The share market is one of the best avenues for ordinary Australians to build wealth. Anyone over 18 with at least $500 to spare can invest in ASX shares. Given these shares are chosen prudently, they can compound over years, snowballing to deliver exponentially increasing returns.
Choosing those shares is the hard part, of course. With so many options on the ASX alone, it can be overwhelming to sift through the wheat to find the proverbial chaff.
To make things easier, I've concocted a simple, three-stock ASX share portfolio that I think any investor, beginner or veteran, can construct with confidence if they are hoping to build long-term wealth.
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A simple ASX stock portfolio for building wealth
First up, investors can consider investing in Argo Investments Ltd (ASX: ARG). Argo is a listed investment company (LIC). This means it holds an underlying portfolio of investments, which the company manages on behalf of its shareholders. In Argo's case, these underlying investments are mostly blue-chip ASX shares, ranging (as of 31 December) from BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) and Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) to Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) and Aristocrat Leisure Ltd (ASX: ALL).
Since Argo manages this portfolio, investors can sit back and forget about buying and selling the right ASX shares. In this way, Argo is a fantastic choice for investors who want to invest in Australian shares but are happy to outsource the hard work.
In that vein, MFF Capital Investments Ltd (ASX: MFF) is a complementary investment to Argo. MFF is another LIC. Instead of holding a portfolio of Australian shares, it opts for the best stocks on the American markets to build wealth for shareholders. MFF has always followed a long-term buy-and-hold mindset. Many of its largest holdings, including Meta Platforms, Google owner Alphabet, Mastercard, and American Express, have been in its portfolio for years.
Adding companies of this world-leading calibre to a portfolio is, in my view, a great way to complement Argo's Australian blue chips.
Our final investment is another inherently diversified, passive-friendly choice. It is the Vanguard Diversified High Growth Index ETF (ASX: VDHG). This exchange-traded fund (ETF) is really a collection of different index funds. It offers investors exposure to the entire ASX, as well as international markets, emerging markets, and international small companies. It also has a small allocation to fixed-interest investments.
This 'ETF of ETFs' is a highly diversified passive investment that offers exposure to almost all corners of global markets.
Foolish takeaway
This simple three-stock portfolio may suit an investor looking to passively build wealth using stocks. You are getting some of the ASX's most reliable blue-chip shares through Argo. MFF complements them with some of America's best companies, while Vanguard's VDHG ETF adds a layer of diversification to the mix. If I were starting an investing journey in 2026, dividing your capital equally between these three investments would, at least in my view, be a good place to start building wealth.
