Gold Portfolio vs Larry Swedroe Big Rocks Portfolio Portfolio Comparison

Simulation Settings

Period: January 1976 - April 2026 (~50 years)
Consolidated Returns as of 30 April 2026

Initial Amount: 1$

Rebalancing: at every Jan 1^st

Currency: USD

Inflation: US

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Results

30 Years
(1996/05 - 2026/04)

All Data
(1976/01 - 2026/04)

Inflation Adjusted:

Gold Portfolio

1.00$
Invested Capital
May 1996
10.77$
Final Capital
April 2026
8.24%
Yearly Return
16.18%
Std Deviation
-42.91%
Max Drawdown
107months
Recovery Period

1.00$
Invested Capital
May 1996
5.06$
Final Capital
April 2026
5.55%
Yearly Return
16.18%
Std Deviation
-45.71%
Max Drawdown
158months
Recovery Period

1.00$
Invested Capital
January 1976
30.04$
Final Capital
April 2026
6.99%
Yearly Return
18.43%
Std Deviation
-61.78%
Max Drawdown
319months
Recovery Period

1.00$
Invested Capital
January 1976
5.02$
Final Capital
April 2026
3.26%
Yearly Return
18.43%
Std Deviation
-82.52%
Max Drawdown
542months
Recovery Period

Larry Swedroe Big Rocks Portfolio

1.00$
Invested Capital
May 1996
7.81$
Final Capital
April 2026
7.09%
Yearly Return
9.29%
Std Deviation
-33.80%
Max Drawdown
38months
Recovery Period

1.00$
Invested Capital
May 1996
3.67$
Final Capital
April 2026
4.43%
Yearly Return
9.29%
Std Deviation
-34.89%
Max Drawdown
42months
Recovery Period

1.00$
Invested Capital
January 1976
112.03$
Final Capital
April 2026
9.83%
Yearly Return
9.29%
Std Deviation
-33.80%
Max Drawdown
38months
Recovery Period

1.00$
Invested Capital
January 1976
18.73$
Final Capital
April 2026
5.99%
Yearly Return
9.29%
Std Deviation
-34.89%
Max Drawdown
42months
Recovery Period

As of April 2026, in the previous 30 Years, the Gold Portfolio obtained a 8.24% compound annual return, with a 16.18% standard deviation. It suffered a maximum drawdown of -42.91% that required 107 months to be recovered.

As of April 2026, in the previous 30 Years, the Larry Swedroe Big Rocks Portfolio obtained a 7.09% compound annual return, with a 9.29% standard deviation. It suffered a maximum drawdown of -33.80% that required 38 months to be recovered.

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Disclaimer: The simulations on this website are provided in good faith but should NOT be taken as investment advice. We are not liable for any errors or actions based on this information. The authors of the website are not affiliated with the portfolio creators, who are the sole owners of their intellectual property. The translation of asset allocations into ETFs is based on the interpretation of LazyPortfolioETF.com and may not exactly reflect the original intent of the portfolio creators. Content is for informational, educational, illustrative, and entertainment purposes only.

Resources & Extras

Asset Allocations and ETFs

The compared portfolios have the following asset allocations.

Gold Portfolio

Weight (%)	Ticker	Name
100.00	GLD	SPDR Gold Trust

Larry Swedroe Big Rocks Portfolio

Weight (%)	Ticker	Name
9.00	IJR	iShares Core S&P Small-Cap
9.00	IJS	iShares S&P Small-Cap 600 Value
9.00	VTV	Vanguard Value
9.00	VV	Vanguard Large-Cap
6.00	EFV	iShares MSCI EAFE Value
6.00	VNQ	Vanguard Real Estate
3.00	DLS	WisdomTree International SmallCp Div
3.00	EEM	iShares MSCI Emerging Markets
3.00	VEU	Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US
3.00	SCZ	iShares MSCI EAFE Small-Cap
40.00	SHY	iShares 1-3 Year Treasury Bond

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Portfolio Returns as of Apr 30, 2026

Returns are calculated in USD, assuming:

no fees or capital gain taxes.
rebalancing: at every Jan 1^st.
dividend reinvestment, when applicable.

Return Comparison

Capital Growth

30 Years
(1996/05 - 2026/04)

All Data
(1976/01 - 2026/04)

Inflation Adjusted:

Swipe left to see all data

	Initial Amount $	Final Amount $	Total Return (%)	Annualized (%)
Gold	1 $	10.77 $	976.76%	8.24%
Big Rocks Portfolio Larry Swedroe	1 $	7.81 $	680.99%	7.09%
	May 1996	Apr 2026

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	Initial Amount $	Final Amount $	Total Return (%)	Annualized (%)
Gold	1 $	5.06 $	405.53%	5.55%
Big Rocks Portfolio Larry Swedroe	1 $	3.67 $	266.66%	4.43%
	May 1996	Apr 2026

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	Initial Amount $	Final Amount $	Total Return (%)	Annualized (%)
Gold	1 $	30.04 $	2 904.19%	6.99%
Big Rocks Portfolio Larry Swedroe	1 $	112.03 $	11 103.14%	9.83%
	Jan 1976	Apr 2026

