Hedef tarih fonlarında yaklaşık 4,9 trilyon $ var. Suze Orman, kendi başınıza "çok daha iyi durumda" olabileceğiniz konusunda uyarıyor. Karışımınızı çeşitlendirin

Nearly $4.9T sits in target-date funds — Suze Orman warns you may be ‘far better off’ on your own. Diversify your mix

Thomas Kent

Wed, August 26, 2026 at 1:15 PM GMT+3 8 min read

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Suze Orman says Americans relying on one of the country's most popular retirement investments may be better off taking control themselves.

"You would be far better off doing it on your own than going into a target date retirement fund," Orman warns in an archival episode from her former CNBC program (1). The personal finance expert recently posted the clip to YouTube, reviving her warning about an investment holding nearly $4.9 trillion at the end of 2025 (2).

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Target-date funds automatically shift investors from stocks toward bonds as their expected retirement year approaches. They're built around an expected retirement year and bundle several stock and bond funds into one investment.

Many conventional mutual funds and ETFs maintain a relatively consistent strategy, such as tracking the S&P 500 or investing in bonds. A target-date fund changes its mix automatically, though. Its "glide path" gradually reduces your exposure to stocks and adds more bonds as your chosen retirement year approaches.

In practice, that means you could capture less of a strong stock-market rally later in life. Imagine a $100,000 target-date portfolio split evenly between stocks and bonds. If stocks gained 20% while bonds returned 4%, it would grow to $112,000. By contrast, a portfolio holding 80% stocks would reach $116,800, a difference of close to $5,000.

"I don't like target date mutual funds," Orman says, "because they simply decide how to invest based on age, not what's going on in the economy."

Add a hedge beyond stocks and bonds

Orman added, "Bond funds are very dangerous if interest rates start to go up. If interest rates go up, the value of bonds goes down."

Rising rates can reduce existing bond prices, especially for longer-term bonds. Funds may recover as managers reinvest in newer bonds paying higher yields. The SEC (3) also warns that funds sharing a target year can have very different allocations, fees and glide paths.

Investors worried about stocks and bonds falling together can add another asset to the mix. Morningstar found (4) that gold gained about 70% in 2025, helping its broadly diversified test portfolio beat a conventional 60/40 portfolio by roughly five percentage points.

Consider another hypothetical $100,000 portfolio — this time with $90,000 in stocks and bonds and $10,000 in gold. If the traditional holdings fell 10% while gold gained 15%, the portfolio would end at $92,500. That's a 7.5% loss, instead of 10%.

A gold IRA lets you hold physical precious metals within a tax-advantaged retirement account. Goldco can help you open one and select eligible gold or silver.

Goldco requires a minimum purchase of $10,000, then includes free shipping and access to retirement resources. The company will also match up to 10% of qualified purchases in free silver.

Before moving any retirement money, you can download Goldco's free gold and silver guide to compare the potential benefits and risks.

Diversify even further

Gold covers one alternative asset. Private markets can further broaden that exposure across investments whose values are less closely tied to daily stock and bond trading.

With Willow Wealth, you can unlock exclusive opportunities traditionally reserved for the ultra-wealthy. The platform provides eligible investors direct access to high-potential private markets, including real estate, private equity, private credit, art and litigation finance.

With minimums starting as low as $5,000, you can move beyond the volatility of the stock market. Willow lets you select individual deals or opt for diversified funds managed by institutional titans like Goldman Sachs, Carlyle and StepStone.

More than 500,000 members have invested over $6 billion (5) through Willow and the platforms it has acquired, making it a potential one-stop shop for building exposure across several private asset classes.

Private markets require patience: holdings may be difficult to sell, fees can run higher and losses are possible. If your portfolio still depends heavily on stocks and bonds, see how Willow can put your long-term money to work across a wider range of assets.

Keep emergencies away from your retirement money

Even a well-designed portfolio can unravel if an unexpected expense forces you to sell investments or withdraw from a retirement account.

A high-yield account like a Wealthfront Cash Account can be a great place to grow your uninvested cash, offering both competitive interest rates and easy access to your money when you need it.

A Wealthfront Cash Account currently offers a base APY of 3.30% through program banks and new clients can get an extra 0.75% boost during their first three months on up to $150,000 for a total variable APY of 4.05%.

That's 10 times the national deposit savings rate, according to the FDIC's July report.

At a steady 4.05% APY, a $25,000 balance would generate approximately $250 during the three-month promotional period, assuming no deposits or withdrawals. Your actual return will depend on the variable rate and daily balance.

Additionally, Wealthfront is offering new clients who enable direct deposit ($1,000/monthly minimum) to their Cash Account and open and fund a new investment account an additional 0.25% APY increase with no expiration date or balance limit, meaning your APY could be as high as 4.30%.

With no minimum balances or account fees, plus 24/7 withdrawals and free domestic wire transfers, your funds remain accessible at all times. Plus, you get access to up to $8 million FDIC Insurance eligibility through program banks.

Get automation built around your goals

Orman objects to an autopilot portfolio driven mainly by age. Investors who still want convenience can use an automated service that considers their personal goals and comfort with market swings.

Vanguard found that a record 67% of retirement-plan participants (6) used professionally managed allocations in 2024.

Vanguard's Digital Advisor builds a personalized portfolio using the company's low-cost ETFs and mutual funds, then keeps the allocation on track through automatic rebalancing. It also offers guidance for retirement savings, additional financial goals and debt repayment.

You can start with as little as $100. An all-index portfolio costs approximately $15 to $16 annually for every $10,000 invested. New clients can also try the service without advisory fees for 90 days.

All investing is subject to risk, including the possible loss of the money you invest.

Have a professional check the complete plan

Adding gold, private assets, accessible cash and a personalized investment portfolio creates several moving parts. A financial advisor can help determine how much belongs in each and flag risks created by the complete mix.

Vanguard estimates that certain professional advisory practices can add about 3% in potential net value (7) through services including behavioral coaching, rebalancing, tax-efficient asset placement and withdrawal planning. The actual benefit varies and the estimate is not an annual return guarantee.

If you're interested, Advisor.com can connect you with licensed financial professionals in your area. They'll do the heavy lifting for you, vetting advisors based on track record, client ratios and regulatory background. Plus, their network comprises fiduciaries, who are legally required to act in your best interests.

Just enter a few details about your finances and goals and Advisor.com's AI-powered matching tool will connect you with a qualified expert best suited for your needs based on your unique financial goals and preferences.

Finding the right advisor isn't always easy — there's no one-size-fits-all solution. That's why Advisor.com lets you set up a free initial consultation, with no obligation to hire, to see if they're the right fit for you.