This summer does not seem to be shaping up to be one that those nearing Retirement can take a long vacation and forget about the markets.

Global macroeconomic headwinds like the ongoing on-again, off-again Iran war continues to impact the price of oil and thus aggravate inflation fears already stoked by high government borrowing levels.

Add to that growing trepidation of a fast-expanding AI Bubble that skeptics warn may burst at any moment, the often-parabolic moves of now-trendy chip and memory stocks and it seems a time to retrench and rebalance. And if that were not enough, Canadian investors need to worry about the ongoing Tariff and global trade wars ignited by the deranged Tariff Man in the White House, and repeated signals that the CUSMA/USCMA negotiations may result in no free trade deal at all.

For this blog — which is being published precisely half way through 2026 — I once again reached out to Linked In and Featured.com, which recently changed its name to Connectively, to get expert opinions from financial advisors, investment executives, business owners and other experts to get their views and suggestions for getting through this summer of investor ennui.

Here’s how the question was posed at Connectively:

How cautious about their investments do you think those in or near Retirement need to be this summer, in light of the ongoing Iran war and impact on inflation; increased nervousness about an AI Bubble and volatile chip and memory stocks, and finally global trade uncertainties in light of the negotiations of CUSMA/USCMA? Suggestions for rebalancing or hedging, role of commodities in preparing for higher inflation.

Out of almost 100 responses, we have picked 19 shown below. As usual, the complete responses are accompanied by the sources’ head shots and bio links to their respective web sites. We have added subheadings to speed readers to the content that seems relevant to particular readers.

Capital preservation deserves equal attention to growth

Investors approaching or living in retirement face a particularly challenging environment this summer. Geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, persistent inflation risks, AI-driven market exuberance, and ongoing trade negotiations have created a backdrop where capital preservation deserves equal attention to growth. Research from the Federal Reserve shows that inflation remains one of the greatest threats to retirement income because rising costs can erode purchasing power over time. At the same time, concentration risk has become more pronounced, with a small group of AI and semiconductor stocks accounting for a significant share of recent market gains.

A prudent approach often involves broad diversification rather than attempting to predict short-term market movements. Exposure across dividend-paying equities, high-quality bonds, inflation-protected securities, and select commodities can help reduce portfolio volatility. Gold and other commodities have historically served as partial hedges during periods of geopolitical uncertainty and inflationary pressure, though excessive concentration in any single asset class may introduce new risks.

Retirement portfolios generally benefit from maintaining adequate liquidity, regularly rebalancing allocations, and ensuring that investment decisions align with income needs rather than market headlines. In uncertain periods, resilience tends to outperform speculation. — Arvind Rongala, CEO, Edstellar

Retirees should focus first on Iran and its Inflation spillover

Retirement timing matters enormously here. I’ve worked with clients who looked fully prepared on paper but had nearly everything exposed to the same macro headwinds you’re describing: trade disruption, energy price shocks, and concentrated tech positions all hitting simultaneously.

The Iran situation and its inflation spillover is where I’d focus first for near-retirees. In April 2025, we watched gold hit nearly US$3,500/oz and money market funds absorb record inflows precisely because investors needed somewhere to park cash when equities wobbled. A deliberate cash buffer covering 12-18 months of withdrawals changes your emotional decision-making completely: you’re not forced to sell equities into a bad market.

On the AI bubble concern specifically, the Nasdaq entered bear market territory earlier this year largely on tech concentration. If you’re holding broad index funds, a target-date fund, and individual chip or memory stocks, you likely have far more AI exposure than you realize. Run a simple overlap check across every holding before assuming you’re diversified.

For commodities as an inflation hedge, I’d think about it sequentially rather than reactively: energy-linked assets and real assets like REITs behave differently depending on whether inflation is demand-driven or supply-shock-driven. With CUSMA/USMCA renegotiation creating genuine input-cost uncertainty for North American manufacturers, agricultural and metals exposure makes more structural sense right now than chasing whatever commodity headline is hot that week. — Daniel Delaney, Owner, Seek & Find Financial 

Cut back on concentrated tech holdings and replace with a proportion of your money in short-duration TIPS and I-Bonds

If you’re approaching retirement age in the next few years, this is a particularly critical summer to be proactive. Here’s what I tell folks at MintWit: The problem is not the potential for picking the wrong stock. The risk lies in having been entirely too heavy in equities such that, come a simultaneous geopolitical shock, an AI-driven stock price correction and an inflation spurt triggered by trade war, all three can come crashing down at once before you even have the chance to catch your breath.

The prudent response here is to run your current allocation through a stress test of chip stocks falling 30% while energy prices surge owing to a crisis in the Middle East, and rising costs due to renegotiation of CUSMA terms for North American goods. The reason why you’re losing sleep over it is because you may well be too heavily exposed to growth equities with too little hedging against inflation.

As far as your reallocations, my recommendation is to cut back sharply on concentrated tech holdings and replace with a proportion of your money in short-duration TIPS and I-Bonds, in order to build up that buffer for the likelihood of sticky inflation. I would also recommend a small investment (say 5-10%) in commodities – especially energy and agriculture-related ETFs – to cover your inflation exposure, rather than speculative trades in commodities. As ever, gold continues to function as a geopolitical hedge, although you want to remain disciplined about it.

