How to Use This Investment Portal

Plain-English guide written for Richard. No financial jargon. David built this so you can explore, compare, and feel confident about your choices.

1

Smart Portfolio Builder — Let the System Build It For You

At the top of the portfolio section, there's a Smart Builder. You set two things: (1) what percentage of your money you want in stocks versus safer investments, and (2) how aggressive you want the stock choices to be on a 1–5 scale. Then click "Build Portfolio" and the system picks the highest-rated funds from your plan and explains exactly why it chose each one.

Tip: Start with 70% equity and aggressiveness level 3. That's a solid balanced starting point for a long-term DCA investor. You can always adjust from there.
2

Fine-Tune Your Portfolio Manually

Below the Smart Builder you'll see all available funds with a percentage box next to each one. Type a number in any box to include that fund. All percentages must add up to 100 — the meter on the right shows you how close you are. Once you hit 100%, the "Apply" button lights up.

Use the preset buttons — Conservative, Moderate, Growth — as instant starting points, or use whatever the Smart Builder generated.
3

Set Your Monthly Contribution and Time Horizon

In the Projections section, you have two controls: (1) a Monthly Contribution input where you can type in exactly how much you'll invest each month — the default is $5,500 but you can change it to any amount; and (2) a Time Horizon slider that goes from 3 to 9 years. Slide it to see how your projected balance changes over different time periods.

4

Read the Growth Projections

Once you apply a portfolio, the chart and milestone cards update to show your projected balance at evenly-spaced intervals over your selected time horizon. The blue line shows your portfolio growing. The dotted gray line shows what your balance would be if the money earned zero return — just raw contributions stacked up. The space between those two lines is your investment growth.

5

Use the Bear Market Simulator

Three sliders: how far the market drops (−10% to −60%), how long the downturn lasts (6 to 36 months), and when in your plan it hits (Month 6 to Month 48). The chart shows three lines: (1) no bear market, (2) bear market happens and you keep investing, (3) bear market happens and you stop. The green "keep investing" line almost always wins — that's the DCA lesson.

This is the key insight: When markets drop and you keep buying your $5,500/month, you buy more shares at cheaper prices. When prices recover, those extra shares compound dramatically. Stopping investments during a bear market is the most expensive mistake most investors make.
6

Fund Star Ratings — What They Mean

Every fund in the library has a star rating (★★★★★ = 5 stars). These are calculated automatically by ranking each fund against others in the same category by their 10-year historical return. A 5-star fund is in the top tier of its peer group within your DROP plan's fund lineup. The Smart Builder automatically selects from the highest-rated funds. Ratings are updated whenever the underlying fund return data is refreshed.

Personal Investment Portal · City of Miami GESE DROP

Welcome, Richard

Plan ID 108110 · 401ATXEX · Prepared by David Ortiz, Advisor AI Partners

Current Balance
$15,356
Massmutual GIA (100%)
Monthly Contribution
$5,500
7-year horizon
3-Year Projection
—
Apply a portfolio to see
7-Year Projection
—
Apply a portfolio to see
Build Your Portfolio
Use the Smart Builder to auto-generate a portfolio from top-rated funds, or pick funds manually below.
🤖 Smart Portfolio Builder
Tell the system what you want — it picks the highest-rated funds and explains every choice.
70% in equities
0% (all safe)50%100% (all stocks)
✓ Portfolio A Generated — — blended historical return
Available Funds — type % to include
Portfolio A Preview
Total Allocation0%
Add funds above to build your portfolio.
Historical Blended Return (10-yr avg)
—
Based on your selected allocations
Allocations must total 100% to apply
Understanding Your Investments
Click any card to learn more — plain English, no jargon.
🏦
Stable Value / Cash
● Very Low Risk
A savings account inside your retirement plan — your balance never goes down, earns a guaranteed interest rate.

The Massmutual Guaranteed Interest Account is where your money sits right now. Backed by an insurance contract — your balance never drops due to market conditions.

When it makes sense: As a safe anchor for a portion of your portfolio, especially to balance riskier stock funds. Not ideal as your only holding if you want growth.

Trade-off: You won't lose money, but a 3% return barely keeps up with inflation over time.

