46% of Americans Use Multiple Investment Buckets: Should You?

The Charles Schwab Modern Wealth Survey 2025 found that 46% of American investors maintain a main investment portfolio alongside one or more smaller, separate portfolios designated for different financial goals, while 39% still rely on a single portfolio for everything, and 15% run multiple portfolios used roughly equally. Should you adopt this strategy?

Details

The survey revealed that 46% of US investors prefer to split their investments into separate buckets, maintaining a primary portfolio alongside smaller ones for specific goals such as retirement, education, or buying a home. In contrast, 39% still rely on a single portfolio for all goals, and 15% manage multiple portfolios roughly equally.

Among those running multiple accounts, 54% said they use separate portfolios to more easily track progress toward specific goals. Another 48% indicated that this strategy helps them avoid taking on too much or too little risk.

Context

These findings come amid growing interest in goal-based investing, where investors focus on achieving specific objectives rather than maximizing overall returns. Experts suggest that splitting investments across multiple portfolios can help better manage risk, especially given current market volatility.

What This Means for Investors

For Arab and Gulf investors, a multi-portfolio strategy may be useful for achieving multiple financial goals such as retirement, children's education, or real estate purchase. However, additional costs of managing several portfolios—such as trading fees and taxes—should be considered. It is advisable to consult a financial advisor to determine if this strategy suits your financial situation and goals.