If you’ve been investing for a while, you’ve probably heard the saying, “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” What that really means is asset allocation. Financial advisors often call it a key strategy for long-term investing, but what exactly is asset allocation, and why does it matter so much?
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In this article, we will walk you through the meaning of asset allocation, importance, advantages and disadvantages of asset allocation. Let’s begin.
What is asset allocation?
Asset allocation means spreading your money across different types of investments, like stocks, bonds, gold, and property. This way, if one type doesn’t do well, others might do better and help keep your investments safe.
Why Is asset allocation important?
Asset allocation can help you reduce risk during market volatility, inflation, and economic downturns. Let’s understand the advantages of asset allocation and how it helps you sail your ship through storms.
Asset allocation helps you manage Risk
Asset allocation spreads your investments in different classes like equity, gold, real estate, and bonds. All these classes have different risk levels. This way, when one asset underperforms, others can offset the losses.
Let’s understand this with a real time example:
During the global crisis in 2008, the Nifty 50 index crashed more than 50%. However, gold rose by 27%, and bond yields remained spiked in mid-year and stabilised at the end.
This is why having a well-allocated portfolio, with a mix of stocks, bonds, and gold, can help stabilise your risk during times of crisis.
Asset allocation helps you get consistent returns
Different types of investments react differently to market changes. For example, stocks might rise during a strong economy but can drop during a crisis. Bonds usually stay steady during normal times but provide stable returns during recessions.
At the start of 2025, the equity markets saw a significant increase due to concerns about the economy, foreign investments leaving the country, and global uncertainty. This drop was part of a larger trend, with the index showing negative returns for the year and staying about 10% below its peak.
On the other hand, Indian government bonds stayed steady during the same period, and bonds offered reliable returns and helped protect investors’ money.
Asset allocation functions as an inflation hedge
Inflation reduces the real value of money. Simply put, if your investments aren’t growing faster than inflation, you’re losing money. For example, if you earn 6% on a fixed deposit, but inflation is 5%, your real return is only 1%.
So, how can investors protect their money from inflation? One way to protect your money from inflation is to invest in different types of assets that tend to hold their value or even increase during inflation like equity, gold, real estate, and bonds. Here I do not propose to avoid FDs but to spread your money across different assets.
Also remember, no single asset can completely protect you from inflation. The best strategy is to diversify to manage risk and maximise returns.
Disadvantages of asset allocation
While asset allocation has many benefits, there are a few downsides to keep in mind:
- Diminishing returns
As you add more types of investments to your portfolio, the potential returns from further diversification tend to decrease. In the beginning, adding different assets can lead to strong returns, but over time, you may start including assets that grow slower, which reduces overall returns. - Requires more effort and research
When you diversify, you need to spend time analysing each asset. The more assets you add, the harder it becomes to research them all properly. This can result in less focus on each investment, which may affect the quality of your decisions and impact the performance of your entire portfolio.
Does Asset allocation really work?
Research shows that spreading your money across different types of investments can protect you during tough times in the market. This is because when one type of investment loses value, another type might do well and balance the losses.
For example, in past market crashes, stocks lost a lot of value. But gold and bonds held steady or even gained value. So, if you invest in both high-risk options like stocks and safer options like bonds and gold, you can reduce your overall risk and keep your money safer.
What is a good asset allocation?
The right asset allocation is unique to each individual. There’s no universal model that fits everyone. The ideal allocation depends on various personal factors such as:
- Age
- Financial Milestones
- Financial personality
Traditionally, a 60% equities and 40% bonds allocation was considered ideal. However, many financial advisors are now questioning this assumption, particularly given the increasing correlation observed between bonds and equities in recent periods. They suggest incorporating other asset classes—like real estate or commodities like gold—to achieve better risk management and potential returns.
There is no perfect asset allocation, but most financial advisors agree that it’s one of the most important decisions you’ll make as an investor. You can use our Asset Allocator, a tool that tailors your investment strategy based on your age and the current economic phase in India, optimising your portfolio for both growth and stability.
Once you’ve set the right allocation, the next step is choosing individual assets. However, the overall allocation will ultimately determine how your investments perform in the long run. It might be difficult to do it all by yourself, so it’s highly recommended to connect with a qualified financial advisor.
FAQs
What is asset allocation?
Asset allocation means putting your money in different things like stocks, gold, land, and savings. If one thing loses money, another might make money. This way, you don’t lose everything at once.
What is the 70/30 investment strategy?
It means putting 70% of your money in stocks (risky but can grow fast) and 30% in bonds (safer and stable). It’s for people who want to grow money but still want some safety.
What asset allocation is best?
There is no one-size-fits-all. Younger people can take more risk and invest more in stocks. Older people may need safer options like bonds.
What are the 4 major assets?
Stocks: Buying shares in companies.
Bonds: Lending money to companies or the government.
Real Estate: Buying land or property.
Cash: Money in savings or fixed deposits.
What is the 12/20/80 asset allocation rule?
It means putting 12% in risky things like stocks, 20% in safe things like bonds and 80% in a mix of different investments.
