When building a reliable retirement portfolio investors can't just buy any old ASX share.

They should look to prioritise stability, income generation, and long-term growth potential to ensure their portfolio can support their retirement needs.

Dividend reliability

A cornerstone of a strong retirement portfolio is arguably dependable dividend income. Look for ASX shares with a history of consistent dividend payments, even during economic downturns. Industries such as utilities, banking, and consumer staples often have stable cash flows and predictable dividends.

Financial strength

ASX shares with robust balance sheets and strong cash flows should be better positioned to weather economic uncertainty. It would probably be best to avoid heavily leveraged companies, as high debt levels can strain operations and impact their ability to maintain or grow dividends. Especially in a high-interest rate environment. Investors can look at financial metrics such as the debt-to-equity ratio and interest coverage ratio to gauge a company's financial health.

Growth potential

While income is important for retirees, growth shouldn't be ignored. ASX shares in sectors like technology or healthcare can provide capital appreciation over time, helping your portfolio keep pace with inflation. Investors may want to look for businesses with sustainable competitive advantages and clear growth drivers to balance stability with long-term potential.

Diversification

Finally, diversification across sectors and asset classes can reduce risk and ensure your portfolio is not overly reliant on a single company or industry. By spreading investments across high-quality ASX shares, you can build a resilient portfolio capable of weathering market fluctuations.

With that in mind, which ASX shares could be good for a retirement portfolio? Let's look at two that analysts are tipping as buys.

2 ASX retirement share to buy

The first ASX retirement share to look at is Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL).

Bell Potter is positive on the supermarket giant and has a buy rating and $20.50 price target on its shares. Its analysts also expect dividend yields of approximately 3.7% and 4.2% in FY 2025 and FY 2026, respectively.

Finally, Transurban Group (ASX: TCL) could be another ASX share for retirees to consider buying. The team at UBS currently has a buy rating and $14.55 price target on the toll road operator's shares.

In respect to income, the broker expects the company's toll roads, which include CityLink in Melbourne and WestConnex in Sydney, to underpin dividend yields of 5.1% and 5.45% in FY 2025 and FY 2026, respectively.