Building a Diversified Retirement Portfolio: My Three ETF Picks for November

Why ETFs Matter for Long-Term Retirement Investing

Exchange-traded funds have become indispensable tools for retirement investing, offering both simplicity and tax efficiency. This November, I’m committed to expanding my holdings across three distinct ETFs, each representing a different component of my overall buy thesis for portfolio diversification. The power of retirement accounts lies in their ability to compound small, consistent decisions into substantial wealth over decades.

Bitcoin Exposure Made Simple: The iShares Bitcoin Trust

When it comes to adding Bitcoin to a tax-sheltered retirement account, the iShares Bitcoin Trust (NASDAQ: IBIT) emerges as the practical choice. This spot ETF directly holds Bitcoin, eliminating the friction of managing self-custody while providing straightforward exposure to BTC within an IRA or similar account. The expense ratio stands at just 0.25% annually.

My buy thesis for Bitcoin centers on one fundamental principle: supply is controlled by mathematical protocol rather than central bank policy. This scarcity mechanism positions Bitcoin as a potential long-term store of value and inflation hedge—qualities particularly valuable in a retirement portfolio. While I continue to purchase Bitcoin directly outside my retirement account, IBIT enables me to build this position within a tax-advantaged structure seamlessly.

Market Foundation: The SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust

The SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSEMKT: SPY) forms the steady backbone of my retirement strategy—a position I plan to reinforce methodically over time. Tracking the S&P 500 index of 500 large-cap U.S. corporations, this fund captures approximately 80% of domestic equity market value at an ultra-low 0.09% annual cost.

Historical performance demonstrates the S&P 500’s resilience: despite recessions, inflation cycles, and market corrections, it has delivered roughly 10% average annual returns when dividends are reinvested. This consistency makes dollar-cost averaging into SPY a compelling approach. Rather than expecting overnight wealth creation, this ETF transforms patience into purchasing power over decades—a philosophy core to my retirement buy thesis.

The Emerging Opportunity: Canary XRP ETF

The newly launched Canary XRP ETF (NASDAQ: XRPC), which began trading November 13, represents my highest-risk allocation among these three. At a 0.5% expense ratio, this spot ETF provides direct U.S. exposure to XRP, the native token of the XRP Ledger, for the first time.

XRP’s architecture targets rapid, cost-effective payments with settlement in 3-5 seconds and negligible per-transaction fees. My buy thesis here is conditional: if financial institutions, payment processors, and asset managers increasingly utilize the XRP Ledger for cross-border transactions and tokenized real-world asset management, XRP demand will expand accordingly. Over a 10-year horizon, should XRP become central infrastructure for RWA adoption, upside potential could be substantial.

Previously, the friction of establishing a crypto wallet prevented me from building an XRP position. The launch of XRPC removes this barrier. I’m planning measured purchases starting soon, adding shares incrementally rather than committing capital in bulk—an approach aligned with disciplined retirement investing.

The Retirement Investing Framework

Success in retirement investing demands consistency, patience, and a clear buy thesis for each position. These three ETFs—Bitcoin exposure, broad equity diversification, and emerging tokenized finance infrastructure—collectively address different time horizons and risk profiles. By maintaining discipline through market cycles and leveraging tax-advantaged accounts, small monthly commitments compound into life-altering outcomes across a 20-30 year retirement timeline.