This is the first in a series of posts I’m calling “Build-A-Portfolio Workshop.” Why? It worked for teddy bears, that’s why. It also brings back great memories of when our kids were little.
Memories aside, building a portfolio is a very serious subject. However, 6 years into my post-investment advisor, semi-retired life, I am convinced that the #1 skill that DIY investors need, but do not have, is building a portfolio. And it is 100% not their fault.
The investment industry has long prioritized product sales and “feel good” aspects of investing. I’ve spent the past half-decade learning all about how the “other half lives,” since my client base back then was a few dozen families with 7-figure portfolios, most of whom had been with us for decades. They paid me to be their portfolio construction and management expert.
Fast forward to 2026, and I’ve come to realize that there’s a huge, uncomfortable dichotomy, a major disconnect between the people who want to learn to be their own portfolio manager, and those who cater to them.
Each of us ultimately has to make our own choices about what to do with our investable assets. But when we seek guidance, personalized or otherwise, it helps if we get the whole picture. Unfortunately, I think that’s not been happening enough. Which is why our site and service exists.
Just below, I present a table which shows just how well “simple” investing has been doing, versus a lot of over-hyped, fancy-sounding strategies.
What are DIY investors getting?
Stock tips (here today, forgotten tomorrow, so there’s not much accountability)
Trading advice that is either too complex or too much like gambling
Cookie-cutter “solutions which do not manage risk proactively, but cost a lot
Hype, hype, hype, excitement, hype, noise and innuendo