We show historical performance in two flavors: a run-of-the-mill historical backtest, as well as a "currentized" backtest that has been adjusted for today's historically low yields. Learn more about our currentized results.
Recent Performance Updated 05/20/2025
| MTD | YTD | 3 Yr * | 5 Yr * | 10 Yr * | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Growth of $10,000 | 10,123 | 10,478 | 12,406 | 13,467 | 16,138 |
| Percent Return | +1.2% | +4.8% | +7.5% | +6.1% | +4.9% |
Returns by Year
- How to display these results:
- Historical results
- Currentized results Shows how the portfolio might have performed if bond yields were as low as they are today. Learn more.
Hover over the chart for additional data. The results shown throughout our site include transaction costs and other real-world considerations. Learn more about our backtest assumptions.
Summary Stats 1970 to Present
| Statistic | Result | Statistic | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized Return | 7.4% | Real Return (Net of Inflation) | 3.3% |
| Worst 12-Month Loss (EOM) | -9.9% 02/2009 | Max Drawdown (EOM) | -9.9% |
| Sharpe Ratio | 0.54 | Sortino Ratio | 0.91 |
| Annualized Volatility | 5.2% | % Profitable Months | 66.5% |
- How to display these results:
- Historical results
- Currentized results Shows how the portfolio might have performed if bond yields were as low as they are today. Learn more.
See our FAQs for an explanation of the summary statistics shown here.
Rolling 12-Month Loss
- How to display these results:
- Historical results
- Currentized results Shows how the portfolio might have performed if bond yields were as low as they are today. Learn more.
- Drawdown Curve Drawdowns are different than N-month losses. Drawdown measures loss relative to the previous all-time high, regardless of time elapsed. Learn more.
This chart shows portfolio losses over the previous 12-months. This is an end-to-end measurement; intra-period losses are ignored. A value of zero would mean that the portfolio was up over the previous 12-months. Learn more. Hover over the chart for additional data.
Long-Term Returns
- How to display these results:
- Historical results
- Currentized results Shows how the portfolio might have performed if bond yields were as low as they are today. Learn more.
Returns have vary widely in any given year, but the longer one invested, the closer one came to the portfolio's long-term average return. This chart illustrates that dynamic by showing the min and max annual return earned (y-axis) based on the number of years invested (x-axis).
You'll notice that the two lines are very far apart at one year, indicating a lot of near-term uncertainty. The longer the portfolio was held, the more the two lines converge as the uncertainty about long-term returns was reduced. Hover over the chart for additional data.