Free checklist
The annual portfolio review checklist
Once a year, one hour, everything on this list. Pick a recurring date you will keep (many use ISA season, early March). More often than yearly is usually tinkering in disguise.
- 1
Recompute your net worth
Assets minus liabilities, same spreadsheet as last year. The year-on-year direction is the single most honest measure of the whole system working.
- 2
Check allocation against target
Equities, bonds, cash: what did you intend, what is actual? Drift beyond 5 percentage points earns a rebalance; the helper computes the exact trades.
- 3
Rebalance the cheap way
Point new contributions at the underweights before selling anything. Outside wrappers, selling costs tax; redirecting costs nothing.
- 4
Audit every fee once
Platform, funds, FX. Balances change, and the cheapest fee model at £10,000 is often wrong at £100,000. An hour here is routinely worth four figures.
- 5
Re-read the thesis on every individual holding
One line each: why do I still own this? Anything without an answer goes on the sell-checklist, not straight to the sell button.
- 6
Check concentration
Any single stock above 10%? Any theme quietly at 40%? Winners are lovely and they still need weighing.
- 7
Use the allowances before 5 April
ISA room (£20,000), pension contributions against the £60,000 allowance, the £3,000 CGT exempt amount. Gone if unused.
- 8
Update beneficiaries and access
Nomination forms on pensions, a written note of where accounts live, passwords somewhere your family could find. Ten minutes; enormous kindness.
- 9
Review the savings rate, not just the investments
Did contributions rise with your income? The rate at which you add money matters more than everything above.
- 10
Book next year's review
Same date, calendar invite, done. Consistency is the entire trick.
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Educational information, not financial advice. Figures current as of July 2026 where dated; allowances and rates change, so check the source before acting.