Average investors will keep their portfolio of stocks with their broker (a broker is a firm that you use to execute trades on your behalf and hold the securities). They will be held in what's called "street name". That is you won't receive certificates and the named owner will be the broker, but the right to those shares and ownership of the shares is yours. There is extra cost involved for transferring ownership to you and to have paper copies. Not really cost effective.

If you would buy gold you would incur cost to store it, or you can buy investment products that invest in gold and gold businesses instead to avoid this. Otherwise people would have a safe or maintain a safety deposit box with a bank.

Any investment portfolio will change over time, and reflect your understanding and beliefs about the economy and markets in general.

It may have gold, or stocks, or canned goods, cash, cows, goats, real estate.

It's more of a concept of multiple investments as opposed to a single investment type.

An investment portfolio, Should you keep a physical portfolio with paper copies of stocks and amount of shares or ounces of gold or should it on the internet or both? I am 15, and as you can see, completely new to the market. Also, what is the best place to make/keep a portfolio.

Thanks for your restraint in laughing and your time :)

Regards, Mason.