Investment Portfolio: The refuge so your money stops being a source of anxiety

I remember perfectly the feeling of coming home after an endless shift, sitting on the sofa, and looking at the ceiling in silence. At that moment, the fatigue wasn't just physical; it was the constant doubt of whether all that effort would serve for anything more than paying bills. That restlessness of feeling that your money slips through your fingers while prices rise is what unites almost all of us.

Investing is not a casino game for people in suits; it is building a system so that, when you decide to stop working, your wealth is no longer a concern but your greatest ally.

How to build an investment portfolio from scratch?

An investment portfolio groups your financial assets. It is designed by choosing stocks or bonds according to your goals, time, and risk so that your wealth grows in a stable and secure way.

Building this team requires brutal honesty. You cannot copy the strategy of a billionaire who appears in the news if what you need is to sleep peacefully knowing that you can face any unforeseen event tomorrow.

Investing is the bridge between the effort you make today and the freedom you will have tomorrow. But to cross it, you first have to understand what pieces we have on the game board and how they interact with each other when the market gets shaky.

1. Equities: Owning someone else's ingenuity

Imagine you decide to help a friend start a business. You provide part of the capital to buy the tools and, in exchange, you keep a small piece of ownership. If the business does well, you win. That is Equities (Variable Income).

When you invest here, you stop being a simple saver to become a partner in real companies. You are taking advantage of the work of thousands of brilliant people who strive to make their companies more efficient every day. It is the asset with the greatest growth potential, but it demands an iron discipline not to sabotage yourself when the news is scary.

My golden rule: The flow that never stops (DCA)

The biggest mistake beginners make is trying to guess what will happen tomorrow. I don't waste time on that. I apply the DCA (Dollar Cost Averaging) method: I invest a fixed amount every month, no matter what happens.

• When the market falls: My monthly investment buys more "pieces" of companies at a discount. It's like going to the sales.
• When the market rises: My total wealth grows and benefits from the positive inertia of the global economy.

I never stop contributing. It is a non-negotiable commitment to myself. It is the salary I pay my future self to ensure that time works in my favor. If you stop contributing when the stock market goes down, you miss the best moments of recovery, which is where wealth is actually generated.

The danger of playing professional analyst

Many people recommend buying individual stocks. It's a valid option, but it comes with a serious warning: if you don't have hundreds of hours to train and analyze financial statements, don't do it. Selecting winning companies is almost a second full-time job.

If you don't have that time or the necessary technical training, the smartest thing is to trust mutual funds or MODEL PORTFOLIOS like those explained in the articles at the end of this page (you will find direct links to them on the web).

In the case of funds, look for the manager to have "skin in the game" (their own wealth invested in the fund) and whose investment philosophy truly convinces you. Seeing that the manager suffers or celebrates just like you is the best guarantee that your interests are aligned.

2. Fixed Income: The loan and its intelligent management

In this case, your role changes. You are no longer a partner; now you are the lender. You lend money to a State or a company in exchange for them returning it to you with interest. This is the part of the team responsible for providing stability and generating predictable income.

Many believe this is "safe money," but you have to be careful. There is a technical phenomenon where, when interest rates rise, the price of old bonds falls. If you invest through a conventional fixed-income fund, you could see losses in your account in years where rates move sharply. Therefore, the key is knowing what type of debt you are buying and under what conditions.

My dynamic refuge: Money Market Funds

To avoid unnecessary scares, my favorite tool is money market funds. These funds invest in very short-term debt, which makes them extremely resistant to sudden changes in interest rates.

• The advantage: They are stable, and their profitability adjusts almost daily according to what central banks decide. It is the closest thing to having money available but yielding constant benefits.
• The rotation: I don't stay there by inertia. If interest rates drop and money market funds stop paying a reasonable return, I move the money. I look for alternatives like corporate debt (bonds from solvent companies with a higher coupon) or simply increase the portion I have in pure cash to maintain absolute peace of mind.

My personal method: Managing the two buckets

I divide my world into two large containers. It is not a rigid textbook structure, but a way of living that adapts to my changing needs.

The Cash Bucket (Peace of mind and projects)

This is the bucket of freedom. Here I accumulate the money that comes from my overtime, bonuses, or variable income. It is the money that rules my present.

• No imposed ceilings: I don't set a limit of months. The limit is my feeling of peace. This money is what finances a home renovation, a vehicle change, or any major unforeseen expense.
• Replenishment: If I have to use a significant part of this bucket for a personal project, the following months I allocate a fixed amount of my paycheck to replenish it. I don't stop investing in equities, but I prioritize filling this cushion until I feel comfortable again.
• The jump to investment: If I perceive that I have an excess of accumulated cash and I consider the stock market to be at a moment of opportunity, I move a part of this bucket toward Equities to accelerate my growth. It is the only moment in which I break the fixed monthly quota to contribute an extra.

The Equities Bucket (The future that is not touched)

This is sacred money. It comes out automatically from my income every month through the DCA I mentioned before. I enjoy following the funds every six months, analyzing the portfolio compositions, and reading the managers' annual letters. It is a learning process that connects me with the global economic reality but never interferes with my daily life.

Trusting the team: Mutual funds and model portfolios

You can choose between mutual funds with expert managers or replicate proven model portfolios. Both options eliminate the burden of analyzing individual companies, allowing you to delegate complexity to robust systems.

Not everyone has the time or the desire to keep an eye on financial news. If that's your case, the best thing is to trust professionals or systems that have already proven they work.

You have two main paths:

1. Signature Mutual Funds: Look for managers with a philosophy you understand (value, quality...) and who show they trust what they do by investing their own money. They do the dirty work of analyzing balance sheets for you.
2. Model Portfolios: At the end of the article on this same page, you will find detailed explanations of legendary portfolios. From the simplicity of the Three-Fund Portfolio to the resilience of the Permanent Portfolio. These models have survived wars, crises, and decades of inflation. Following one of these portfolios is like using a map that has already been traveled by thousands of successful investors.

Market State	Action in Cash	Action in Equities
High interest rates	I fill the bucket (Money Markets)	Maintain monthly DCA
Low interest rates	I look for Corporate Debt	Maintain monthly DCA
Cheap stock market	I move excess cash	Extra contribution

Which path to choose? The one that supports your lifestyle

Investing should not be Chinese torture or a reason to be glued to your mobile screen analyzing charts you don't understand. If you are passionate about the business world, spend time choosing good mutual funds and enjoy the process. If you just want your money not to lose value, opt for model portfolios and forget about the daily noise.

The most important thing is that your strategy serves you and not the other way around. If having a generous amount of cash allows you to make better decisions and not sell your assets at the worst time, that cash is the best investment of your life. Peace of mind is the only dividend that really matters at the end of the day.

Aurum: The clarity you need to decide

Investing without knowing how much you can afford is like walking blindfolded through a forest. Before deciding which bucket your money goes into, you have to rule over your income.

We created Aurum for that. It helps you see with total clarity how much you have generated with your effort and your extra income, allowing you to plan your savings with intention and without fear. When you control your daily budget with Aurum, anxiety about the future vanishes because you have a system that takes care of you while you dedicate yourself to living.

Are you going to keep letting your finances be a reason for stress, or are you going to start treating them as the tool that finances your peace of mind?