Merriman 4-Fund Portfolio
| Final balance | CAGR | Max drawdown | Sharpe ratio | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merriman 4-Fund | $87,948 | +10.01% | −58.70% | 0.58 |
| S&P 500 | $101,020 | +10.68% | −55.19% | 0.64 |
| Final balance | CAGR | Max drawdown | Sharpe ratio | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merriman 4-Fund | $87,948 | +10.01% | −58.70% | 0.58 |
| S&P 500 | $101,020 | +10.68% | −55.19% | 0.64 |
| Merriman 4-Fund | S&P 500 | |
|---|---|---|
| Final balance | $87,948 | $101,020 |
| CAGR | +10.01% | +10.68% |
| Max drawdown | −58.70% | −55.19% |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.58 | 0.64 |
Loading the growth chart…
Growth of $10,000
Key metrics
| Return | Merriman 4-Fund | S&P 500 |
|---|---|---|
| Final balance | $87,948 | $101,020 |
| Total return | +779.48% | +910.20% |
| CAGR | +10.01% | +10.68% |
| Calendar years | Merriman 4-Fund | S&P 500 |
|---|---|---|
| Best year | +34.91% | +32.31% |
| Worst year | −35.26% | −36.80% |
| Positive years | 15 of 21 | 18 of 21 |
| Risk | Merriman 4-Fund | S&P 500 |
|---|---|---|
| Max drawdown | −58.70% | −55.19% |
| Longest drawdown | 3.8 years | 4.9 years |
| Volatility (daily, annualized) | 19.93% | 18.63% |
| Risk-adjusted | Merriman 4-Fund | S&P 500 |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratio | 0.58 | 0.64 |
| Sortino ratio | 0.81 | 0.90 |
| Calmar ratio | 0.17 | 0.19 |
Annual returns
| Year | Merriman 4-Fund | S&P 500 |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | +16.73% | +21.71% |
| 2018 | −7.92% | −4.57% |
| 2019 | +26.75% | +31.22% |
| 2020 | +11.44% | +18.33% |
| 2021 | +25.23% | +28.73% |
| 2022 | −11.79% | −18.18% |
| 2023 | +17.43% | +26.18% |
| 2024 | +16.85% | +24.89% |
| 2025 | +12.74% | +17.72% |
| 2026 to Nov 12 | +16.39% | +11.89% |
Worst drawdowns
| Decline | Peak | Bottom | Recovered | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| −58.7% | Jul 2007 | Mar 2009 | Apr 2011 | 3.8 years |
| −39.1% | Feb 2020 | Mar 2020 | Nov 2020 | 9 months |
| −24.0% | Apr 2011 | Oct 2011 | Mar 2012 | 10 months |
| −21.2% | Jan 2022 | Sep 2022 | Dec 2023 | 1.9 years |
| −21.0% | Sep 2018 | Dec 2018 | Jul 2019 | 10 months |
About the Merriman 4-Fund Portfolio
Paul Merriman's 4-Fund Combo splits the money equally between the S&P 500, large-cap value, small-cap and small-cap value stocks. It holds no bonds.
Merriman's foundation says the mix earned an average of 11.7% a year from 1928 through 2020, against 10.0% for the S&P 500. Small and value stocks earned more over that stretch. Over the years on this page they lagged, and the combo trailed the S&P 500.
Its worst fall took 3.8 years to recover, and it beat the S&P 500 in 9 of 21 full years.
Daily closes with dividends reinvested and fund fees included, before taxes and trading costs.