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by CRConrad 439 days ago
> Nobody should be planning on steady stock market gains for their retirement income.

At least in the Nordic countries, utterly uncontroversial conventional wisdom says something like:

* In your youth save almost-only in stocks; via some index fund, if you don't feel like being an active investor, following the market every day;

* Start with (funds that specialise in) high-growth (= high-risk) stocks; then, as you near middle age, slowly move over to lower-risk (= lower-growth) stocks (or funds specialised therein);

* In middle age, move over to having some part in state bonds;

* As you near retirement age, eliminate high-growth/risk stocks/funds altogether, and draw down the proportion of stocks/funds as a whole, going to an increasing proportion state bonds.

* As you retire, possibly move all-out of stocks / stock index funds and all-in on bonds... Except put some in an ordinary old bank account.