Poll: Annual Increase in Investible Assets

[freedomatlast]

With many members posting new all time highs in investible assets thanks to, at least in part, to a great year in the stock market, it might be fun to look at poll results seeing the range of the net annual increase in dollars from participating members' portfolios. If this doesn't appeal to you for some reason, no need to participate or to reply negatively. Kindly just move onto the next topic. For simplicity, let's include investible assets only, such as stocks, bonds and cash, and not increases in pensions. social security, other annuities or the value of your primary residence.

 

[COcheesehead]

I like this. Some say percent return is all the matters, but I say the gross dollars matter because that’s what you can spend. A 50% return on $100,000 sounds nice, but a 12% return on $8,000,000 is a biggie size amount of dollars.

 

[mrfeh]

Quite a bit more than expected for our 65/35 portfolio, due to ex-US holdings.

 

[Koolau]

Yes, a very good year, indeed. Sort of the anti-2008.

 

[Lewis Clark]

Since we are living - in part - off of our portfolio, my vote is based on our net increase after withdrawals.

 

[Koolau]

Since we are living - in part - off of our portfolio, my vote is based on our net increase after withdrawals.

Yeah, this was a big withdrawal year for us as well (and still a very nice "round" number of an increase). Here's hoping for 2026.

 

[pjigar]

Yeah, this was a big withdrawal year for us as well (and still a very nice "round" number of an increase). Here's hoping for 2026.

I am still working but we still had a net drawdown due to $150K of lumpy expense this year.

 

[imjustawarrior]

The markets have been generous once again.

This has been how highest spend year by far. We purchased 2 new vehicles and have 2 in college. We are still up big. I think our car buying will be on hold for a few years. We have purchased 3 new cars in the last 1.5 years.

 

[Diogenes]

I like this. Some say percent return is all the matters, but I say the gross dollars matter because that’s what you can spend. A 50% return on $100,000 sounds nice, but a 12% return on $8,000,000 is a biggie size amount of dollars.

I take, with respect, the exact opposite view. A lowish percent return this year on a $100K portfolio is not grievous cause for disappointment. A staggering return is no cause to self-congratulate. Good years, bad years, the impact is small. Want to really goose your returns? Take a part-time job somewhere. But with $8M, even lavishly remunerative consulting won't make much difference. If you scored considerably lower rate of return than say the S&P 500, that is a sore disappointment indeed. You can't do much, to compensate for underperformance. On the other hand, a fluke windfall, a gain of say 30%, gets to one's head (not to mention likely triggers lots of taxes). It scrambles one's sense of modesty and genteel continuity.

 

[COcheesehead]

I take, with respect, the exact opposite view. A lowish percent return this year on a $100K portfolio is not grievous cause for disappointment. A staggering return is no cause to self-congratulate. Good years, bad years, the impact is small. Want to really goose your returns? Take a part-time job somewhere. But with $8M, even lavishly remunerative consulting won't make much difference. If you scored considerably lower rate of return than say the S&P 500, that is a sore disappointment indeed. You can't do much, to compensate for underperformance. On the other hand, a fluke windfall, a gain of say 30%, gets to one's head (not to mention likely triggers lots of taxes). It scrambles one's sense of modesty and genteel continuity.

Kinda odd, but OK.

 

[pb4uski]

I didn't realize it but at Schwab, if you select the Portfolio Performance, in the lower left corner they show beginning value, contributions and withdrawals, income and Investment dain/loss and ending value. And you can get that analysis for a single account or for groups of accounts.

 

[frayne]

It’s hard not to get spoiled by the double-digit market gains we’ve enjoyed over the last three or four years, especially knowing that sooner or later the piper will have to be paid. I’m reminded of something a wise old boss once told me: “During the good times, prepare for the bad times,” or something along those lines.

 

[bonvoyage]

It’s hard not to get spoiled by the double-digit market gains we’ve enjoyed over the last three or four years, especially knowing that sooner or later the piper will have to be paid. I’m reminded of something a wise old boss once told me: “During the good times, prepare for the bad times,” or something along those lines.

Much the same. Having been an investor through multiple crashes since the early 1990s, I'm cautious about how I feel.

 

[Dalton]

I'm on the low end of the poll choices (after expenses) this year, but that's ok, because a) I bought a new vehicle, and b) the amount constitutes 2.5x my annual expenses. I've increased >8x in the 3 years I've been retired, which is huge for a lean FIRE guy.

 

[DrRoy]

It was not a record gain year for the portfolio, but certainly hit a record high. We did actually open up the spending this year as a result, having hit levels that we did not ever really expect 8 years ago at RE. Big increase in the draw down for next year too.

 

[Flieger]

Well, I have started WD's which have outpaced my Divs and Cap Gains (losses?) this year, so including those I am not in any of the above categories, unfortunately.

Flieger

 

[lem1955]

I picked $250-500k, and hit the upper end of that range despite buying two cars - one new for DW and a used one for a working poor DS and taking some awesome trips - to S. Africa, Yosemite, mud season getaway to NC and MD in May. Wish they could all be so delicious. But I'm prepared for down years too.

 

[racy]

I'm in the $1.5M-2.0M this year. I inherited from my mom who was a stay-at-home housewife during my childhood but went to work in a factory when my sister and I started college. Thanks, Mom.

 

[USGrant1962]

When I looked this up I realized the answer is a bit sensitive to the exact date used for the last 12 months. I first found year-to-date (January 1), then looked up December 12 start date. There was a noticeable difference. It seems the stock market was in a short correction from December 2 through January 6 - down about 4.3%. Though it didn't affect my answer because I'm not near one of the breakpoints in the poll.

 

[Flyfish1]

As an income investor I am more focused on increasing my income than the actual value of the assets. Different twist than most of the folks here. In any case, through reinvesting some of that income and repositioning assets my income is up over 9% this year and December is a big income month so I should end the year with slightly over a 10% increase. Pretty happy with that. Now, when the market inevitably turns down, assuming no dividend cuts, my reinvestments will help income will grow even faster.

 

[dmpi]

I like this. Some say percent return is all the matters, but I say the gross dollars matter because that’s what you can spend. A 50% return on $100,000 sounds nice, but a 12% return on $8,000,000 is a biggie size amount of dollars.

This is part of the internet bragging culture. A guy can get 50% on a 100K portfolio by taking great risk. But just imagine taking that same risk on a 8 million dollar portfolio. Keep it up and you won't be rich for long. The 8M dollar guy doesn't need to hit a home run, he just needs to hang on to what he already has.

 

[Steelpony]

Markets, DCA with buy and hold compounding at high rates.

I checked our leftovers after spending. So our unspent remaining increase that hopefully accelerate the above in 2026.

No genius insights or shuffling just hands off proven old school techniques.

 

[Dash man]

What amazed me looking at this is how much our accounts grew despite of how much we gave away this year to charities and family gifting.

 

[Car-Guy]

Another poll I can't vote in. There is no, less than zero option ... I guess I could have voted <$100,000 but that seems to infer that there was some increase between $0 and $100,000, and there wasn't.

 

[freedomatlast]

Less than $100,000 can include negative numbers.