TIP 50% · VTI 50% CAGR +5.6%
SPY CAGR +12.0%
Shaded: major market crises Bear Market (2022)
Crispy Couch Potato
TIP 50% · VTI 50% · Inflation-linked bonds · U.S. total market
Scott Burns · Newspaper column (Dallas Morning News) · 2006Sources (3)
5yr · 2021.10 – 2026.10 · $10,000 lump sum · monthly rebalancing · dividends reinvested · no taxes or fees · month-end
Final Balance $13,132
Invested $10,000
Gain +$3,132
SPY alone: $17,597
Annualized return +5.6%
6.4pp behind SPY
Max drawdown · month-end -19.4%
18 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 1.3x; SPY grew 1.8x over the same period.
Calendar-year returns
Of 4 complete years: 1 with a loss, 1 ahead of SPY.
Show as a table
| Year | Selected allocation | SPY | In-year low |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | +12.0% | +17.7% | -2.9% |
| 2024 | +12.3% | +24.9% | -3.0% |
| 2023 | +14.6% | +26.2% | -6.3% |
| 2022 | -15.7% | -18.2% | -19.4% |
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 -19.4%, regained 18 months after the low. During the Bear Market (2022) it returned -16.0%, while SPY returned -19.7%.
Holdings
By asset class: bonds 50% · equities 50%. Its dividend yield over the last 12 months was 2.7%; the results reinvest dividends.
- TIPiShares TIPS Bond ETF 50%
- VTIVanguard Morningstar Total Stock Market ETF 50%
An ETF investing across the U.S. equity market.
Where this allocation comes fromScott Burns · Newspaper column (Dallas Morning News) · 2006
Also known as: Couch Potato (TIPS version) · Crispy Couch Potato Portfolio
50% US total stock market and 50% inflation-protected Treasuries: two funds held half and half.
| Asset in the source | Weight | Lifolio ETF |
|---|---|---|
| US total stock market | 50% | VTI |
| US inflation-protected Treasuries (TIPS) | 50% | TIP |
Burns's own name for the version that swaps total bonds for inflation-protected Treasuries.
Source: scottburns.com scottburns.com lazyportfolioetf.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 Crispy Couch Potato portfolio hold?
iShares TIPS Bond ETF (TIP) Vanguard Morningstar Total Stock Market ETF (VTI): An ETF investing across the U.S. equity market.
What were the return and risk of the Crispy Couch Potato portfolio?
From 2021.10 to 2026.10, the annualized return was +5.6% and the largest month-end drawdown was -19.4%. The Sharpe ratio (return for the risk) is 0.20.
How did it compare with holding SPY alone?
From 2021.10 to 2026.10, the annualized return was +5.6% for these weights and +12.0% for SPY. Over the same window the largest month-end drawdown was -19.4% for these weights and -23.9% for SPY.
How far did the Crispy Couch Potato portfolio fall, and how long did it take to get back?
Over the selected 5 years, the largest month-end decline was -19.4%, from a high in 2021.12 to a low in 2022.09. It regained the old high 18 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