By Staff Reporter
Retirement investing is changing as an increasing number of people seek protection without “giving up growth,” according to deVere, one of the world’s largest independent financial advisory organisations
The old assumption that investing ends when work does no longer fits the way people live today. Longer life expectancy, rising living costs, and a more active vision of retirement are reshaping how investors think about money once salaries stop.
Across Ireland and among expats abroad, the focus is moving away from pure accumulation and toward strategies that preserve what has been built while still allowing room for growth.
Luke Handley, Executive Wealth Manager at deVere, says the shift reflects a more realistic view of retirement.
“People are increasingly recognising that retirement is not a short chapter. For many, it’ll last longer than their entire working life. Money still needs to work, just in a different way.”
For years, the default move at retirement involved sliding everything into low-risk assets. The intention was safety. The result, in many cases, has been erosion of purchasing power.
James Green, Director of deVere Europe, says the cost of playing it “too safe” often becomes visible only years later.
“Inflation is quiet but relentless,” he explains. “A portfolio that feels comfortable at 60 can feel restrictive at 70 if it’s not kept pace with real-world costs.”
Recent market volatility has added another dimension to the conversation. While some investors see turbulence as part of the long-term journey, others remain cautious after difficult experiences.
Handley encounters this hesitation regularly. “A bad investment outcome tends to define how people see risk for years,” he says.
“What often gets overlooked is that the problem was rarely investing itself. It was structure, timing, or exposure that didn’t match the person’s real situation.”
This insight is pushing more advisers to rethink how retirement portfolios are built.
Instead of a sudden switch from growth to defence, phased retirement strategies are gaining traction. Part of a portfolio is aligned with immediate income and stability, while another portion remains invested for longer-term objectives.
Green believes this blended approach suits the reality of modern retirement far better.
“Retirement is no longer one moment where everything changes overnight,” he notes. “Needs evolve and spending patterns shift. A flexible structure allows the investment strategy to evolve too.”
Control has become a defining theme, with many investors expressing frustration with rigid products that limit access and choice. They want clarity over how their money is invested and freedom to adapt as circumstances change.
“Control gives people confidence,” Luke Handley continues. “When clients feel they understand their portfolio and can adjust it, anxiety falls away.”
Geography adds another layer, particularly for internationally mobile retirees. James Green notes that expats often face additional complexity around currencies, tax treatment and access to funds.
“Mobility makes flexibility essential,” he says. “People want solutions that move with them, not structures that trap them.”
Transparency is also reshaping expectations. Investors increasingly want to know what they own, why they own it, and what role each part of the portfolio plays.
“When people see the logic behind decisions, behaviour improves,” comments Handley. “They stop reacting emotionally to headlines and start thinking strategically.”
A similar shift is taking place around simplicity. Consolidation and coherence are replacing fragmented arrangements built up over decades.
“Complexity feels sophisticated,” James Green says. “But clarity is far more useful.”
Together, these changes point to a new way of thinking about retirement investing.
Preservation still matters, protecting capital remains central, and the difference lies in how preservation is defined.
Safeguarding wealth for many retirees now means protecting independence, lifestyle and choice rather than shielding every pound or euro from market movement. This change in mindset explains why growth still plays a role long after full-time work ends.
Money that lasts through a long retirement needs to do more than sit still.
For those nearing retirement, the question increasingly feels less about when to stop investing and more about how to invest differently.
The investors approaching this stage with the greatest confidence tend to share one outlook, according to Luke Handley. “They know that retirement marks a shift in strategy, not the end of it.”
