VB 15% · VTI 15% · BSV 10% · HYG 10% · LTPZ 10% · VGK 10% · VPL 10% · VWO 10% · GDX 5% · VNQ 5% CAGR +6.2%
SPY CAGR +12.0%
Shaded: major market crises Bear Market (2022)
Gone Fishin' Portfolio
VB 15% · VTI 15% · BSV 10% · HYG 10% · LTPZ 10% · VGK 10% · VPL 10% · VWO 10% · GDX 5% · VNQ 5% · Short-term bonds · Sector & thematic equity · High-yield bonds
Alexander Green · The Gone Fishin' Portfolio · 2008Sources (3)
5yr · 2021.10 – 2026.10 · $10,000 lump sum · monthly rebalancing · dividends reinvested · no taxes or fees · month-end
Final Balance $13,524
Invested $10,000
Gain +$3,524
SPY alone: $17,597
Annualized return +6.2%
5.8pp behind SPY
Max drawdown · month-end -23.6%
22 months from trough to recovery
SPY -23.9%
Loss after a 1-year hold 16%
8 of 49 past windows
None when held 3+ years
SPY 12%
Performance ⌄
Performance
Over 5 years it grew 1.4x; SPY grew 1.8x over the same period.
Calendar-year returns
Of 4 complete years: 1 with a loss, 2 ahead of SPY.
Show as a table
| Year | Selected allocation | SPY | In-year low |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | +20.9% | +17.7% | -1.2% |
| 2024 | +8.8% | +24.9% | -3.9% |
| 2023 | +14.2% | +26.2% | -9.7% |
| 2022 | -16.7% | -18.2% | -23.6% |
Depending on when you bought
Every month in the window taken as a start, held one, three or five years.
Observed windows overlap and are not independent samples. These shares are not probabilities of future gains.
Risk & recovery
The deepest fall was -23.6%, regained 22 months after the low. During the Bear Market (2022) it returned -20.0%, while SPY returned -19.7%.
Holdings
By asset class: equities 65% · bonds 30% · real estate 5%. Its dividend yield over the last 12 months was 3.0%; the results reinvest dividends.
- VBVanguard Morningstar Small-Cap ETF 15%
- VTIVanguard Morningstar Total Stock Market ETF 15%
An ETF investing across the U.S. equity market.
- BSVVanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund ETF Shares 10%
- HYGiShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF 10%
- LTPZPIMCO 15+ Year U.S. TIPS Index Exchange-Traded Fund 10%
- VGKVanguard FTSE Europe ETF 10%
- VPLVanguard FTSE Pacific Index Fund ETF Shares 10%
- VWOVanguard FTSE Emerging Markets Index Fund ETF Shares 10%
- GDXVanEck Gold Miners ETF 5%
- VNQVanguard Real Estate Index Fund ETF Shares 5%
An ETF investing in U.S. real estate equities.
Where this allocation comes fromAlexander Green · The Gone Fishin' Portfolio · 2008
Also known as: The Gone Fishin' Portfolio · Gone Fishing Portfolio · Alexander Green Gone Fishin' Portfolio
Ten assets: US large and small caps, European, Pacific and emerging stocks, short-term corporate, high-yield and TIPS bonds, REITs and gold miners.
| Asset in the source | Weight | Lifolio ETF |
|---|---|---|
| US total stock market | 15% | VTI |
| US small-cap blend | 15% | VB |
| European stocks | 10% | VGK |
| Pacific stocks | 10% | VPL |
| Emerging-market stocks | 10% | VWO |
| US short-term investment-grade bonds | 10% | BSV |
| US high-yield corporate bonds | 10% | HYG |
| US long-term TIPS | 10% | LTPZ |
| US REITs | 5% | VNQ |
| Gold-mining stocks | 5% | GDX |
Uses the ETF list in the second edition (2021): long TIPS (LTPZ) for the inflation slot and gold-mining stocks (GDX), not bullion. LTPZ listed in September 2009, so history starts then.
Source: media.wiley.com whitecoatinvestor.com optimizedportfolio.com
Lifolio is not affiliated with or endorsed by the people or organizations cited. Figures are historical simulations under Lifolio's standard conditions. Sources checked 2026-11-01.
Questions & methodology
What does the Gone Fishin' Portfolio hold?
Vanguard Morningstar Small-Cap ETF (VB) Vanguard Morningstar Total Stock Market ETF (VTI): An ETF investing across the U.S. equity market. Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund ETF Shares (BSV) iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF (HYG) PIMCO 15+ Year U.S. TIPS Index Exchange-Traded Fund (LTPZ) Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF (VGK) Vanguard FTSE Pacific Index Fund ETF Shares (VPL) Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets Index Fund ETF Shares (VWO) VanEck Gold Miners ETF (GDX) Vanguard Real Estate Index Fund ETF Shares (VNQ): An ETF investing in U.S. real estate equities.
What were the return and risk of the Gone Fishin' Portfolio?
From 2021.10 to 2026.10, the annualized return was +6.2% and the largest month-end drawdown was -23.6%. The Sharpe ratio (return for the risk) is 0.23.
How did it compare with holding SPY alone?
From 2021.10 to 2026.10, the annualized return was +6.2% for these weights and +12.0% for SPY. Over the same window the largest month-end drawdown was -23.6% for these weights and -23.9% for SPY.
How far did the Gone Fishin' Portfolio fall, and how long did it take to get back?
Over the selected 5 years, the largest month-end decline was -23.6%, from a high in 2021.12 to a low in 2022.09. It regained the old high 22 months after the low.
Are dividends, taxes and exchange rates included?
Dividends are reinvested and results are in USD. Taxes, currency moves against your home currency and trading fees are not included. These results use US-listed ETFs; Korea-listed ETFs such as KODEX and TIGER can be added in the backtest.
The server calculates portfolio examples and actual user allocations with the same period, starting balance and settings. Validated metrics and their supporting charts are shown together.
Price data through: 2026.10.30