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72% One Country: Is Your Irish Pension Actually Diversified?
August 17, 2026
How much of a global index fund is invested in the United States?
As of 30 June 2026, the United States made up 72.45% of the MSCI World Index. Most "global equity" funds available to Irish pension investors track this or a very similar index, so the US share of your fund is likely to be broadly similar.
Your global equity index fund holds well over a thousand companies. As at the end of June 2026, it is also 72.45% one single country. Both are true at the same time, and for anyone drawing an income from an ARF the second one matters a great deal more than most people realise.
What you'll learn:
• Why a cap-weighted index quietly concentrates over time, and why nobody writes to tell you
• What a global equity fund actually holds today — 72.45% United States, 26.6% in ten companies, 30.27% in one sector
• Why concentration is a volatility question at 52 and a sequencing question at 65
• What Revenue's imputed distribution does to an investor who is already concentrated
• The one variable in this whole picture you actually control
None of this is an argument against index investing, and it is not a forecast. It is an argument for knowing what you own before you decide how you feel about it. If you hold an ARF invested in a single global fund and you haven't seen a factsheet in years, this episode is for you.
🎙️ Full podcast episode and 📖 Blog: www.informeddecisions.ie/post/market-concentration-irish-pensions
📊 Want to check where you are? Try our free 10-minute Retirement Readiness Scorecard
📅 Find out how we work: https://www.informeddecisions.ie/our-process
Is an index fund still diversified if it is concentrated in a few companies?
It holds thousands of companies, but not in equal amounts. The top ten holdings of the MSCI World Index account for 26.6% of it, and all ten are US-listed. Diversification by number of holdings and diversification by weight are different things.
Disclaimer
The content of this site including blogs and podcasts is for information purposes only. Everybody’s financial situation is different and the content we share on our site and through podcasts may not be applicable to you.
The articles, blogs and podcasts are not investment advice. They do not take account of your individual circumstances, including your knowledge and experience and attitude to risk. Informed Decisions can’t be held responsible for the consequences if you pursue a course of action based on the information we share
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