Poll: Annual Increase in Investible Assets

[bada bing]

I'm not sure where this years market returns rank in my history. Certainly a good year percentage wise, but not a really noteworthy one, maybe top 10 in percentage performance.. I'd have to dig up records, but this was certainly a banner year in nominal terms for me, but not my best. I can remember at least a couple that returned more $$ from a lower principle.

The really gratifying thing for me is getting a significant balance increase in spite of being retired and drawing down. I'm really thankful for that aspect. Definitely contributes to sleeping well at night.

 

[marko]

I'd guess the average portfolio on this forum to be about $3m +/-. (There was a poll a while ago that indicated that IIRC).

Other threads have reported an average of 10% growth this year. So it's no surprise that the "$250--$500k" vote is leading.

 

[disneysteve]

The year isn't quite over but I'm very pleased with the results. We ended 2024 with our portfolio up by $455,000 (I fully retired officially at the end of May 2024).

YTD for 2025 we are up an additional $440,000 roughly. We've had our highest spending year ever and it's my first full year of retirement. No complaints here.

 

[FlaMariner]

Thinking one of our best years ever!

Since the beginning of time (early w**rking years), my future growth projections were based on 6% returns and 3% inflation......I am thrilled with 2025 with 10% growth and finally back to 3% inflation.....(and the growth number is based on the portfolio after spending).

I remain optimistic about 2026!

 

[srblanco7]

Our second best year for YTD portfolio growth (in terms of real $$). Up seven digits this year. We've also moved our AA from 80/20 to 65/35 over the last couple years as we prep for starting to live off our portfolio in 2026.

 

[frank05]

How much longer will the AI bubble run before it bursts? I have several individuals stocks up dramatically whose companies have pivoted into AI.

 

[yakers]

Portfolio up about $125K, 8.something %, but we are 75 & 77 retired 17 & 19 years, took two foreign trips, several domentic and gave both sons a chunk of money so its a good year. And the portfolio keeps going up despite DWs efforts at BTD.

 

[marko]

10.73% YTD.

My 11th best out of 19 (2006) when I started tracking.

Sounds funny to say that 10.7% is my 11th best but most years are in a tight range. #10 was 11.1%, 9th was 11.3%

 

[Koolau]

10.73% YTD.

My 11th best out of 19 (2006) when I started tracking.

Sounds funny to say that 10.7% is my 11th best but most years are in a tight range. #10 was 11.1%, 9th was 11.3%

Not a bad record at all, marko! I am impressed.

 

[marko]

Not a bad record at all, marko! I am impressed.

Well, there were a few horror show years too! My 19 year average is 8.1% but that includes a 23% drop in 2008 and a 27% gain the year after.

 

[scrabbler1]

I am up about $150k in the last 12 months. Every 12-month change this year has been between $100k and $200k. This is good but not as good as 2024 when I had 5 months with 12-month changes over $200k, or back in 2021 when I had 8 such changes over $200k.

 

[Koolau]

Well, there were a few horror show years too! My 19 year average is 8.1% but that includes a 23% drop in 2008 and a 27% gain the year after.

Heh, heh, yeah. We've all had some serious down years. 2008 was a blood bath for most of us - at least in the equity markets.

 

[old medic]

I'd guess the average portfolio on this forum to be about $3m +/-.

You need to move the decimal point to the - side

 

[marko]

You need to move the decimal point to the - side

Which way? I seem to remember a poll a year or so ago where the average portfolio of forum members was around $2.5M. General comments above seem to confirm that, assuming a 7-11% return this year. So I'm just guessing a $3M since the poll. Or I could be mis-remembering!

 

[old medic]

Which way? I seem to remember a poll a year or so ago where the average portfolio of forum members was around $2.5M.

I wish... Ours needs a zero dropped.

 

[RetiredHappy]

Prior to this year, our last ATH at year end was in 2021, followed by a drop of a million dollars in 2022. It was a portfolio that we took back from Merrill Lynch. We took the past 2 to 3 years to get rid of the bond funds and some of the positions, although we still have more than 20 holdings in each account currently, except for IRA where we could sell everything in 2022 and bought what we wanted. We are finally back up above 2021 level, by about $400K. We have been withdrawing between $100K to $160K every year for our living expenses. The amounts are net of our withdrawals.

 

[TheWizard]

I don't actually track my total portfolio value on a yearly basis. I generally add more money to my taxable account the past several years, so that would make the account growth seem larger than the actual investment returns.

One exception is that I track the year-end value of my tax-deferred accounts (403(b) + tIRA) since that determines my RMD for the following year.

Another thing I do is monitor the performance of the various funds that I own.
Following shows YTD performance of most of those funds:

VOO,VGT,MGK,QQQ,VTI,VXF,QLENX Total Return Stock Chart (Dividends Reinvested) | Total Real Returns

Total return chart of VOO,VGT,MGK,QQQ,VTI,VXF,QLENX with dividends reinvested.

totalrealreturns.com

 

[Diogenes]

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.

Exactly! Add to that, a person at the pinnacle of his or her career, who's pulling in substantial extra money to offset potential losses from taking high investment risks... and one who's retired or semi-retired, where things like consulting or part-time work might be enough to cover expenses, but not enough to materially impact the portfolio anymore.

 

[reneeh63]

Less than $100,000 can include negative numbers.

Sure - it just doesn't very accurately reflect actual negative numbers as the survey is biased toward positive outcomes.

 

[Koolau]

Sure - it just doesn't very accurately reflect actual negative numbers as the survey is biased toward positive outcomes.

I don't suppose too many of us here have actually "lost" much this year. Not even those of us who have Blown That Dough.

The current value for "less than $100K" includes those who have lost. The % is fairly small. Were this 2008, that number would be substantial indeed. So a poll like this is highly dependent on current financial conditions.

Next year? Who knows?

 

[Al18]

Up 10% YTD

 

[equakesfan]

I am up ~$475k 01 Dec. 2024 to 30 Nov. 2025 after withdrawals (+10.82%)
I am up ~$533k 01 Dec. 2024 to 30 Nov. 2025 (don't track this number)
I voted $250k-500k.

 

[Time2]

We were just about in the middle of the $201k to $500k range. We did hit a new milestone of $3M. It took us 30 years to $1M, 6 more years to $2M and more 8 years to $3M. The 8 years is because we started spend down mode and the house size gifts to the kids. But, we started SS in 2025, so spend down is kind of minimal now and I don't know what more I could do for the kids money wise, so if the market is cooperative our portfolio show take off, one way or the other, LOL.

 

[Sorcerer]

Guess you have to go to bogleheads if you want to see real numbers, not just percentages. I do enjoy checking out their net worth progression thread. For whatever reason, that's taboo here.

We were up $487,000 for the year. That was after all expenses. We are still working though. Flirting with $3 million between cash and investments. We'll see if we can get there soon.

 

[Koolau]

Guess you have to go to bogleheads if you want to see real numbers, not just percentages. I do enjoy checking out their net worth progression thread. For whatever reason, that's taboo here.

We were up $487,000 for the year. That was after all expenses. We are still working though.

Am I missing something? I notice you've included a NW increase for the year. Many of us do that from time to time.