Retirees and individuals about to retire seek funds that will suit their preferences, and there are quite a handful of choices. We have the most common and popular one, which we call “target-date fund,” which others also happen to call “to fund.” It is a fund that stops reallocating the individual’s investments after the retirement date. We also have a fund type opposite to this idea and call the “through fund.”

What are through funds?

Through funds are funds dedicated for retirement. It is the opposite of to funds because it automatically reallocates the fund’s holdings to various asset mixes even after the fund owner’s retirement. Naturally, they have different definitions. However, they have quite a lot of similarities, especially in terms of asset quantity. They both have a massive share of risky assets when they are still far from the retirement date. But when the retirement date becomes closer, they will both have a shift to massive shares of safer assets.

It means that when the individual is just starting to save for retirement, he will own a massive share of equities. We all know that equities come with greater risk than those fixed income securities like bonds. However, these equities will be gradually up for sale and replaced with safer assets like bonds with the proceeds.

In a nutshell, through funds will initially start with riskier assets than to funds. As we have mentioned, while both of these have significant differences, they also have remarkable similarities. For instance, they both become conservative at the target date, although through funds tend to become less conservative regarding investments. It means that through funds offer more returns and more losses at the same time from the beginning. It gives the investor the potential of having assets that can still grow even after the target date. This enables the investor to have the possibility to have more returns at the course of the retirement.

The best through fund

If target-date funds sparked your interest and you see this as an excellent thing for your retirement savings, know that there is something that you need to know first. We have a term called “glide path” that refers to how a fund becomes more conservative. It is a way to understand how the fund’s allocation will change in the long run. Stock percentages will decline slowly during retirement while bond percentage and short term funds will increase. At the target date, both stocks and bonds will still be present in the fund. It will always be like this during retirement. It is common to hold through funds even beyond the target dates. In fact, they are designed that way. Unlike to funds, it is wiser for you to cash them out or reinvest them at their target date.

Should I get through funds?

Through funds are riskier than to funds, so these are for people who do not get anxious about prematurely exhausting their retirement savings. These are for people who have more capital on hand and want to earn more even in their retirement years. However, its downsides include the risk of losing your capital. A through fund can decrease your savings if the fund’s value declines. Through funds are not for risk-averse people.