Let’s be honest: checking your investment portfolio can feel like checking your credit card statement after a vacation—necessary, but terrifying. For beginners, it’s easy to think that investing means being glued to the stock ticker every day, analyzing charts, or reading company earnings reports while sipping black coffee at 5 a.m.

Good news: none of that is required.

In fact, the best investors often take a very boring approach (hey, that’s our whole thing). One simple habit that can make you feel more confident about your money is doing a monthly “portfolio checkup.” This is not some stressful deep dive. It’s a light-touch, no-panic routine that takes three minutes or less—and yes, even if you’re a total beginner, you can absolutely do this.

Here’s how.

Start by logging in. That’s it—step one. Open up whatever app or account you use to invest. It might be something like Fidelity, Robinhood, Acorns, or whatever your workplace uses for retirement. Even if you’re only investing a little, getting familiar with the numbers on your screen helps you build confidence. It’s not about memorizing charts or chasing trends. It’s about saying: “Hey, I’m paying attention.”

The next thing to look for is the big picture. What’s your total balance? Don’t panic if it went down this month. That happens. Markets go up and down all the time. What you want to notice is whether your investments still match what you’re trying to do. Are you investing for retirement? Saving for a house in five years? Just learning the ropes? These goals help shape how you think about what’s happening in your account.

Now, take a glance at your mix of investments. You don’t need a finance degree to do this. Just look at how your money is split. Are you mostly in stocks? A few bonds? Maybe you’ve got a target-date fund that does the heavy lifting for you. If you’re using one of those beginner-friendly portfolios (like a total market index fund or a 60/40 stock/bond split), all you really need to do is make sure it hasn’t drifted too far off course. If your stocks have soared and now make up 90% of your portfolio, it might be time to rebalance. But for most beginners, once a year is enough to adjust—this checkup is just about staying aware.

This is also a great time to check in on your contributions. Did money go in this month? If not, was that on purpose? Regular investing, even small amounts, is what helps your portfolio grow over time. It’s not sexy. It’s not flashy. But dollar-cost averaging—where you invest the same amount regularly—is how a lot of people quietly build wealth in the background of their lives.

Now comes the most important part of the checkup: don’t do anything drastic.

This is a temperature check, not a surgery. You are not here to fix everything or respond emotionally to what you see. You are just making sure things are still on track. If you notice something weird—like a fund you don’t remember buying, or a drop that seems way bigger than the overall market—it might be worth making a note to ask about it later or look deeper. But don’t feel pressure to act immediately. Most mistakes happen when people panic and start tinkering.

One big reason people don’t stick with investing is that they think they’re doing it wrong or not doing enough. But just showing up and checking in—without freaking out or making big changes—is already doing a lot. This little monthly habit reminds you that your investments are a tool, not a test. You’re not being graded. You’re learning. You’re growing. And you’re staying engaged without making it your entire personality.

If this checkup becomes part of your monthly routine, like paying your phone bill or changing your toothbrush, you’ll start to see how your money is working for you over time. You’ll catch little problems before they become big ones. And you’ll feel less anxious when market headlines start screaming about crashes or corrections. You’ll know your portfolio. You’ll know your plan. And most importantly, you’ll know that you don’t need to obsess over your investments to be a good investor.

One last tip? Do your checkup at the same time every month—first Sunday morning with your coffee, or the last Friday before payday. Set a reminder if you need to. The goal isn’t perfection. It’s consistency. That’s what builds confidence.

So, to recap (without making a list, we promise): log in, look around, note your balance, check your mix, peek at your contributions, and—above all—don’t panic. That’s it. Three minutes, once a month.

Boring? You bet. But in the world of investing, boring is beautiful.