MTTM Podcast Episode 521 – How I doubled my money in 10 years running my own portfolio

Listen to Episode 521

In this week's podcast, I celebrate a major milestone as my publicly-run £50,000 portfolio approaches £100,000 after just 10 years. I share some practical insights on portfolio construction, how I manage psychological biases, and explain why a disciplined, long-term process is the key to successfully growing your wealth.

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Episode 521 Podcast Summary

How I run my own DIY portfolio (Doubling my money in 10 years)

Summary

In this investment special, I celebrate a huge milestone as my publicly-run £50,000 portfolio approaches £100,000 after just 10 years. I outline my 10-year journey, demonstrating how my portfolio has consistently outperformed professional fund managers and the broader market, yielding better returns with lower volatility. I conclude by sharing practical insights on how I construct my portfolio, the importance of managing psychological biases, and why sticking to a disciplined, long-term process is the key to successfully growing your own wealth.

Key insights

• How I beat the pros: My portfolio has returned 97% since 2015, compared to just 58% for the average professional multi-asset fund. This proves that with a solid process, an armchair investor can outperform the experts.
• My process: I never try to predict what will happen next. By sticking to my process through events like Brexit, my portfolio benefited, whereas those who tried to time the market missed out.
• Don't fear volatility: The market’s best days often happen immediately after the worst days. I've learned that panicking and moving to cash is one of the biggest mistakes an investor can make. Experience makes you "battle-hardened" and helps you ride out the storms.
• Remove emotion from your decisions: I never consider the price I originally paid for a fund when deciding whether to sell it. This helps me avoid "anchoring" bias and allows me to objectively assess if there's a better opportunity elsewhere.
• Small, consistent tweaks are powerful: My strategy is more like pruning a garden than digging it up. I make small, regular adjustments - on average just one or two fund changes a month - to keep my portfolio on track.
• A little gold goes a long way: One of the best decisions I made was to consistently allocate 5% to a gold ETF. It has been a fantastic diversifier for my portfolio, especially during uncertain times.

Episode quiz 

1. My 80-20 Investor process is primarily based on which style of investing?
a) Ethical Investing
b) Dividend Investing
c) Value Investing
d) Momentum Investing

2. What is the maximum number of funds from the same sector that I typically hold in my portfolio?
a) One
b) Two
c) Four
d) Five

3. On average, how many fund changes/switches do I make each month?
a) Around one and a half
b) Three
c) Four
d) Five

4. What was the highest percentage of cash ever held in the portfolio?
a) 10%
b) 15%
c) 23%
d) 35%

5. What was the highest percentage of equity ever held in the portfolio?
a) 55%
b) 68%
c) 72%
d) 80%

Answers

1. d) Momentum Investing
2. b) Two
3. a) Around one and a half
4. c) 23%
5. b) 68%

Resources

Links referred to in the podcast:

• Take out a FREE TRIAL of 80 20 Investor
• Sign Up To The MTTM Weekly Newsletter

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