Phase 3: From One Million to Intelligent Preservation
How to Protect Your Capital and Keep Growing in the Final Stage
Reaching your first million is a milestone. It changes the way you see money. In Phase 1, you fought to build. In Phase 2, you fought to multiply. And in Phase 3, your mindset shifts again: the priority is no longer to “risk it all” but to protect what you’ve already achieved.
This doesn’t mean you stop growing. It means you grow differently—less adrenaline, more consistency. With €1,000,000 on the table, a single mistake won’t take you back to zero, but it could set you back years. Conversely, a well-structured, more conservative strategy could turn that €1M into €1.2M or even €1.5M in just two years—without sleepless nights.
The Key: All Weather, Adapted for 2025 - 2035
The best inspiration for this stage comes from Ray Dalio’s All Weather philosophy. The principle is simple: don’t try to predict the future—be prepared for any scenario. Inflation, deflation, growth, recession… no matter what happens, a part of your portfolio will perform.
But it’s not about copying a model created 20 years ago. In 2025, the context is different:
Global ETFs are bigger than ever.
The weight of technology and AI is structural.
Crypto is no longer an experiment—it’s a recognized asset class.
That’s why the “All Weather 2025” portfolio isn’t a standard recipe, but an adaptation.
The Portfolio: Protect + Grow
A realistic distribution for this stage could look like this:
40% Global Equities: CSPX (S&P500), CNDX (Nasdaq 100), and VWCE (All World). This keeps you tied to the global economy and the world’s leading tech giants.
20% Quality Bonds: U.S. Treasuries at 10 years (VGIT) and global investment-grade bonds (BNDX). This block protects you in a recession.
20% Real Assets: Gold (SGLN), global REITs (IWDP), and a small allocation to commodities. These shield you from inflation and shocks.
10% Crypto: BTC and ETH as digital reserve assets. Here you’re not chasing a x10, but recognizing their structural role.
10% Tactical Cash: capital available to deploy in downturns or seize new opportunities.
Why This Structure Works
If the global economy grows → equities deliver.
If recession hits → bonds rally.
If inflation surges → gold and commodities protect.
If technology keeps booming → the Nasdaq accelerates.
If the financial system wobbles → Bitcoin is your alternative hedge.
No matter what happens, there’s always one block working for you. That’s the essence of All Weather.
Numerical Example
Start with €1,000,000:
Equities deliver 8–10% annually → €80,000–100,000 in two years.
Bonds add 3–4% → ~€15,000.
Gold and REITs return 10–15% → €20,000–30,000.
Crypto, even with just a moderate x2, turns €100,000 into €200,000.
Tactical cash, deployed in downturns, adds another €10,000–20,000.
Result: in two years you could realistically be between €1.3M and €1.5M, without betting everything on a single card.
Conclusion
Phase 3 is not less exciting—it’s more strategic. You’re no longer competing with risk; you’re competing with your own impatience. The game changes forever once you realize that long-term freedom comes not from doubling every year, but from preserving and steadily compounding wealth.
Getting to €1M is hard. Keeping it—and letting it grow calmly, intelligently, and resiliently—is what separates those who stay wealthy from those who lose it all.
So the question you need to ask yourself isn’t:
“How do I double again in a year?”
But rather:
“How do I ensure this capital works for me for decades, without ever forcing me to start from zero again?”
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Although this framework is designed to be evergreen, make sure to run it through an AI update the year you are reading this—because the technological, geopolitical, and financial context may have already changed.
Jorge Urios