Road to $1,000,000 portfolio (series) - Part 1
In this new blog series, which I’ll call “Road to $1,000,000”, I will be constructing a portfolio that is more aggressive but still mainly grounded in dividend aristocrats. At the beginning of last year, I set out to run a $77,000 experiment where I only invested in dividend aristocrat stocks. After some consideration, I will be reusing that same account in order to build up a $1,000,000 portfolio alongside the rest of you! To help me get there quicker, I have also decided to double my weekly contributions from $1,000 to $2,000. The rest of this post will be focusing on what is in my new portfolio, how long I think it’ll take until this portfolio to grow to be $1,000,000, and some exciting news on where I’m at on my road to FIRE. I promise there is no April Fools joke in here. Are you ready? Standby.
FIRE update
As of 3/31/2021, I am +$971,748.90 ahead of schedule! This means that I’ve surpassed my FIRE number! I’ve actually surpassed my FIRE number several months ago, but I didn’t think it would last, so I didn’t report on it. However, one very smart reader has reversed engineered my numbers and guessed it--so here I am.
According to my net worth tracker on Mint.com, I’ve accumulated over $1.6M during the last 12 months. And to top things off, one of my previous startups recently raised its Series E funding to put them at a $1.6 billion valuation. Since my stocks in this company are illiquid, and they could go up or down anytime, I’m not considering that in my net worth calculations. All in all, I couldn’t complain about how the stock market has treated me recently--and I’m frickin’ ecstatic!
You’re probably wondering, “what’s next?” I think that deserves a post on its own, so stay tuned. I’m currently on paternity (2nd round) and will be posting more often. Let’s get back to the Road to $1,000,000.
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push();
M1Finance Portfolio Performance Summary
What’s new in my portfolio?
I’ve added a handful of new positions and held on to all of the old ones. Specifically, I’ve added Abbvie, Aflac, TRowe Price, General Dynamics, Illinois Tool Works, Clorox, and...ARKK! Essentially, I added 6 new dividend champions and a very speculative, high-growth mutual fund (ARKK). And sure enough, the only position in red is ARKK (-21%). However, I’m still beating the overall stock market by over 2.3% (44.41% vs 42.09%)--so I’m feeling pretty good.
How long until this portfolio will be worth $1,000,000?
I estimated that it will be another 6 years until this portfolio will reach $1,000,000. I used the following assumptions: 8% appreciation, 2% dividends re-invested, and $2k per week contributions. Many people have said that my assumptions for the stock market returns are unrealistic and that they should be near 4-5%. However, with all the central banks around the world printing money and leaving interest rates at 0%, I wouldn’t be surprised if the stock market appreciated even more than 8%--allowing us to hit $1,000,000 even faster. Only time will tell who is right. Regardless, it’s better to be invested, than not.
Right now, the biggest risk for this portfolio not hitting $1M in 6 years is when I officially retire FIRE and stop contributing altogether...but we will figure it out when we get there.
Featured
[
](/blog/im-building-a-fire-tool-and-i-need-your-input)
I’m Building a FIRE Tool — and I Need Your Input
[
](/blog/10-ways-to-succeed-as-an-employee-part-iii-of-iii)
10 ways to succeed as an employee (Part III of III)
[
](/blog/5-reasons-why-its-hard-to-retire-early-after-reaching-financial-independence)
5 reasons why it’s hard to retire early after reaching Financial Independence
[
](/blog/road-to-1000000-portfolio-series-part-1)
dividends, investing, portfolio, fire
Road to $1,000,000 portfolio (series) - Part 1
dividends, investing, portfolio, fire
dividends, investing, portfolio, fire
[
](/blog/my-77000-experiment-portfolio-year-end-2020-update)
dividends, portfolio, fire, stocks
My $77,000 experiment portfolio -- year end 2020 update
dividends, portfolio, fire, stocks
dividends, portfolio, fire, stocks
[
](/blog/road-to-10-million-retire-by-35-and-become-a-deca-millionaire-by-50)
Road to $10 million - Retire by 35 and become a deca-millionaire by 50
[
](/blog/my-77000-experiment-portfolio-june-update)
fire, portfolio, stocks, covid19
My $77,000 experiment portfolio -- June update
fire, portfolio, stocks, covid19
fire, portfolio, stocks, covid19
[
](/blog/how-am-i-navigating-covid-19)
[
](/blog/average-net-worth-by-age)
[
](/blog/how-engineers-can-fire-in-15-years-and-have-4000000-in-net-worth)
fire, tech, engineering, silicon valley
How engineers can FIRE in 15 years and have $4,000,000 in net worth
fire, tech, engineering, silicon valley
Enjoyed this post?
Subscribe to get my latest posts on financial independence, investing, and the journey to FIRE delivered straight to your inbox.
More Posts
Trump Accounts: Free Money for Your Kids (And How to Maximize It)
5 Things I'm Focused On In 2026
Comments