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Portfolio Check · by Pablo Martín · 2026-09-28

Home deposit vs keep investing — how would you think about it?

Age 34. Partner and I might want to buy a home in 4-6 years, but we're not dead set on it. Current personal portfolio is about 160k:
- 60% world equity ETF
- 15% bond fund
- 25% cash

Goal is split between long-term investing and keeping options open for a future down payment. Risk tolerance: medium. Do you keep money for a maybe-home invested if the timeline is fuzzy, or is that asking for regret?

8 sparks · 5 comments

Comments

Pixel Rider · 11 likes

4-6 years is right in the annoying zone where every answer feels half wrong.

Rapid Comet · 5 likes

If the home is a maybe, I wouldn't let it hijack the entire portfolio.

Pablo Martín · 3 likes

That's sort of what the 25% cash became without me naming it

Tola Ibrahim · 2 likes

Treating part of it as sacred and part of it as optional growth money might fit the uncertainty.

Noah Miller · 1 likes

I kept my maybe-down-payment partly invested and it worked out. Also could have easily not worked out.