I am fortunate enough to have built a very sizeable six-figure ASX share portfolio at 35.

It has taken a number of years of making good choices and putting money to work that has led to the financial position that I’m in today, as well as a dose of luck.

I’m very lucky to live in one of the best countries in the world, where there are various tools that help regular people grow their net worth.

There are plenty of countries that don’t have well-paid work, tax-efficient retirement savings, a reliable banking system, franking credits, reliable utilities, or huge quantities of valuable resources. Without many of those, I wouldn’t be sitting here with the portfolio I do have. Of course, those advantages Australians have are on a society-level. What we personally do is very important too.

In a moment, I’m going to outline three factors that my household has worked on in the last several years.

Before getting to what I’ve done, I just want to note that everyone is on their own financial journey with different starting points, income levels, family support, and so on. We’re not ‘racing’ other people, we’re just trying to get ahead of ourselves.

Think about your current financial picture – it’s the culmination of all the actions and decisions made up to this point. Almost any Australian can make a big difference to their wealth over the next decade.

Of course, having a 10% larger portfolio doesn’t mean I’ll be 10% happier or have fewer life responsibilities. But, building towards a goal is motivating, and having financial freedom would be a great position to be in.

Over the last ten years, I’ve diligently followed a step-by-step plan to help reach a six-figure ASX share portfolio. In the next decade, I hope to reach my financial goals by following the same plan. Let’s run through what I’m doing.

Save and earn

The core foundation of most households’ finances is the income they generate from their work, whether that’s as an employee, business owner, or in another form of work. My household’s finances are also driven by work earnings.

Our current financial position is the embodiment of the choices we make. What we do with money then decides how our financial picture evolves over the months and years.

How much we earn, how much we pay for the roof over our heads, the cost of the car (or public transport), the cost of the food we eat, and so on. It all counts.

If someone wants to improve their finances, then increasing earnings is one of the best things you can do. But try to ensure that lifestyle inflation doesn’t eat into the income gain. Some people may have an income problem, while some households may have a spending problem. Earning more could just mean having more to spend rather than putting it into building wealth.

The close-to-minimum-wage full-time job that I had when I first started renting was enough to pay for the essentials, save $200 per month into a savings account, and focus on free entertainment and activities. I just about made it work (with my partner), but we started with a savings mindset and always wanted to avoid debt in life (aside from a future mortgage).

Thankfully, with a growth mindset, investing in useful qualifications, and joining The Motley Fool writing team, my household income increased so that we could start saving a solid amount each month. Household income can come from any industry. Some of those savings went into investing in ASX shares.

Remember, it’s what we save rather than what we earn that ultimately decides how much we can invest each year.

Personal finances are the foundation of building wealth. Good foundations will help build wealth, while overspending or debt can be very problematic.

Invest in ASX shares and ETFs

Having money in a savings account is a good step. It generates interest income and can serve as an emergency fund when we need accessible money.

But, I don’t think interest alone is powerful enough to help grow wealth when inflation eats away at the value of a dollar.

I think shares are the best way to grow wealth because they can deliver capital growth, dividends, and dividend growth.

The compounding effects of the share market are much more powerful than savings accounts.

The investment that has added the most wealth to my net worth has been the investment conglomerate Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Co Ltd (ASX: SOL), which has a great track record of delivering dividend growth and capital growth over the past three decades with its growing portfolio of assets.

There are plenty of quality exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that can help investors gain exposure to great businesses for a low cost, such as Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF (ASX: VGS), VanEck MSCI International Quality ETF (ASX: QUAL), or Betashares Global Quality Leaders ETF (ASX: QLTY).

Ultimately, I’m investing in things I think will perform well over five or ten years, not just the next six months or a year.

There’s no one right way to invest and grow wealth. I’ve gone for a mixture of ASX dividend shares and ASX growth shares. A lot of this website (including subscription services) is about choosing the right investments. Just pick something you could see yourself owning for five, ten, or even more years into the future, even if there’s uncertainty.

Think long-term

Compounding is a very powerful force that helps our investments grow in value over time. A $1,000 investment can double in value in eight years if it grows by 10% per year.

I’m not looking to trade in and out of ASX shares. I’m not thinking with a one-year investment time horizon.

