EducationOctober 22, 2026 · 5 min read
The Sharpe Ratio Explained: Measuring Risk-Adjusted Returns
Learn what the Sharpe ratio is, how to calculate it, and why risk-adjusted returns matter more than raw performance when evaluating investments.
Blog
Investment insights, portfolio analysis tips, and financial planning strategies.
Written in house: drafted with AI tools, edited by Melroy, on topics he chose.
EducationOctober 26, 2026 · 5 min read
Small Cap vs Large Cap: What the Difference Means for Your Returns
Small cap and large cap stocks behave very differently over market cycles. Understanding when each tends to outperform - and the real risks involved - helps you build a more resilient portfolio.
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AnalysisOctober 19, 2026 · 4 min read
You Probably Have a Lot More Tech Exposure Than You Think
When you own four 'diversified' funds, the same stocks appear in all of them. Here's how to see your true sector exposure - and why the number is almost always a surprise.
StrategyOctober 15, 2026 · 4 min read
Sector Rotation: Does Timing the Market By Sector Actually Work?
Sector rotation is the idea that different sectors lead at different stages of the economic cycle. Here is how it works, the evidence behind it, and whether individual investors should bother.
StrategyOctober 12, 2026 · 7 min read
Understanding Sector Exposure: What Your Portfolio is Really Telling You
Learn how to analyze sector exposure in your investment portfolio to identify hidden concentrations, manage risk, and build a more resilient portfolio.
EducationOctober 8, 2026 · 5 min read
REITs Explained: How to Invest in Real Estate Through Your Portfolio
Learn what Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) are, how they work, their tax implications, and how to use REITs to add real estate exposure to your portfolio.
EducationOctober 5, 2026 · 5 min read
The Psychology of Investing: How Emotions Destroy Portfolio Returns
Learn about the cognitive biases and emotional traps that lead investors to make costly mistakes, and discover strategies to invest more rationally.
ComparisonOctober 1, 2026 · 4 min read
Prismfolio vs Empower: The Difference Nobody Talks About
Empower built a great portfolio dashboard. Then they attached a sales team to it. Here's what that means for self-directed investors.
EducationSeptember 30, 2026 · 5 min read
The Power of Compound Interest: Why Time Is Your Most Valuable Asset
Compound interest is the mechanism that turns modest savings into substantial wealth. Understanding it deeply - including what works against it - changes how you approach every financial decision.
EducationSeptember 28, 2026 · 5 min read
P/E Ratio and Other Valuation Metrics: A Practical Guide
Learn how to use the price-to-earnings ratio and other key valuation metrics to assess whether a stock or fund is overvalued, undervalued, or fairly priced.
How-ToSeptember 25, 2026 · 8 min read
Morningstar-Style Analysis: Understanding Portfolio X-Ray
Learn what Morningstar-style portfolio analysis is, how it works, and how Prismfolio brings powerful X-Ray features to your investment analysis.
StrategySeptember 23, 2026 · 10 min read
Investment Tax Strategies: Legally Pay Less on Your Portfolio
Learn smart, legal tax strategies for investors including tax-loss harvesting, asset location, and how to optimize your portfolio for after-tax returns.
StrategySeptember 18, 2026 · 6 min read
Inflation and Your Portfolio: How to Protect Your Wealth
Inflation erodes purchasing power over time. Learn which asset classes protect against inflation and how to build an inflation-resistant investment portfolio.
StrategySeptember 16, 2026 · 5 min read
Index Funds vs. Active Investing: The Data-Driven Answer
The debate is settled by data: learn why most active funds underperform index funds and when active management might make sense for your portfolio.
EducationSeptember 14, 2026 · 6 min read
How to Read a Fund Fact Sheet: A Beginner's Guide
Learn how to decode a mutual fund or ETF fact sheet, understand key metrics like expense ratio, turnover, holdings, and benchmark comparisons.
How-ToSeptember 11, 2026 · 5 min read
How to Read Your Brokerage Statement
Your monthly brokerage statement contains more useful information than most investors realize. Learn how to decode every section and spot the numbers that actually matter.
AnalysisSeptember 9, 2026 · 4 min read
How to Find the Hidden Fees in Your 401(k) and Brokerage Accounts
Most investors know their expense ratios. Almost nobody knows their 30-year dollar cost. Here's how to find it - and why the number is almost always larger than you expect.
How-ToSeptember 7, 2026 · 4 min read
How to Extract Your Portfolio from Major Brokerages
Step-by-step guide to importing your investment portfolio from Fidelity, Schwab, Vanguard, and other popular brokerages using Prismfolio.