In your plan: Massmutual GIA (~3.1% historical)
📊
Bond Funds
● Low Risk
Lending money to governments and companies in exchange for interest. More stable than stocks, less growth over time.

Bonds act as a shock absorber. When stocks fall, bonds often hold steady or rise slightly — smoothing out your overall balance. The Vanguard Total Bond Market holds thousands of different bonds.

When it makes sense: As a stabilizing component, particularly meaningful when you're closer to needing the money.

Note: Recent years have seen negative bond returns due to rising interest rates. This is temporary and typically reverses over time.

In your plan: Vanguard Total Bond Market ADM (~1.8% 10-yr)
⚖️
Balanced Funds
● Moderate Risk
These hold both stocks and bonds in one package — built-in diversification, designed for smooth long-term growth.

Vanguard Wellington has been around since 1929, holding roughly 65% stocks and 35% bonds. It loses less in bear markets than pure stock funds and still grows well in good times.

When it makes sense: As a core holding for someone who wants growth without extreme volatility — a sweet spot for DCA investors.

In your plan: Vanguard Wellington, MissionSquare Long-Term Growth, MissionSquare Conservative (~5.8–8.9% 10-yr)
📈
Stock (Equity) Funds
● Moderate–High Risk
Own tiny pieces of hundreds of companies. Historically the best long-term growth — but they go up and down. Perfect for DCA.

The Vanguard 500 Index tracks the 500 largest U.S. companies. Over 10 years it's returned ~13.1% annually. Fidelity Contrafund (12.5%) and JPMorgan US Equity (11.8%) are the next highest-rated actively managed options.

Large-cap = big established companies (more stable). Small-cap = smaller growing companies (higher potential, more volatile). International = global diversification.

Key insight: Because you're contributing every month, market dips are your friend — you buy more shares at lower prices. See the Bear Market Simulator for proof.

In your plan: Vanguard 500, Fidelity Contrafund K, JPMorgan US Equity, and more (~7.8–13.1% 10-yr)
💡 Why Dollar Cost Averaging Works in Your Favor

No Timing Required

Investing $5,500 every month regardless of conditions automatically buys more shares when prices are low and fewer when high — without predicting anything.

Bear Markets = Buying Opportunities

When markets drop, your fixed contribution buys more units at a discount. That lowers your average cost and supercharges recovery. Use the simulator below to see your real numbers.

Discipline Beats Prediction

No investor consistently times the market. DCA enforces discipline — you stay invested through ups and downs, letting compounding work uninterrupted. Time in the market beats timing the market.

Growth Projections
Adjust your monthly contribution and time horizon, then apply a portfolio to see your personalized projection.
Monthly Contribution
$
$500$5,000$10,000$15,000
Time Horizon
7 years · age 77 at end
3 yrs456789 yrs
Portfolio Growth — Apply a portfolio to get started
Bear Market Simulator
Adjust sliders to see what happens during a downturn — and why keeping your contributions going is the winning move.
−30%
How far the market falls
−10%−60%
18 months
How long the bear market lasts
6 mo36 mo
Month 18
Point in your timeline when the bear hits
Mo 6Mo 48
Portfolio Low
—
Keep DCA — End
—
No Bear — End
—
Stop Investing
—

💡 What This Means for You

Use the sliders above to model a scenario.

Bear Market Scenario — 7-Year View
No Bear Market Bear — Keep DCA ✓ Bear — Stop Investing ✗
Fund Library — All Available Funds
Star ratings are calculated by ranking each fund against peers in the same category by 10-year return. Ratings refresh automatically as underlying data is updated.
Fund NameAsset Class Rating 1-Year3-Year 5-Year10-Year Risk
Important Disclosures: This portal is for educational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. Historical returns are approximate annualized figures based on publicly available fund data and do not guarantee future results. Star ratings rank funds relative to other options within this DROP plan's lineup only — they are not Morningstar or third-party ratings. All projections are hypothetical assuming consistent contributions at the historical blended rate. Actual results will vary. This portal was prepared by David Ortiz, Advisor AI Partners.
Prepared for Richard A. Pope · City of Miami GESE DROP Plan · By David Ortiz, Advisor AI Partners  |  Schedule a Meeting →