Investing for the long term has allowed me to ignore short-term noise. It doesn’t matter what happens in 2026 if I’m investing with 2036 or 2046 in mind.

Heavy market sell-offs are painful in the moment. But, I’d view them as the worst time to sell and the best time to buy. I’d rather buy assets at lower prices than at higher prices. I regularly invest every month, but market declines get me more excited to invest.

Thankfully, my household was able to invest materially during the COVID volatility in 2020 and the inflation troubles of 2022 and 2023. If something else happens, I’ll invest heavily again and be greedy when others are fearful.

With a long-term goal of growing wealth and keeping the ‘why we’re doing it’ in mind, we’re steadily reaching our financial goals and I’d love to have a $1 million ASX share portfolio one day, though that’s still a long way away.

The post The 3 factors that have helped me build a six-figure ASX share portfolio at 35 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• 3 excellent ASX ETFs for beginners in 2027
• How much is needed in superannuation to target a $100,000 annual passive income?
• 17 ASX shares going ex-dividend next week
• 3 strong ASX ETFs for investors who want quality

Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has positions in VanEck Msci International Quality ETF and Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Vanguard Msci Index International Shares ETF. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

The Arena REIT (ASX: ARF) share price is in focus after the real estate investment trust shared an update on its Edge Early Learning portfolio, with rent continuing to be received on all 27 affected properties.

What did Arena REIT report?

• Arena is receiving rent on all 27 properties leased to Edge Early Learning.
• The administrator of Edge has entered binding agreements or term sheets to sell 22 early learning centre businesses to six parties.
• The transactions cover all seven Arena-owned properties currently operated by Edge.
• Four proposed new tenants: Montessori Academy (2 centres) and three experienced operators for the remaining 5 centres in Queensland.
• Arena holds a $4 million bank guarantee and security deposits over the Edge leases.

What else do investors need to know?

Arena is currently conducting due diligence on the proposed assignments of leases for the impacted Arena-owned centres. These transactions are still subject to confirmatory checks, final documentation, regulatory approvals, and the formal transfer of service licences.

Of the four Edge centres that are directly controlled by Arena, one has signed lease documentation and two have term sheets with Montessori Academy—pending regulatory approval. The trust continues to reserve its legal rights and is actively managing risk through security held over the leases.

What’s next for Arena REIT?

Arena will continue due diligence before consenting to the assignment of leases. Outcomes will depend on completion of transactions and regulatory consents. The trust has secured its income stream in the near term and will update investors as further developments occur with the Edge Early Learning portfolio.

Arena’s broader strategy remains focused on its core social infrastructure properties in the early learning and healthcare sectors, supported by a diversified tenant base.

Arena REIT share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, Arena REIT shares have declined 39%, trailing the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO), which has declined 1% over the same period.

View Original Announcement

The post Arena REIT provides Edge Early Learning update appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• How much is needed in superannuation to target $2,000 a week in passive income
• 3 ASX real estate investment trusts paying a dividend yield of more than 7%
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• Arena REIT shares in focus as Edge Early Learning lease update issued
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today

Motley Fool contributor Laura Stewart has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips. This article was prepared with the assistance of Large Language Model (LLM) tools for the initial summary of the company announcement. Any content assisted by AI is subject to our robust human-in-the-loop quality control framework, involving thorough review, substantial editing, and fact-checking by our experienced writers and editors holding appropriate credentials. The Motley Fool Australia stands behind the work of our editorial team and takes ultimate responsibility for the content published by The Motley Fool Australia.

Capricorn Metals vs PDI Gold shares: which has more upside?

Gold miners are back in the spotlight, and many investors are weighing up where the biggest opportunities still lie. Today I’m comparing Capricorn Metals Ltd (ASX: CMM) and PDI Gold Ltd (ASX: PDI), two top-performing gold stocks on the ASX. If you’re looking to ride the next wave in gold, which company has more upside left? Here’s my deep dive.

The case for Capricorn Metals

Capricorn Metals is a Perth-based gold producer with two main projects: Karlawinda, an established operation in the Pilbara, and the recently acquired Mt Gibson in Western Australia’s Mid-West. The business is focused on growing through ongoing exploration and increasing its gold output. According to its most recent corporate description, Capricorn holds a resource base of 4.4 million ounces and has proven reserves of 1.3 million ounces—a strong foundation for future production.