How-ToSeptember 4, 2026 · 7 min read
How to Build Your First Investment Plan: A Step-by-Step Guide
A written investment plan is one of the most underused tools in personal finance. Here is how to create one that covers your goals, risk tolerance, asset allocation, account structure, and rebalancing rules.
StrategySeptember 2, 2026 · 5 min read
How Much Do You Actually Need to Retire?
The "25x rule" gives you a concrete retirement number - but where it comes from, when it breaks down, and how to calculate your own target matters just as much as the formula.
StrategyAugust 31, 2026 · 9 min read
Hidden Fees in Mutual Funds: What Your Brokerage Is Not Telling You
Discover the hidden fees that can erode your mutual fund returns, including 12b-1 fees, transaction costs, and revenue sharing arrangements.
StrategyAugust 28, 2026 · 5 min read
Growth vs Value Investing: Which Strategy Is Right for You?
Growth and value are two of the most enduring investment philosophies. Learn how each works, how they have historically performed, and how to decide which belongs in your portfolio.
EducationAugust 26, 2026 · 10 min read
ETF vs Mutual Fund: Which Is Right for Your Portfolio?
Understand the key differences between ETFs and mutual funds, including costs, tax efficiency, trading flexibility, and when to choose each type of investment.
EducationAugust 24, 2026 · 5 min read
ESG Investing Explained: What It Is, What It Costs, and Whether It Works
ESG investing has grown from a niche idea to a multi-trillion dollar category. But what do the letters actually mean, how are companies rated, and does aligning your portfolio with your values hurt your returns?
EducationAugust 21, 2026 · 5 min read
Emergency Fund vs. Investing: Where Should Your Money Go First?
Should you build an emergency fund or start investing? Learn the right order of financial operations and how to balance safety with long-term wealth building.
StrategyAugust 19, 2026 · 5 min read
Dollar-Cost Averaging: The Simple Strategy That Beats Market Timing
Understand how dollar-cost averaging works, why it reduces risk, and how to implement it in your investment portfolio to build wealth steadily over time.
StrategyAugust 17, 2026 · 6 min read
Dividend Investing: Building a Portfolio That Pays You Every Month
Learn how dividend investing works, how to evaluate dividend stocks and funds, and how to build a portfolio that generates consistent passive income.
StrategyAugust 14, 2026 · 7 min read
The Complete Guide to Portfolio Rebalancing
Learn when and how to rebalance your investment portfolio to maintain your target asset allocation and manage risk effectively.
StrategyAugust 12, 2026 · 6 min read
Capital Gains Tax Explained: How to Keep More of Your Investment Returns
Understand how capital gains taxes work, the difference between short-term and long-term rates, and smart strategies to minimize your tax burden when investing.
StrategyAugust 10, 2026 · 9 min read
Building a Diversified Portfolio: A Step-by-Step Guide
Learn how to construct a properly diversified investment portfolio that balances risk and return across asset classes, sectors, and geographies.
EducationAugust 7, 2026 · 6 min read
Asset Allocation by Life Stage: How Your Portfolio Should Evolve
Discover how the right asset allocation changes as you move from your 20s to retirement, and learn to build a portfolio that matches your life stage.
StrategyAugust 5, 2026 · 6 min read
Is the 60/40 Portfolio Dead? What the Data Actually Shows
The classic 60% stocks, 40% bonds portfolio has faced criticism in recent years. Examine the evidence and learn when this time-tested allocation still makes sense.
How-ToAugust 3, 2026 · 5 min read
How to Use Prismfolio's Fee Detector
Hidden fees are one of the biggest drags on investment returns. Here is a step-by-step guide to finding every fee in your portfolio using Prismfolio's Fee Detector.
CompanyJuly 31, 2026 · 5 min read
Why I Built a Chrome Extension Instead of Asking for Your Password
Every other portfolio tool starts with a Plaid connection. Prismfolio starts differently. Here's why - and what we give up by doing it this way.
CompanyJuly 29, 2026 · 5 min read
5 Features Prismfolio Will Never Build
Knowing what a tool refuses to do is as important as knowing what it does. Here are five things we've deliberately decided not to build - and why.
UpdatesJuly 27, 2026 · 3 min read
Welcome to Prismfolio
Introducing Prismfolio - a portfolio analysis tool that helps you understand diversification, sector exposure, concentration risk, and fund fees.