When did you stop tracking your returns?

[Milu]

Likely a question for some of the wealthier folk on the board but I’m curious if you tracked your returns and CAGR etc during the earlier part of your wealth building but then when wealth got to a certain size it kind of became pointless. Obviously that number would be different for everybody depending on where they live and their lifestyle but if you are a good investor over time you will eventually get to a point where your net worth is large and whether you end up getting 5%, 10% or 20% return on that it mostly becomes meaningless. Do you still like to track it to compare yourself to others or see if you still got it, or do you now just check your net worth every now and then, and as long as it’s not dropping all is good. Maybe some people never tracked their returns, nothing wrong with that either. For me I track things quite diligently but sometimes wonder should I bother. 

[yesman182]

I track my net worth and my spending. I spend <50% of what I earn and invest the rest in real estate and investments, I have done this for several decades. I personally don't see the point in knowing the exact percentage of my investment gains year. I am unsure how I would use that information, if I didn't beat the S&P for several years, should I just move it all to an index? If I consistently beat the index or should I add leverage? I don't have interest in being fully invested in index and I don't want leverage. 

[73 Reds]

46 minutes ago, Milu said:

Likely a question for some of the wealthier folk on the board but I’m curious if you tracked your returns and CAGR etc during the earlier part of your wealth building but then when wealth got to a certain size it kind of became pointless. Obviously that number would be different for everybody depending on where they live and their lifestyle but if you are a good investor over time you will eventually get to a point where your net worth is large and whether you end up getting 5%, 10% or 20% return on that it mostly becomes meaningless. Do you still like to track it to compare yourself to others or see if you still got it, or do you now just check your net worth every now and then, and as long as it’s not dropping all is good. Maybe some people never tracked their returns, nothing wrong with that either. For me I track things quite diligently but sometimes wonder should I bother. 

Yes, when I was younger.  As I grew older periodic returns became less meaningful.  Today, most of my assets are privately held so there would be little to no point in even trying.

[Sweet]

I know roughly if I am doing better than the index but no, I don’t track my performance. Not sure why I need to know what my cagr is.

[Milu]

Thanks for answers so far, the main reason I still track is a want to see if my results over the long term have been better or worse than just dumping it all into S&P index fund. So far they have been better. But I suppose the question I’d have for myself is if they ended up being worse would i then decide to go the index fund route or not. If I’m being honest I don’t think I would as I enjoy the investing challenge and process. So the tracking of returns is just a habit really that perhaps no longer serves a purpose for me.

[Gregmal]

I have never really given this sort of thing any weight. It's basically marketing material for AUM eaters and something poor people do to give themselves "wins"/gamify a process that shouldn't be gamified. If Im OK with, and understand what I own...owning it is an active decision and playing the herky jerk game of buy/sell/buy/sell is just a distraction and waste of time. I always wondered, imagine where Musk/Bezos/Gates would be if they routinely did that sort of thing with their individual businesses and entities?

[Longnose]

I don't monitor CAGR or total return. But i once heard the phrase "money is a fickle mistress, if you don't pay attention to her she'll leave you."  While the exact % return or CAGR isn't overly important to me. I dont feel like i could ever stop "paying attention" to where my money is at and what is it doing. 

[KCLarkin]

I find the discipline of tracking long term performance AND writing an annual investment letter to myself extremely valuable. That annual discipline is even more important now that I can afford to be complacent with my portfolio.

 

 

 

 

[Libs]

Good OP. I've tracked my performance vs the S & P for 25 years. Then it dawned upon me it doesn't matter. If you need 8% returns to make your goals, go for it, and make it as safely as you can. Who cares what every one else is doing?

[Longnose]

5 hours ago, KCLarkin said:

writing an annual investment letter to myself

I like this idea. Never thought about doing that. 

[Sloanes Teddy]

Glad to not be tracking this year. Ouch:)

[SharperDingaan]

We're still in the growth phase, so both CAGR and total return are monitored. CAGR over various time periods, and with breakouts for dividends, swing/pair trades, and capital repatriation. We need a 12% CAGR if we are to double every 6 years.

 

It will change once we are in the draw phase. Cash yield above the RRIF minimum draw requirements + a ROE high enough to double capital every 10 years net of inflation.

 

Tracking, merely to ensure that we are on track.

 

SD

Edited 18 hours ago by SharperDingaan

[nsx5200]

On 6/22/2026 at 10:36 PM, Longnose said:

I like this idea. Never thought about doing that. 

In your case, if you can figure out a way to feed your investment history into AI, and have it generate it for you...

[Longnose]

9 hours ago, nsx5200 said:

In your case, if you can figure out a way to feed your investment history into AI, and have it generate it for you...

haha i can do that already. I have all my financial institutions pushing via API into google big query. and have created a google gem called family CFO that can analyze probably 80%+ of my financial picture at almost any given time. 

 

I have been a big fan of journaling through my life and find a good amount of benefit from writing down my own thought.  Granted my own writing style and grammar sucks so ive often taken to having AI rewrite things for me so they are more coherent to others.  I think the exercise of writing my own thoughts on my investments on an annual basis would have some really solid merit from a self reflection standpoint. 

[SharperDingaan]

1 hour ago, Longnose said:

I have been a big fan of journaling through my life and find a good amount of benefit from writing down my own thought.  I think the exercise of writing my own thoughts on my investments on an annual basis would have some really solid merit from a self reflection standpoint. 

 

As the managing partner of our family investment funds, part of our AGM has always been a letter/presentation outlining the thesis behind each of the concentrated positions that we hold; the initial premise, what has changed, expected future pro's/con's, how it has worked out, 6-yr to date CAGR (hold period), etc. Primarily as both a training tool, and as insurance against my having an incapacitating stroke tomorrow. It has worked out very well, and also become a great tool for look-back analytics.

 

The letter/presentation similarly speaks to the overlays of dividends, swing/pair trading, and capital repatriation. Thesis, what has changed, actual vs expected results, reconciliation of inception to date capital repatriations by family member. Primarily for reporting, training, and insurance purposes. It has also worked out very well, keeps discussion future orientated, focused, and the family informed.

 

The hope was that nephews would take over; they aren't going to, and the family is OK with that. Ultimately, the portfolio will hold just index funds, a laddered bond portfolio in run off, UK real estate, and repatriate a quarterly distribution; mechanics evolving as required. 

 

I post, as I hold each of a MBA/CPA/CFA, and run the partnership the same way that a CEO might run a private investment business. Expected to have transitioned out well before age 75, and not put my lay person partners at excessive risk. 

 

Different strokes.

 

SD

 

 

  

Edited 1 hour ago by SharperDingaan

[backtothebeach]

15 minutes ago, SharperDingaan said:

capital repatriation

 

I've always wondered what you mean by this. No need to reply if it is too confidential, ha.