From a fundamentals perspective, a few points stand out:

• Market capitalisation: $6.74 billion, making it a substantial player in the Aussie gold sector
• P/E ratio: 23.39, so investors are paying a decent premium for its earnings compared to many miners
• Dividend yield: 0.68%, fully franked, with dividends paid twice a year (most recently $0.05 per share final in October 2026 and $0.05 interim in April 2026)
• EPS: $0.630 per share
• Year to date return: 3.2%

Capricorn Metals also stands out for paying consistent, fully franked dividends—a rarity among local gold companies, even if the yield itself is modest.

The case for PDI Gold

PDI Gold Ltd, formerly Predictive Discovery, is a gold developer focused on West Africa. The flagship Bankan Gold Project in Guinea positions it as a major player in the region. Following its late 2025 merger with Robex Resources, PDI now controls a combination of two of the largest gold developments in West Africa. This gives it a substantial footprint and exposure to a region that’s seen strong recent interest from global gold investors.

Here are the highlights from the current fundamentals:

• Market capitalisation: $4.42 billion
• P/E ratio: Not applicable (the company is not yet profitable, with earnings per share at -$0.110)
• No dividends paid to date
• Shares outstanding: 988.17 million
• Year to date return: 21.6%

What really leaps out is PDI’s explosive recent performance—the share price has surged over 21% so far this year. While it’s still firmly in the development and exploration stage with no profits or dividends, investors have clearly been backing its growth story, especially after the transformative Robex merger.

Valuation comparison

With both companies operating in the gold space but at different stages, a few contrasting points stand out:

Metric	Capricorn Metals	PDI Gold
Market Cap	$6.74 billion	$4.42 billion
P/E Ratio	23.39	N/A (loss-making)
EPS	$0.630	-$0.110
Dividend Yield	0.68% (fully franked)	0.00%
YTD Return	3.2%	21.6%

Capricorn is a profitable, dividend-paying producer with a moderate earnings multiple. PDI, by contrast, is a larger-scale explorer and developer with no profits (so no P/E ratio or dividends), but its bigger market cap reflects market optimism about future cash flows. Note: PDI Gold’s lack of a P/E or earnings yield is simply because it’s not profitable yet. Both operate in gold, but investors are paying for current profit in Capricorn and for future growth in PDI.

Recent share price momentum

Comparing recent share price performance up to 9 October 2026:

• Capricorn Metals closed at $14.74 on 9 October 2026, up 1.4% for the day but only up 3.2% for the year to date. The last month saw a few sharp swings but overall a fairly flat trend.
• PDI Gold closed at $4.47 on 9 October 2026. It’s delivered a stunning 21.6% year-to-date return, with several recent upswings—especially after the Robex merger hype. The price is holding high after a stretch of volatility.

Both companies have seen volatility, but PDI Gold has handsomely outperformed Capricorn Metals so far in 2026.

Which is the better buy?

If I had to pick just one for more upside from here, I’d lean toward PDI Gold. The company has already run hot in 2026, and while that adds risk, I think its combination with Robex and focus on a major African resource hub puts it in a structural growth sweet spot. There are clear risks—no profit or dividend yet, and gold mine development in West Africa carries geopolitical and project execution complexity. But the market is backing PDI as an emerging powerhouse, and momentum is clear. By contrast, Capricorn Metals looks like the safer, steadier choice—it’s profitable, already producing, and pays fully franked dividends. But its muted recent performance and richer P/E make me think the biggest gains may have already been captured for now. For investors with the stomach for more volatility and who want exposure to the next big gold story, my pick would be PDI Gold.

The post Capricorn Metals vs PDI Gold: Which high-flying ASX gold stock has more upside left? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• This up-and-coming ASX gold producer could rise more than 50%: Broker
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Tuesday

Motley Fool contributor Laura Stewart has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips. This article was prepared with the assistance of Large Language Model (LLM) tools for the initial draft. Any content assisted by AI is subject to our robust human-in-the-loop quality control framework, involving thorough review, substantial editing, and fact-checking by our experienced writers and editors holding appropriate credentials. The Motley Fool Australia stands behind the work of our editorial team and takes ultimate responsibility for the content published by The Motley Fool Australia.