Smart investing is about more than picking good assets - it’s about structure, purpose, and strategy. But all too often, investors overlook these fundamentals, leading to misaligned portfolios and missed opportunities.

In this episode of Arrow Insights, Seton Leggett sits down with Ryan Synnot to explore the most common investment mistakes seen in prospective portfolios. Whether it's holding excess cash, lacking a clear investment strategy, or not being properly diversified, these issues can quietly hinder long-term growth and add unnecessary financial pressure.

Ryan shares real-life examples of how portfolios become unbalanced—and what steps can be taken to bring them back in line with your goals.

Key takeaways from the conversation include:

Why having no formal investment strategy weakens long-term success
The importance of preparing for income needs—especially in retirement
How inattentiveness can lead to high cash balances that drag returns
The risks of emotional attachment to single stocks or concentrated holdings
The value of broad asset class diversification for resilience and performance

Whether you're accumulating wealth or drawing down in retirement, this episode offers practical, proven tips to help you stay on course and avoid costly missteps.

Watch the full episode to learn how to avoid common portfolio traps - and build an investment strategy that truly supports your goals.

General Advice Warning:
Any general advice on this page does not take account of your personal objectives, financial situation and needs, and because of that, you should, before acting on the advice, consider the appropriateness of the advice, having regard to your objectives, financial situation and needs. Information contained on this page was correct at the time of posting.