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	Initial Amount $	Final Amount $	Total Return (%)	Annualized (%)
Gold	1 $	5.02 $	402.37%	3.26%
Big Rocks Portfolio Larry Swedroe	1 $	18.73 $	1 773.41%	5.99%
	Jan 1976	Apr 2026

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		Return (%) as of Apr 30, 2026
		YTD (4M)	1M	6M	1Y	5Y	10Y	30Y	MAX (~50Y)
	Gold -- Market Benchmark	6.90	-1.54	15.09	39.47	20.66	13.11	8.24	6.99
	Big Rocks Portfolio Larry Swedroe	6.37	5.05	8.50	20.15	6.08	7.28	7.09	9.83
Returns over 1 year are annualized.

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Portfolio Metrics as of Apr 30, 2026

The following metrics, updated as of 30 April 2026, provide an overview of performance and risk, with the best value in each row highlighted within the table.

METRIC COMPARISON

Period: 1 May 2025 - 30 April 2026 (1 year)

Period: 1 May 2021 - 30 April 2026 (5 years)

Period: 1 May 2016 - 30 April 2026 (10 years)

Period: 1 May 1996 - 30 April 2026 (30 years)

Period: 1 January 1976 - 30 April 2026 (~50 years)

1 Year

5 Years

10 Years

30 Years

All (1976/01 - 2026/04)

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	Gold	Big Rocks Portfolio
Author		Larry Swedroe
ASSET ALLOCATION
Stocks	0%	60%
Fixed Income	0%	40%
Commodities	100%	0%
PERFORMANCES
Annualized Return (%)	39.47	20.15
Infl. Adjusted (%)	34.40	15.78
DRAWDOWN
Deepest Drawdown Depth (%)	-12.42	-3.65
Start to Recovery (months)	2*	2
Longest Drawdown Depth (%)	-12.42	-3.65
Start to Recovery (months)	2*	2
Longest Negative Period (months)	3	2
Drawdowns / Negative periods marked with * are in progress
RISK INDICATORS
Standard Deviation (%)	21.29	7.08
Sharpe Ratio	1.67	2.29
Sortino Ratio	2.26	2.91
Ulcer Index	4.61	1.01
Ratio: Return / Standard Deviation	1.85	2.84
Ratio: Return / Deepest Drawdown	3.18	5.53
Metrics calculated over the period 1 May 2025 - 30 April 2026

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	Gold	Big Rocks Portfolio
Author		Larry Swedroe
ASSET ALLOCATION
Stocks	0%	60%
Fixed Income	0%	40%
Commodities	100%	0%
PERFORMANCES
Annualized Return (%)	20.66	6.08
Infl. Adjusted (%)	15.46	1.51
DRAWDOWN
Deepest Drawdown Depth (%)	-15.91	-15.71
Start to Recovery (months)	12	26
Longest Drawdown Depth (%)	-15.91	-15.71
Start to Recovery (months)	12	26
Longest Negative Period (months)	28	31
RISK INDICATORS
Standard Deviation (%)	15.93	9.58
Sharpe Ratio	1.09	0.29
Sortino Ratio	1.58	0.40
Ulcer Index	5.13	5.09
Ratio: Return / Standard Deviation	1.30	0.63
Ratio: Return / Deepest Drawdown	1.30	0.39
Metrics calculated over the period 1 May 2021 - 30 April 2026

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	Gold	Big Rocks Portfolio
Author		Larry Swedroe
ASSET ALLOCATION
Stocks	0%	60%
Fixed Income	0%	40%
Commodities	100%	0%
PERFORMANCES
Annualized Return (%)	13.11	7.28
Infl. Adjusted (%)	9.43	3.79
DRAWDOWN
Deepest Drawdown Depth (%)	-18.08	-15.71
Start to Recovery (months)	40	26
Longest Drawdown Depth (%)	-18.08	-15.71
Start to Recovery (months)	40	26
Longest Negative Period (months)	39	35
RISK INDICATORS
Standard Deviation (%)	14.85	9.41
Sharpe Ratio	0.74	0.54
Sortino Ratio	1.10	0.72
Ulcer Index	6.56	4.47
Ratio: Return / Standard Deviation	0.88	0.77
Ratio: Return / Deepest Drawdown	0.72	0.46
Metrics calculated over the period 1 May 2016 - 30 April 2026

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	Gold	Big Rocks Portfolio
Author		Larry Swedroe
ASSET ALLOCATION
Stocks	0%	60%
Fixed Income	0%	40%
Commodities	100%	0%
PERFORMANCES
Annualized Return (%)	8.24	7.09
Infl. Adjusted (%)	5.55	4.43
DRAWDOWN
Deepest Drawdown Depth (%)	-42.91	-33.80
Start to Recovery (months)	107	38
Longest Drawdown Depth (%)	-42.91	-33.80
Start to Recovery (months)	107	38
Longest Negative Period (months)	145	61
RISK INDICATORS
Standard Deviation (%)	16.18	9.29
Sharpe Ratio	0.37	0.52
Sortino Ratio	0.55	0.68
Ulcer Index	19.75	5.95
Ratio: Return / Standard Deviation	0.51	0.76
Ratio: Return / Deepest Drawdown	0.19	0.21
Metrics calculated over the period 1 May 1996 - 30 April 2026

