Right here is my 2026 1st Quarter portfolio replace that features all our mixed 401k/403b/IRAs and taxable brokerage accounts however excludes our home and small facet portfolio of self-directed investments. Following the idea of pores and skin within the recreation, the next is just not a suggestion, however a sharing of our real-world, imperfect DIY portfolio.
“By no means ask anybody for his or her opinion, forecast, or suggestion. Simply ask them what they’ve of their portfolio.” – Nassim Taleb
How I Monitor My Portfolio
Right here’s how I observe my portfolio throughout a number of brokers and account sorts:
- The Empower Private Dashboard real-time portfolio monitoring instruments (free) routinely logs into my a number of accounts, provides up my numerous balances, tracks my efficiency, and figures out my total asset allocation throughout all the portfolio. Previously often called Private Capital.
- As soon as 1 / 4, I additionally replace my guide Google Spreadsheet (free to repeat, directions) as a result of it helps me calculate how a lot I want in every asset class to rebalance again in the direction of my goal asset allocation. I additionally create a brand new sheet every quarter, so I’ve a private archive of my portfolio courting again a few years.
2026 1st Quarter Asset Allocation and YTD Efficiency
Listed below are up to date efficiency and asset allocation charts, per the “Holdings” and “Allocation” tabs of my Empower Private Dashboard.
The key elements of my portfolio are broad index ETFs. I do combine it up a bit across the edges, however not very a lot. Here’s a mannequin model of my goal asset allocation with pattern ETF holdings for every asset class.
- 35% US Whole Market (VTI)
- 5% US Small-Cap Worth (AVUV)
- 20% Worldwide Whole Market (VXUS)
- 5% Worldwide Small-Cap Worth (AVDV)
- 5% US Actual Property (REIT) (VNQ)
- 20% US “Common” Treasury Bonds and/or FDIC-insured deposits (VGSH)
- 10% US Treasury Inflation-Protected Bonds (SCHP)
Massive image, it’s 70% companies and 30% very protected short-term bonds/money:
By paying minimal prices together with administration charges, transaction spreads, and tax drag, I’m making an attempt to basically assure myself above-average web efficiency over time.
I don’t spend numerous time backtesting numerous mannequin portfolios. You’ll normally discover that no matter mannequin portfolio is widespread for the time being simply occurs to carry the asset class that has been the most popular just lately.
The portfolio that you could maintain onto by way of the powerful instances is the most effective one for you. I’ve been just about holding this identical portfolio for 20 years. Take a look at these historical posts from 2004 and 2005. Each asset class will finally have a low interval, and you could have sturdy religion throughout these durations to earn these traditionally excessive returns. You need to preserve proudly owning and shopping for extra shares by way of the inventory market crashes. You need to keep and even purchase extra rental properties throughout a housing crunch, and so on. An excellent signal is that if costs drop, it’s best to really feel the urge to purchase extra of that asset as a substitute of much less. I don’t have sturdy religion within the long-term outcomes of commodities, gold, or bitcoin – so I don’t personal them.
Efficiency particulars. Right here’s an up to date YTD Development of $10,000 chart courtesy of Testfolio for a few of the main index ETFs (complete US inventory, complete worldwide inventory, complete US bond) that exhibits the distinction in efficiency within the broad indexes:
Practically all the things went up in 2025. To this point in 2026, in the event you had an excellent dose of worldwide inventory diversification, you had been just about flat. I learn that the S&P 500 went down about 5%, and the Magnificent 7 went down about 13% within the first quarter. I’ll share about extra in regards to the earnings facet in a separate publish.