I don't know where you got the "4% general market growth," unless you looked only at bonds.  I invest in S&P 500 (SPX), and it has grown 14% YTD, which is in line with the 16% YTD growth for NANC and GOP.  Also, international stocks has outperformed US stocks in 2025, so the politicians probably have those in their portfolios too.  I invest in three international stocks.  VEMAX (Vanguard Emerging Markets Stock) has grown 22% YTD; VFWAX (Vanguard FTSE) is +25% YTD, and VTMGX (Vanguard Developed Markets Stock) is +26% YTD.  A portfolio that is properly diversified always gains more than portfolios that are not diversified or improperly diversified.

Good points, Kevin. I went back and updated the article to make it a little clearer. My numbers were from April when I started my test, not YTD, and I was using my baseline Schwab dividend fund as the comparison, which is why the 4% figure looked so low against the S&P. You're right that different start dates and benchmarks change the picture. NANC and GOP were in a bit of slump at that point. And yes, international diversification has been strong this year. My point wasn't about building the perfect portfolio, though - it's that politicians consistently manage to beat the averages in whatever markets they touch. That tells its own story.

Your Schwab fund is mainly for earning dividends, not for hoping to get higher market prices that match industry indices.  If you want to match indices like S&P 500 and Dow Jones, you need to invest in index funds instead, such as SWPPX (Schwab S&P 500 Index Fund), which has risen 15% YTD, just as you would expect because that's how much S&P 500 has risen.  I'm guessing NANC and GOP are composed of lots of investments in index funds as well.  If there is any "insider info," it is the not-so-secret knowledge known by most investors: index funds outperform actively-managed funds most of the times.  But no matter what you invest in, you need diversification: US stocks, foreign stocks, federal bonds, municipal bonds, growth funds, dividend funds, etc.  I personally don't invest much in dividend funds because I try to minimize my income taxes.

Kevin wise strategy. That's how my primary portfolio and my IRA are set up, but for this I was just doing a basic test. Figured SCHD would be a good baseline.