Alpha Architect Robust Portfolio: Rebalancing Strategy

Data Source: from January 1982 to October 2024
Consolidated Returns as of 31 October 2024

Managing the Alpha Architect Robust Portfolio with a yearly rebalancing, you would have obtained a 10.41% compound annual return in the last 30 Years.

With a quarterly rebalancing, over the same period, the return would have been 9.16%.

How do returns and drawdowns change, implementing different rebalancing strategies?

Rebalancing Strategies

In order to keep risk under control, you should rebalance assets quotes from time to time, so to keep them at the original percentage of the asset allocation.

Rebalancing can be performed in several ways.

At fixed time intervals:
  • Yearly: Jan 1st
  • Half Yearly: Jan 1st, Jul 1st
  • Quarterly: Jan 1st, Apr 1st, Jul 1st, Oct 1st
When a component (at least one) diverges from its original weight beyond a certain threshold (e.g. 5% or 10%).

Portfolio Returns as of Oct 31, 2024

Implementing different rebalancing strategies, the Alpha Architect Robust Portfolio guaranteed the following returns.

According to the available data source, we assume we built the portfolio on January 1982.

Portfolio returns are calculated in USD, assuming:
  • No fees or capital gain taxes
  • the reinvestment of dividends, if existing
ALPHA ARCHITECT ROBUST PORTFOLIO RETURNS
Period: January 1982 - October 2024
Annualized Returns
Swipe left to see all data
Return (%) and number of rebalances as of Oct 31, 2024
Rebalancing Strategy 1Y 5Y 10Y 30Y MAX
(~43Y)
No Rebalancing 40.15 (0) 10.22 (0) 10.34 (0) 10.41 (0) 11.70 (0)
Yearly Rebalancing 26.44 (1) 7.67 (5) 7.14 (10) 9.24 (30) 10.94 (43)
Half Yearly Rebalancing 26.29 (2) 7.92 (10) 7.25 (20) 9.16 (60) 10.88 (86)
Quarterly Rebalancing 26.69 (4) 8.00 (20) 7.23 (40) 9.11 (120) 10.86 (172)
5% Tolerance per asset 25.98 (0) 8.15 (3) 7.41 (5) 9.37 (18) 11.06 (20)
10% Tolerance per asset 27.17 (0) 9.03 (2) 8.43 (3) 9.93 (7) 11.36 (7)

In order to have complete information about the portfolio, please refer to the Alpha Architect Robust Portfolio: ETF allocation and returns page.

Performances as of Oct 31, 2024

Historical returns and stats of Alpha Architect Robust Portfolio, after implementing different rebalancing strategies.

ALPHA ARCHITECT ROBUST PORTFOLIO PERFORMANCES
Period: January 1982 - October 2024
Swipe left to see all data
Standard Deviation
Max Drawdown (%)
Rebalancing Strategy Return % Std Dev(%) Ret. / Std Dev MaxDD(%) Ret. / MaxDD
No Rebalancing 11.70 (0) 12.85 0.91 -51.08 0.23
Yearly Rebalancing 10.94 (43) 10.85 1.01 -44.20 0.25
Half Yearly Rebalancing 10.88 (86) 10.82 1.01 -43.47 0.25
Quarterly Rebalancing 10.86 (172) 10.87 1.00 -44.49 0.24
5% Tolerance per asset 11.06 (20) 10.93 1.01 -44.42 0.25
10% Tolerance per asset 11.36 (7) 11.33 1.00 -43.22 0.26
(*) Since Jan 1982 (~43 yrs) | Annualized Returns (and number of rebalances)

Drawdowns as of Oct 31, 2024

Historical Drawdowns of Alpha Architect Robust Portfolio, after implementing different rebalancing strategies.

ALPHA ARCHITECT ROBUST PORTFOLIO DRAWDOWNS
Period: January 1982 - October 2024
Swipe left to see all data
Rebalancing
Tolerance per asset
No Rebalancing Yearly Half Yearly Quarterly 5% 10%
-51.08
Nov 2007 - Jan 2013
-44.20
Nov 2007 - Apr 2011
-43.47
Nov 2007 - Apr 2011
-44.49
Nov 2007 - Apr 2011
-44.42
Nov 2007 - Apr 2011
-43.22
Nov 2007 - Feb 2011
-27.10
Sep 2000 - Dec 2003
-19.09
Jan 2020 - Aug 2020
-19.09
Jan 2020 - Nov 2020
-19.09
Jan 2020 - Aug 2020
-18.94
Jan 2020 - Aug 2020
-20.52
Sep 1987 - Jan 1989
-26.21
Nov 2021 - Mar 2024
-18.97
Sep 1987 - Jan 1989
-17.97
Sep 1987 - Jan 1989
-18.27
Nov 2021 - Feb 2024
-18.14
Sep 1987 - Jan 1989
-19.05
Jan 2020 - Aug 2020
-20.52
Sep 1987 - Jan 1989
-17.99
Nov 2021 - Feb 2024
-17.80
Nov 2021 - Feb 2024
-17.51
Sep 1987 - Jan 1989
-17.70
Nov 2021 - Feb 2024
-16.39
Nov 2021 - Jan 2024
-20.47
Feb 2020 - Jul 2020
-13.76
May 2011 - Feb 2012
-13.68
May 2011 - Feb 2012
-13.61
May 2011 - Feb 2012
-14.21
May 2011 - Feb 2012
-14.77
May 2011 - Feb 2012
5 Worst Drawdowns - Average
-29.08 -22.80 -22.40 -22.60 -22.68 -22.79
10 Worst Drawdowns - Average
-19.61 -16.37 -16.24 -16.30 -16.35 -16.79

For a deeper insight, please refer to the Alpha Architect Robust Portfolio: ETF allocation and returns page.