth came from staying aggressive in tech over the years — GOOG, GOOGL, AAPL, AMZN, PLTR, etc. with very low cost basis. That strategy worked extremely well for me.
But now I’m wrestling with the transition from “maximize growth” to “protect and compound.” I’m not looking to become conservative overnight or go full 60/40. I still want strong growth and can tolerate volatility. But I also don’t want to risk giving back too much this close to retirement.
For those who’ve been through this stage:
Did you gradually trim concentrated winners?
Shift toward broader ETFs/index funds?
Add more dividend/value exposure?
Increase bonds/cash at all?
Any regrets staying too aggressive or getting defensive too early?
Would especially love hearing from people who were in a similar position in their early 50s and are now retired or close to it.