Richer Retirement Portfolio
May 30, 2007 – Nov 12, 2026, Rebalanced annually, BIL starts May 30, 2007
| Final balance | CAGR | Max drawdown | Sharpe ratio | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richer Retirement | $31,938 | +6.15% | −31.08% | 0.62 |
| S&P 500 | $70,431 | +10.55% | −55.19% | 0.61 |
| Final balance | CAGR | Max drawdown | Sharpe ratio | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richer Retirement | $31,938 | +6.15% | −31.08% | 0.62 |
| S&P 500 | $70,431 | +10.55% | −55.19% | 0.61 |
| Richer Retirement | S&P 500 | |
|---|---|---|
| Final balance | $31,938 | $70,431 |
| CAGR | +6.15% | +10.55% |
| Max drawdown | −31.08% | −55.19% |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.62 | 0.61 |
Loading the growth chart…
Growth of $10,000
Key metrics
| Return | Richer Retirement | S&P 500 |
|---|---|---|
| Final balance | $31,938 | $70,431 |
| Total return | +219.38% | +604.31% |
| CAGR | +6.15% | +10.55% |
| Calendar years | Richer Retirement | S&P 500 |
|---|---|---|
| Best year | +17.45% | +32.31% |
| Worst year | −16.47% | −36.80% |
| Positive years | 14 of 18 | 15 of 18 |
| Risk | Richer Retirement | S&P 500 |
|---|---|---|
| Max drawdown | −31.08% | −55.19% |
| Longest drawdown | 2.7 years | 4.9 years |
| Volatility (daily, annualized) | 10.64% | 19.68% |
| Risk-adjusted | Richer Retirement | S&P 500 |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratio | 0.62 | 0.61 |
| Sortino ratio | 0.86 | 0.86 |
| Calmar ratio | 0.20 | 0.19 |
Annual returns
| Year | Richer Retirement | S&P 500 |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | +11.24% | +21.71% |
| 2018 | −4.92% | −4.57% |
| 2019 | +17.08% | +31.22% |
| 2020 | +12.44% | +18.33% |
| 2021 | +9.75% | +28.73% |
| 2022 | −13.85% | −18.18% |
| 2023 | +11.40% | +26.18% |
| 2024 | +9.08% | +24.89% |
| 2025 | +13.22% | +17.72% |
| 2026 to Nov 12 | +6.43% | +11.89% |
Worst drawdowns
| Decline | Peak | Bottom | Recovered | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| −31.1% | Oct 2007 | Mar 2009 | Mar 2010 | 2.4 years |
| −20.1% | Nov 2021 | Oct 2022 | Jul 2024 | 2.7 years |
| −19.1% | Feb 2020 | Mar 2020 | Aug 2020 | 6 months |
| −12.4% | Apr 2011 | Oct 2011 | Feb 2012 | 9 months |
| −11.8% | Aug 2018 | Dec 2018 | Apr 2019 | 7 months |
About the Richer Retirement Portfolio
Bill Bengen is the financial planner behind the 4% rule for retirement withdrawals. His 1994 study used only large US stocks and intermediate Treasuries. His later research added small companies and raised the rate to 4.5% by 2006. In his 2025 book A Richer Retirement, he spread the stocks wider and added some cash. That took it to 4.7%.
Stocks get 55%, split equally between large, mid-size, small and very small US companies and international shares. Intermediate Treasuries get 40% and Treasury bills 5%.
Its worst fall took 2.4 years to recover, and it beat the S&P 500 in 2 of 18 full years.
Daily closes with dividends reinvested and fund fees included, before taxes and trading costs.