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Not investment advice. Educational reading. See Disclaimer.
L.14 · BEGINNER · 2 MIN

The 5 / 10 / 30-Year Checkup

You have built the portfolio -- here is the entire maintenance playbook on one page. The goal of this path was never constant tinkering; it is a system you can run for decades with a few minutes of attention a year. Here is what to actually do, and when.

Quiz · 5 questions ↓
§ 01
How oftenWhat to do
Every payday (automatic)Auto-invest a fixed amount into your funds -- set once, never touch
Once a year (~30 min)Check your stock/bond mix vs target; rebalance if >5 points off (new cash in taxable); bump your contribution if you got a raise
Every few years / life eventsRe-check your allocation as your horizon shortens (glide path); revisit after marriage, kids, a home, or a job change
Near the goal (5-10 yrs out)Shift gradually toward bonds and cash so a late crash can't derail you (sequence risk)
§ 02

The single biggest predictor of long-run success is not which funds you picked -- it is whether you kept contributing and left the portfolio alone through downturns. This checklist is designed to be boring on purpose. Boring is what compounds.

§ 03
Put one recurring calendar reminder -- 'annual portfolio checkup' -- on the same date each year (your birthday works). That 30-minute habit is the whole maintenance plan.
§ 04

You now know more than most investors will in a lifetime: allocate by horizon, buy broad and cheap, automate, rebalance lightly, mind taxes, and don't panic. The rest is patience -- the hardest part of investing is doing almost nothing, consistently, for decades.

§ 05
What is the realistic maintenance schedule for the portfolio you've built?
Five questions · AI feedback

Sit with the ideas.

What does the evidence say is the biggest driver of long-run investing success?

Why:
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