How to set up a portfolio in Google Finance

Have you read my previous posts about financial portfolios and ETFs? We can use Google Finance to setup these portfolios and evaluate their performance. Let’s start.

Financial activity:	Investing
Knowledge level:	Beginner
Reading time:	7 minutes

Summary
The Three-fund portfolio
How to use Google Finance to build our portfolios

A view of the performances

Conclusions

The Three-fund portfolio

We will use as an example the Three-fund portfolio by Taylor Larimore (An evolution of the Classic 60/40 portfolio: the Three-Fund portfolio).

Remember the Three-Fund portfolio asset allocation:

• 40% U.S. Stock Market.
• 20% International Stocks Market.
• 40% U.S. Bonds.

Author's elaboration – Source: Google Sheets.

I suggest using the ETFs by two big and famous companies: Blackrock iShares and Vanguard (If you need a guide about ETFs read this: A brief guide to Exchange-Traded Funds for beginners).

Three-Fund portfolio (Blackrock iShares ETFs):

• iShares Core S&P Total Market ETF (Symbol: ITOT).
• iShares Core MSCI Total International Stock ETF (Symbol: IXUS).
• iShares Core Total U.S. Bond Market ETF (Symbol: AGG).

Three-Fund portfolio (Vanguard ETFs):

• Vanguard Total Stock ETF (Symbol: VTI).
• Vanguard Total International Stock ETF (Symbol: VXUS).
• Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF (Symbol: BND).

How to use Google Finance to build our portfolios

Open Google Finance with your Google login.

First of all, create a new portfolio (click on the button on the right):

Create a new portfolio in Google Finance - screenshot by Author.

Give it a name (like "Three-Fund portfolio (Blackrock iShares ETFs))

The portfolio is empty, so add a financial instrument:

The new empty portfolio in Google Finance - screenshot by Author.

Start with the search for the first ETF (use its symbol):

Google Finance - screenshot by Author.

Select the right one and then indicate the quantity and the purchase date (The purchase price is automatically indicated).

As you can see, I started from 1/1/2022 to 11/19/2022 (the day I wrote this post).

Google Finance - screenshot by Author.

Save and add the second ETF.

Google Finance - screenshot by Author.

Finally, the last one:

Google Finance - screenshot by Author.

We have a portfolio, now!

Google Finance - screenshot by Author.

This is the second one:

Google Finance - screenshot by Author.

A view of the performances

Yearly performances are not exciting:

Performance of the first portfolio (Source: Google Finance - screenshot by Author).

Performance of the second portfolio (Source: Google Finance - screenshot by Author).

But they are much better than a single stock index:

   

Google Finance - screenshot by Author

Conclusions

Takeaways:

• Set up a portfolio with Google Finance is easy and free, do it!
• Use this instrument to analyze present and past performances.
• You can also use Google finance to view the past and present performance of a single ETF.

A sincere wish of good work to all!

Written by F. GRAMOLA (*).

(*) Member of S.I.A.T., the Italian Society of Technical Analysis (member society of I.F.T.A. – International Federation of Technical Analysts).

Warning

We merely cite our personal opinions for educational purposes only.

All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Investing and trading are risky. Don't invest or trade money that you cannot afford to lose.

Initial Photo by Mitchell Luo on Unsplash.