Once a year, on a date you choose in advance, plus whenever something real changes.
The date matters more than the frequency. A review you schedule is a review of the plan; a review you start because of something you read is a reaction to the news, and the two produce different decisions from the same portfolio.
What should bring the review forward
- A change in dependants — a marriage, a birth, a parent moving in.
- A change in income or employment, in either direction.
- A goal arriving, moving, or turning out to cost something different from the estimate.
- A change in how much loss you can actually accept, which is usually discovered rather than decided.
- A large inflow: a bonus, a maturity, a sale.
What a review covers
Whether each holding still has a stated purpose, whether the mix still suits the time left before each goal, what the costs and exit conditions are, and whether your nominations and contact details are current with each provider. The portfolio review checklist is that list in order.
What is not a trigger
A price move on its own. A headline describes a market moment; it does not tell you that your goal or your horizon has changed. If a piece of news genuinely affects an assumption your plan rests on, write down which assumption — that is a short exercise, and most of the time it ends the urge to transact. More on reading market news.
Answered by Radiant advisory desk. General information, not personal advice — your own policy wording and circumstances govern.