The Average Guy Portfolio — Real Money, Real Results Since 2016
Welcome to AverageGuyPortfolio.com, where one ordinary investor tracks a real-money stock portfolio in the open. This project started in 2016 with a single $10,000 deposit and has grown through years of consistent investing, dividend reinvestment, and disciplined strategy. Every dollar shown on this site is real — no paper trading, no backtests, no hypotheticals.
The Story
The Average Guy Portfolio began as a personal experiment: could a regular person — not a Wall Street professional, not a finance major — build meaningful wealth over time just by investing consistently in quality companies and low-cost index funds? Nearly a decade later, the answer is a resounding yes. What started as $10,000 has grown into a diversified portfolio spanning individual stocks, ETFs, and mutual funds, all tracked and updated daily through the Charles Schwab API.
Current Holdings
The portfolio currently holds 26+ positions diversified across three categories:
Individual Stocks: Apple (AAPL), Alphabet (GOOG), Microsoft (MSFT), Netflix (NFLX), Cloudflare (NET), NVIDIA (NVDA), Amazon (AMZN), Palantir (PLTR), Visa (V), Berkshire Hathaway (BRK/B), Costco (COST), and other blue-chip and growth names. These represent high-conviction picks in companies with strong competitive moats and long runways for growth.
ETFs: Vanguard Total Stock Market (VTI), Vanguard Total International (VXUS), Invesco NASDAQ 100 (QQQM), Schwab US Dividend Equity (SCHD), SPDR Gold Shares (GLD), and Defiance Quantum ETF (QTUM). These provide broad market exposure, international diversification, dividend income, and thematic bets on emerging sectors like quantum computing.
Mutual Funds: Fidelity Select Semiconductors (FSELX) and Vanguard Total Stock Market Index (VTSAX). These anchor the portfolio with low-cost, long-term holdings that track the broader market and key sectors.
Investment Strategy
The portfolio follows a core-satellite approach. The core (roughly 60%) is built on broad market index funds like VTI and VTSAX — the proven, boring foundation that captures overall market growth at minimal cost. The satellite positions (roughly 40%) are individual stocks and thematic ETFs where the goal is to outperform the index through careful stock selection.
Key principles that guide every investment decision: invest consistently regardless of market conditions, reinvest all dividends, keep expenses low, maintain a long time horizon measured in decades rather than days, and never panic sell during drawdowns. The portfolio weathered the 2020 COVID crash, the 2022 bear market, and multiple corrections in between — each time recovering and reaching new highs.
Historical Performance
Year-by-year returns since inception: 2016 saw the portfolio's first full year with modest single-digit gains as the initial positions were established. 2017 brought strong double-digit returns as the bull market accelerated. 2018 was a challenging year with the Q4 sell-off testing conviction. 2019 delivered exceptional returns as the portfolio's tech-heavy positioning paid off. 2020 was a rollercoaster — a sharp COVID-driven drawdown followed by a historic recovery. 2021 continued the momentum with broad market strength. 2022 was the toughest year, with a bear market hitting growth stocks especially hard. 2023 marked a strong recovery led by AI-driven rallies in tech names. 2024 and 2025 have continued the upward trajectory with new all-time highs.
Lessons Learned
Nearly a decade of investing has reinforced several important lessons. Time in the market consistently beats timing the market. Diversification across asset classes, sectors, and geographies reduces risk without sacrificing returns. Keeping investment costs low — through index funds and commission-free trading — compounds into significant savings over the long term. And perhaps most importantly, staying the course during downturns is what separates successful long-term investors from everyone else.
Why This Site Exists
AverageGuyPortfolio.com exists to demystify investing. Too many people believe the stock market is only for professionals or the wealthy. This site proves otherwise — you don't need a finance degree, insider knowledge, or a six-figure income to build a meaningful portfolio. You just need consistency, patience, and the willingness to start. Every data point on this site is real and updated daily to show the honest, unfiltered journey of a regular investor.
Explore More
Learn more about the person behind the portfolio on the About page. Dive deeper into the investment methodology on the Strategy page. Review the legal disclaimers and privacy information on the Disclaimer page.
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Disclaimer
AverageGuyPortfolio.com is for educational and informational purposes only. Nothing on this site constitutes financial advice, investment recommendations, or a solicitation to buy or sell any securities. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Always do your own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. All portfolio data is provided by the Charles Schwab API and is believed to be accurate but is not guaranteed.