I imagine it sounds hard to believe in today’s hyper-monetized internet, but in years of writing about asset allocation I’ve never made a dime from the effort. It’s certainly not from a lack of opportunities, but building a money generating machine has always been way down my list of priorities compared to other more important goals like living a happy life and helping as many people as possible learn about the immense benefits of modern asset allocation techniques. Portfolio Charts is something that I really care about, and turning one’s passion into a business has a way of inevitably killing the joy. So I have always researched data sources, created new tools, and published it all for free not because I expected something in return but because it just felt right.

One valuable thing I do consistently receive from Portfolio Charts is a sense of community. I’ve always appreciated every post, tweet, and email, and over the years I’ve been blessed to hear from scores of people who have offered all kinds of encouragement and new ideas. Many of those eventually become new features, but one of the most common requests has been something I’ve intentionally kept on the back burner.

“How can I give back?”

I’ve always politely declined any gifts of time or money and requested that you simply help spread the word about Portfolio Charts, but you guys and gals are persistent! After exploring a few options I’ve finally found one I’m comfortable with, and sprinkled around the site you may notice links to my Ko-fi page.

For those unfamiliar with Ko-fi, it’s an easy way to support content creators you love by buying them a virtual coffee. Think of it as a simplified version of Patreon without all of the high fees and complicated reward tiers. Gifts can be either one-time or on a monthly schedule, and it accepts payments from all around the world.

Aside from the simplicity and transparency, another thing I like about Ko-fi is the ability to offer a new outlet to interact with supporters and share things I like. So even if you’re not up for donating right now it could still be worth a bookmark, and if you do buy a coffee you might consider signing up for a free account to access patron-specific posts. But just to be clear, there are no promises you’ll receive anything more than my sincere gratitude and the free content you already enjoy here on Portfolio Charts. So please think of each coffee solely as a gift to a public resource that helped you and a larger cause you believe in.

I admit I’m pretty excited about the possibility of receiving help covering recurring costs and maybe enjoying a few drinks courtesy of people who have benefited from the thousands of hours of work I’ve put in over the years, but I also understand how Portfolio Charts resonates with weary investors who are tired of being relentlessly monetized and are looking for someone to trust. Have no fear. The plan is to simply give people an opportunity to support the cause while staying true to my values and keeping the cupboard full of useful information and free of ulterior motives.

So long story short, Portfolio Charts is my gift to you and my goal is to help people all around the world find a portfolio to love. If you use the knowledge you learned here to make constructive changes in your asset allocation, please take a moment to think about how much money you saved and how much happier you are today. Donating a tiny fraction of that benefit towards an occasional coffee will not only mean the world to me but will also help support ongoing investing education for everyone. Together we can make a difference!

Thanks for reading. Thanks for sharing. And thanks for giving back.

-Tyler-