You don't invest to win some imaginary race, but to meet your financial goals. As your goals change, your funds should change as well.

Suppose you start investing in a balanced fund with the goal of buying a house within the next five years. If you get married and your spouse already owns a house, you may decide to use that money for retirement instead. In that case, you might ditch the balanced fund for a pure stock fund. Your goal and the time until you draw on your investment have changed.

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