Three questions before changing a saved target
Before editing a percentage, ask whether your goal changed, the account changed, or the market simply moved.
Changing a target because the market moved is different from changing a target because your plan changed.
Question 1: Did your goal change?
The most legitimate reason to edit a saved target is a real change in your investment goal or time horizon. If you set a 70% equity target for a 20-year retirement runway and that runway is now 10 years, a lower equity target may genuinely fit your new situation. Market performance alone is not a goal change — your retirement date did not move because equities had a strong quarter. Separate the math from the plan before touching the target.
Question 2: Did the account change?
Sometimes the account itself changes — a new contribution room, a new account type, or a change in your tax situation that makes the account serve a different purpose. An FHSA that has been used for a home purchase no longer needs a short-duration allocation. An RRSP that was conservative during an early accumulation phase might shift targets as savings grow. Account changes are real triggers for target adjustments; short-term market noise is not.
Question 3: Can a deposit fix the gap?
Before editing a slice percentage downward because it drifted above target, check whether a future deposit could bring other slices up to target instead. Buying under-target positions with new cash can restore balance without selling over-target ones. This approach avoids triggering capital gains in a taxable account and keeps the original target intact. Use WealthPie's deposit planning feature to run this check before deciding to change any saved percentage.
The value of a review period before editing
A useful personal rule is to note the desire to change a target, then review it again at the next scheduled portfolio review before acting. Many change impulses that feel urgent in a volatile week look much less compelling three weeks later when market conditions have shifted. The saved target is a commitment device — changing it requires the same deliberateness that went into setting it.
Review checklist
- Did the account purpose or investment horizon change?
- Did the holding move outside your comfort range for a fundamental reason?
- Can a future deposit reduce the gap without touching the target?
- Have you reviewed this target at least twice before deciding to change it?