One of the most common user requests I have received over the years sounds pretty simple but has always been more complicated to implement than it seems — adding the ability to compare two different portfolios in the same chart.
The problem is not really in the calculations but in the interface. How do you enter multiple portfolios without an insane number of inputs? And when you have data-dense visuals like the Heat Map or Withdrawal Rates charts, how do you overlay the graphics while telling everything apart? As good as I am with spreadsheets, there is only so much you can do in Excel. And even then, it requires a bit of inspiration to make sense of the many competing requirements.
Well, I finally had that moment of inspiration. And after rolling up my coding sleeves, I’m excited to announce a great new feature to the site.
Have you ever wanted to seamlessly compare two portfolios in a certain chart to find one that best meets your needs? I know I have! Read on to learn about an awesome new way to explore portfolio options.
The Joy of Sliders
The solution to my design problem comes from a moment of recent serendipity. Lately I have enjoyed putting a fun web-based tool to good use that overlays two fixed images and includes a dynamic slider to switch between both options. Directly comparing visuals to see the difference is really interesting and helpful with things like the Withdrawal Rates chart. Here’s one example from a recent article.
Drag the slider to compare the two charts.
Beyond being a great way to compare complex sets of data at every point along the X axis, the interaction itself is just really engaging. Who doesn’t like a good slider?
Of course, doing that with fixed images is one thing but duplicating it with interactive charts is quite another. That feature is not something that Excel can do on its own. But with a growing arsenal of coding skills and a lot of help from your friendly neighborhood AI assistants, it turns out that this is something I am capable of building.
The end result is something so smoothly built into the charts on the site that you may even miss it if you’re not paying attention. But once you find it I think you’ll be happy.
Here’s what the main interface looks like now.
See the new “Compare” option at the top left? Click it, and you’ll discover that it controls a vertical slider that affects the entire interface and chart combined.
The functionality is most evident when you start changing the portfolio settings. Even though it looks like just one interface, there are actually two independent charts. The one on the left is completely separate from the one on the right, and by using the slider you can enter two different portfolios at the same time.
The real fun starts when you project that line down to the charts. If you enjoyed the Withdrawal Rates example I shared before, you can now make your own! And not just for that one chart, but for any of them. Just enter two portfolio options, and you can use the slider to compare them both and explore differences that viewing them in two different browser tabs just can’t fully convey.
Pretty cool, right?
If you want to look at one portfolio at a time, just keep using the charts as you always have. And to compare two portfolios, it’s as easy as dragging the slider and entering a second option. Simple, smooth, and powerful. Just the kind of upgrade I like the most.
Half the Talk, Double the Charts
I’m going to keep this post short and sweet since the best way to experience the new functionality is to just try it for yourself. But before you dive in, allow me to make three brief points.
First, this is NOT tied to memberships. I want everyone to get in on the comparison fun, and the functionality is freely available in all the charts. In fact, the slider feature is actually not active for now in the Portfolio Matrix or My Portfolio tools for members. So if you’re accustomed to using just those two charts, be sure to branch out and play with the free stuff, too.
Next, I do think that some of the charts work better with the slider system than others. Options like the Withdrawal Rates, Drawdowns, and Heat Map charts with a fixed Y axis are awesome for seeing subtle differences in the numbers, while others like Portfolio Growth (where the Y axis scale can change based on the inputs) make the direct comparison a little less valuable. I may tweak some of those tools over time to maximize the comparison utility, but this is still a nice start.
And finally, I fully admit that I’m not a professional software developer. I have done my best to troubleshoot everything in different devices and even cleaned up a lot of the previous code, but it’s highly possible there could be some bugs in certain situations. If you run across something that needs to be fixed, please don’t hesitate to let me know.
But enough of my exposition. Portfolio Charts is all about creating new ways for data to speak for itself, and I’m super excited to offer a new avenue for that communication.
So pick your favorite chart and try out the new comparison option! New portfolio discoveries are just one slider away.
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