New Delhi, Jan. 14 -- As people enter their 50s, financial priorities often undergo a quiet but decisive shift-from chasing returns to safeguarding what has already been built. With fewer working years left and retirement drawing closer, stability, liquidity and risk management take centre stage.

Nishith Vasavada, 50, is a travel entrepreneur with a background in aviation and corporate travel. His wife, Yuga Vasavada, 49, is a working professional. The couple have 20-year-old twins-Anarv and Arnee Vasavada-and their financial planning now places greater emphasis on preserving capital and ensuring predictable cash flows in the years ahead.

"In your 50s, the biggest risk is no longer low returns but a sharp market fall just before retirem...