In sum, the most important thing for those close to retirement at this juncture is optionality. Make sure you have enough of your assets in low-risk, liquid investments so that when the worst-case scenario strikes the market, you don’t end up selling your stocks at rock bottom. — Scott Brown, Founder, MintWit

Chasing every new trend or algorithm change just doesn’t work

I work in tech, but I’ve learned to be cautious. Chasing every new trend or algorithm change just doesn’t work. The steady approach wins every time. I think retirees should treat their money the same way. Don’t panic over headlines. Make small, gradual adjustments to your investments instead. Keeping some money in commodities can help with inflation, and regular check-ins ensure your savings match your life, not the market noise. — Vlad Ivanov, CEO, Search GAP Method

Be cautious but don’t panic … take a barbell approach

I’d be cautious, but I wouldn’t panic. The S&P 500 is now so concentrated in the Magnificent-7 that those names effectively drive the whole index. Off the March low, the Nasdaq-100 ran up roughly 20%, and at points was going nearly parabolic. With renewed tensions and conflict involving US and Iran, we’re now seeing that move cool off with both profit taking and sector rotation into more defensive areas.

On the surface that looks scary. But if you step back to the technicals, we still haven’t broken the 50-day moving average or the 10-week moving average, so there’s real support underneath this market for now.

Volatility like this is genuinely uncomfortable, though, so for someone in or near retirement I’d lean into a barbell approach. Keep some of your high-growth exposure, but balance it with quality dividend payers that cushion the ride and pay you while you wait.

Off the top of my head, two names that fit the stable, income side of that barbell are THG, The Hanover Insurance Group, and PSTL, Postal Realty Trust, a REIT that leases almost exclusively to the US Postal Service, so its rent is effectively government-backed. Neither is a rocket ship. They grow slowly, pay a dividend, and hold up better when the high-flyers wobble. That dividend income is also what helps offset paper losses in a drawdown, so you’re not forced to sell your growth positions at the worst possible time.

These are just examples of the type, not recommendations, but the principle holds is that in a summer like this, you want both ends of the barbell. — Adrian Rosebrock PhD, Chief Investment Officer & Founder, WheelMetrics

Early signs of Stagflation in major economies worldwide

The ongoing Iran conflict is beyond energy deficiency. You could see early signs of stagflation in the major economies worldwide. The volatility is pressuring retirees and the ones approaching retirement with underwhelming returns. According to the latest research by Goldmann Sachs, the uncertainity imposes lower returns on equities and bonds for a brief 1.5-2 years approximately.

With the AI bubble, the tech-heavy portfolio takes the backseat by default. CUSMA renegotiations including currency fluctuations and supply chain instability, navigating pitfalls collectively. All the factors compound to an inflation scenario. Rebalancing is safeguarding the assets and materials, ensuring protection of the equity before inflation wears down.

The average retirement portfolio is leaning more towards innovation but with less focus on the practical inflation scenarios. Last minute-hassle is not going to help in navigating the situation this summer. Portfolio review has become more vital with ongoing fluctuations. — Ankit Sarawagi, Curator, CFO Matrix

Trim the Sails, don’t abandon the Boat

If you’re close to retirement or already in it, the headlines this summer can feel pretty scary. Conflicts overseas, shaky tech stocks, trade deals up in the air, it’s a lot. But here’s what I’d tell anyone in that season of life: don’t let the noise push you into a panic move.

The real risk for retirees isn’t market swings. It’s making emotional decisions that lock in losses or leave you without income when you need it most. If your money is set up right with a solid base of guaranteed income and some protection built in, short-term chaos shouldn’t shake your foundation.

That said, this is a good time to take a closer look at your mix. With inflation still a concern, partly because of oil and energy tied to what’s happening overseas, it makes sense to have some exposure to real assets like commodities. Gold, energy, and other hard assets have historically held up better when prices rise. They’re not glamorous, but they do a job.

If you’re heavy in tech or growth stocks right now, some rebalancing could reduce your risk without pulling you out of the market entirely. Think of it like trimming the sails, not abandoning the boat. The goal at this stage isn’t to chase gains. It’s to protect what you’ve built and make sure it lasts as long as you do. That’s what smart financial planning for this chapter of life is really about. –– Paul Mauro, Founder & Author, Smart Financial Lifestyle

The biggest risk is being overly concentrated in assets that have performed well recently

For investors who are in or approaching retirement, I believe caution is warranted, but not panic. The biggest risk is often not a war, an AI bubble, or trade negotiations themselves, but being overly concentrated in assets that have performed well recently. Retirees generally have less time to recover from significant market declines, so preserving capital becomes increasingly important. If a portfolio has become heavily weighted toward high-growth technology or AI-related stocks, this may be a sensible time to rebalance and lock in some gains rather than relying on a single investment theme to drive future returns.

I would focus on diversification across asset classes, including quality dividend-paying stocks, investment-grade bonds, and a reasonable cash reserve. Commodities can also play a useful role as an inflation hedge, particularly energy and precious metals, but I view them as a supporting allocation rather than a core holding. The goal is not to predict whether inflation will rise or whether technology stocks will correct, but to ensure the portfolio remains resilient under multiple scenarios.

The most successful retirees I have seen are not those who accurately forecast every market event. They are the ones who build portfolios that can withstand uncertainty. In today’s environment, disciplined rebalancing and risk management are likely more important than trying to predict the next geopolitical or economic headline. — Bowen He, Director, Webzilla Digital Marketing Continue Reading…