When it comes to building a retirement portfolio, I don't think complexity is your friend.
What I look for instead is a mix of reliable income, defensive earnings, and enough growth exposure to help protect purchasing power over time. You don't need dozens of holdings to achieve that. In fact, I think a small, carefully chosen group of investments can do the job just as well.
If I were putting together a simple retirement-style portfolio today, these are the five ASX shares I would use.
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Vanguard Australian Shares High Yield ETF (ASX: VHY)
Income sits at the heart of most retirement portfolios, and that's why I like starting with the Vanguard Australian Shares High Yield ETF.
This ETF focuses on Australian shares with higher forecast dividend yields, which means it naturally tilts toward mature, cash-generative businesses. Banks, infrastructure stocks, and large industrials tend to feature heavily, which suits an income-focused strategy. This currently includes Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA), APA Group (ASX: APA), and BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP).
What I like about the Vanguard Australian Shares High Yield ETF is that it provides diversification and isn't relying on a single company to deliver income. Dividends can move around from year to year, but spreading that risk across a portfolio of high-yield shares makes the income stream more resilient over time.
Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF (ASX: VGS)
Even in retirement, I don't think it's wise to rely solely on the Australian market.
The Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF provides exposure to around 1,300 companies across developed markets outside Australia.
The key role the VGS ETF plays in this portfolio is growth and diversification. Australian shares are heavily weighted toward banks and resources. Global markets offer far greater exposure to technology, healthcare, and global consumer brands.
While the income from this ETF is much lower, its purpose here is long-term capital growth. That growth can help offset inflation and support portfolio longevity across a long retirement.
Transurban Group (ASX: TCL)
For individual shares, Transurban Group is one of my core income picks.
Toll roads are about as predictable as infrastructure assets get. Population growth, urban congestion, and daily commuting all support long-term traffic volumes. People may not love paying tolls, but they keep using the roads because the time savings make it worth it.
Transurban has guided to lift its distribution to 69 cents per share in FY26, up from 65 cents in FY25. At current prices, that equates to a distribution yield of around 5%. Importantly, those distributions are backed by long-dated concession assets and inflation-linked pricing.
For me, Transurban provides dependable income with defensive characteristics that suit a retirement portfolio well.
Telstra Group Ltd (ASX: TLS)
Telstra Group earns its place as another defensive income anchor.
Telecommunications are an essential service, and Telstra's scale gives it a strong position across mobile, broadband, and enterprise services. While it isn't a high-growth business, it does generate steady cash flow.
Telstra's fully-franked dividend yield of around 3.9% adds income reliability, while its infrastructure assets and mobile leadership provide resilience through different economic conditions.
In a retirement portfolio, I value that consistency more than excitement.
Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES)
The final holding is Wesfarmers, which adds quality and balance to the portfolio.
Wesfarmers owns a collection of leading Australian businesses, including Bunnings, Kmart, Officeworks, and Priceline. These are value brands that tend to hold up reasonably well even when consumer conditions soften.
While Wesfarmers is not the highest-yielding stock on the ASX, it has a strong history of disciplined capital allocation, balance sheet strength, and dividend growth over time. I see it as a stabiliser that also offers some long-term growth.
Why this portfolio works for retirement
This five-investment portfolio combines income, diversification, and quality without unnecessary complexity.
The VHY ETF and Transurban do the heavy lifting on income. Telstra adds defensive cash flow. Wesfarmers provides resilience and long-term compounding. The VGS ETF brings global diversification and growth.
It's not designed to shoot the lights out. Instead, it's built to generate reliable income while preserving and gradually growing capital across retirement.
