Hi.  I’m Tyler.

You might be wondering why an anonymous guy on the internet is publishing an investing website with a bunch of free portfolio tools.  Who is that guy?  What’s the catch?  And why should I trust his numbers?

I’m a mechanical engineer with a strong math education, a deep personal interest in finance and investing, and some nifty Excel skills I’ve picked up along the way.  I also have a tendency to look at data a little differently than others, a sensitivity for when raw numbers pass the threshold from informative to meaningless for non-mathematicians, and a somewhat unique background in design that helps me think creatively and communicate complex ideas reasonably effectively.  Mix that all together, and that’s a pretty decent recipe for some new financial tools and a fresh take on investing.

Here’s the thing – just sitting on interesting and illuminating data is not only boring but also a wasted opportunity.  I created Portfolio Charts as a way to share information with other investors because I want to hopefully make a difference in making sophisticated asset allocation concepts accessible to normal people.  There is no catch.  I’m not trying to sell anything and I’m not paid to do this.  If you find the site helpful the only thing I ask in return is that you help spread the word.

I understand that when it comes to money discussions it can be difficult to know who to trust.  Frankly, that’s a big reason why I think an independent resource like this is valuable.  While I’m certainly not infallible, I go to great effort to provide factual information and present it in a helpful way so that you can draw your own conclusions with no “expert” intermediary required.  Still, the data may contain errors and past performance certainly does not guarantee future returns.  So please never make any financial decisions based solely on the data you see here — be sure to verify any information and also seek out different perspectives.

Most importantly, please don’t take anything I write as a personal recommendation. I’m happy to share what I’ve learned about investing, but it’s important to keep this in mind:

I am not a financial adviser

I’m really in no position to offer personal advice on how you should invest your own life savings.  It’s not simply a legal matter but also a philosophical one, as I believe everyone should ultimately make their own educated financial choices and not simply defer to the perceived wisdom of others.  Take charge of your own success, and your confidence will make you a better and happier investor.

While the site is not really about me personally and I value my privacy more than any potential name recognition, hopefully this gives you enough insight to know where I’m coming from.  If you have any questions, suggestions, or ideas for content you’d like to see, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Thanks for visiting.  Cheers!

-Tyler-