50/50 Portfolio
Apr 10, 2007 – Sep 23, 2026, Rebalanced annually
| Final balance | CAGR | Max drawdown | Sharpe ratio | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50/50 | $39,174 | 7.27% | −27.82% | 0.77 |
| S&P 500 | $75,807 | 10.97% | −55.19% | 0.63 |
| 50/50 | S&P 500 | |
|---|---|---|
| Final balance | $39,174 | $75,807 |
| CAGR | 7.27% | 10.97% |
| Max drawdown | −27.82% | −55.19% |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.77 | 0.63 |
Allocation
- VTIUS total stock market50%
- BNDUS total bond market50%
Loading the growth chart…
Growth of $10,000
- 50/50
- S&P 500
Metrics
| Return | 50/50 | S&P 500 |
|---|---|---|
| Final balance | $39,174 | $75,807 |
| Total return | 291.74% | 658.07% |
| CAGR | 7.27% | 10.97% |
| Calendar years | 50/50 | S&P 500 |
| Best year | 19.75% | 32.31% |
| Worst year | −16.32% | −36.80% |
| Positive years | 15 of 18 | 15 of 18 |
| Risk | 50/50 | S&P 500 |
| Max drawdown | −27.82% | −55.19% |
| Longest drawdown | 2.4 years | 4.9 years |
| Volatility (annualized) | 9.80% | 19.64% |
| Risk-adjusted | 50/50 | S&P 500 |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.77 | 0.63 |
| Sortino ratio | 1.08 | 0.89 |
| Calmar ratio | 0.26 | 0.20 |
| Return | 50/50 | S&P 500 |
|---|---|---|
| Final balance | $39,174 | $75,807 |
| Total return | 291.74% | 658.07% |
| CAGR | 7.27% | 10.97% |
| Calendar years | 50/50 | S&P 500 |
| Best year | 19.75% | 32.31% |
| Worst year | −16.32% | −36.80% |
| Positive years | 15 of 18 | 15 of 18 |
| Risk | 50/50 | S&P 500 |
|---|---|---|
| Max drawdown | −27.82% | −55.19% |
| Longest drawdown | 2.4 years | 4.9 years |
| Volatility (annualized) | 9.80% | 19.64% |
| Risk-adjusted | 50/50 | S&P 500 |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.77 | 0.63 |
| Sortino ratio | 1.08 | 0.89 |
| Calmar ratio | 0.26 | 0.20 |
Worst drawdowns
| Decline | Peak | Bottom | Recovered |
|---|---|---|---|
| −27.8% | Oct 2007 | Mar 2009 | Mar 2010 |
| −20.6% | Dec 2021 | Oct 2022 | Mar 2024 |
| −18.6% | Feb 2020 | Mar 2020 | Jul 2020 |
| −10.1% | Aug 2018 | Dec 2018 | Mar 2019 |
| −9.8% | Dec 2024 | Apr 2025 | Jun 2025 |
Annual returns
| Year | 50/50 | S&P 500 |
|---|---|---|
| 2007* | +4.05% | +2.57% |
| 2008 | −15.06% | −36.80% |
| 2009 | +16.27% | +26.35% |
| 2010 | +11.81% | +15.06% |
| 2011 | +4.45% | +1.89% |
| 2012 | +9.70% | +15.99% |
| 2013 | +15.67% | +32.31% |
| 2014 | +9.18% | +13.46% |
| 2015 | +0.46% | +1.23% |
| 2016 | +7.67% | +12.00% |
| 2017 | +12.61% | +21.71% |
| 2018 | −2.56% | −4.57% |
| 2019 | +19.75% | +31.22% |
| 2020 | +14.40% | +18.33% |
| 2021 | +11.91% | +28.73% |
| 2022 | −16.32% | −18.18% |
| 2023 | +15.85% | +26.18% |
| 2024 | +12.60% | +24.89% |
| 2025 | +12.09% | +17.72% |
| 2026* | +5.84% | +13.47% |
* Partial year
About the 50/50 Portfolio
The 50/50 portfolio holds equal parts stocks and bonds. It gives up some of the 60/40's growth for smaller drops. The Couch Potato is the same split with inflation-protected bonds.
In 2008 it lost less than half as much as the stock market. In 2022 bonds fell too, and the gap was much smaller.
The 50/50 Portfolio returned 7.3% a year from Apr 2007 to Sep 2026, against 11.0% for the S&P 500. Its biggest drop was 27.8%, against 55.2% for the S&P 500. It took 2.4 years to recover. It beat the S&P 500 in 4 of 18 full years.
Uses daily closing prices with dividends reinvested. Fund fees are included, but not taxes or trading costs. The backtest starts on Apr 10, 2007, the first day both funds have prices. The S&P 500 is SPY.