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	Gold	Big Rocks Portfolio
Author		Larry Swedroe
ASSET ALLOCATION
Stocks	0%	60%
Fixed Income	0%	40%
Commodities	100%	0%
PERFORMANCES
Annualized Return (%)	6.99	9.83
Infl. Adjusted (%)	3.26	5.99
DRAWDOWN
Deepest Drawdown Depth (%)	-61.78	-33.80
Start to Recovery (months)	319	38
Longest Drawdown Depth (%)	-61.78	-33.80
Start to Recovery (months)	319	38
Longest Negative Period (months)	329	61
RISK INDICATORS
Standard Deviation (%)	18.43	9.29
Sharpe Ratio	0.15	0.60
Sortino Ratio	0.23	0.79
Ulcer Index	34.72	4.95
Ratio: Return / Standard Deviation	0.38	1.06
Ratio: Return / Deepest Drawdown	0.11	0.29
Metrics calculated over the period 1 January 1976 - 30 April 2026

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Drawdowns

A drawdown refers to the decline in value from a relative peak value to a relative trough. A maximum drawdown is the maximum observed loss from a peak to a trough of a portfolio before a new peak is attained.

DRAWDOWN COMPARISON

Period: 1 May 1996 - 30 April 2026 (30 years)

Period: 1 January 1976 - 30 April 2026 (~50 years)

30 Years
(1996/05 - 2026/04)

Chart Table

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Gold			Big Rocks Portfolio
Drawdown (%)	Recovery (#Months)	From To	Drawdown (%)	Recovery (#Months)	From To
-42.91	107	Sep 2011 Jul 2020
-34.88	91	May 1996 Nov 2003
			-33.80	38	Nov 2007 Dec 2010
-25.83	15	Mar 2008 May 2009
-18.08	40	Aug 2020 Nov 2023
			-15.71	26	Jan 2022 Feb 2024
			-15.63	11	Jan 2020 Nov 2020
			-12.59	17	May 2011 Sep 2012
-12.42	2*	Mar 2026 In progress
			-11.58	12	May 1998 Apr 1999
			-10.99	13	Jun 2002 Jun 2003
			-8.79	8	Sep 2018 Apr 2019
-8.64	10	Dec 2004 Sep 2005
-8.63	10	May 2006 Feb 2007
-8.37	6	Dec 2009 May 2010

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Gold			Big Rocks Portfolio
Drawdown (%)	Recovery (#Months)	From To	Drawdown (%)	Recovery (#Months)	From To
-61.78	319	Oct 1980 Apr 2007
-42.91	107	Sep 2011 Jul 2020
			-33.80	38	Nov 2007 Dec 2010
-25.85	14	Jan 1976 Feb 1977
-25.83	15	Mar 2008 May 2009
-24.27	5	Feb 1980 Jun 1980
-20.28	4	Nov 1978 Feb 1979
-18.08	40	Aug 2020 Nov 2023
			-16.69	14	Sep 1987 Oct 1988
			-15.71	26	Jan 2022 Feb 2024
			-15.63	11	Jan 2020 Nov 2020
			-12.59	17	May 2011 Sep 2012
-12.42	2*	Mar 2026 In progress
			-11.58	12	May 1998 Apr 1999
			-10.99	13	Jun 2002 Jun 2003

Rolling Returns

By selecting the 'Rolling Period', the chart and data will update. To study a different date range, change the Simulation Settings.

You can explore the Rolling Returns for a single portfolio, or check the return differential, by switching on "Head To Head" toggle.

Rolling Returns Comparison

Annualized Rolling Returns Chart

Rolling Returns Chart - Inflation Adjusted

Time Period: 1 January 1976 - 30 April 2026 (~50 years)

Rolling Period:

Gold
Big Rocks Portfolio

Head To Head (Ptf 1 vs Ptf 2):

US Inflation Adjusted:

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Yearly Returns

For each year, the following table provides the return and intra-year drawdown. The highlighted returns represent the highest values for that specific year.

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	Gold		Big Rocks Portfolio
Year	Return (%)	Drawdown (%)	Return (%)	Drawdown (%)
2026	6.90	-12.42	6.37	-3.65
2025	63.68	-0.61	12.81	-2.00
2024	26.66	-4.49	7.82	-3.15
2023	12.69	-7.22	11.05	-6.98
2022	-0.77	-15.91	-10.13	-15.71
2021	-4.15	-10.32	13.59	-2.22
2020	24.81	-10.12	5.25	-15.63
2019	17.86	-4.10	15.98	-3.84
2018	-1.94	-11.66	-5.45	-8.79
2017	12.81	-4.09	11.28	-0.30
2016	8.03	-15.02	9.71	-3.10
2015	-10.67	-17.81	-0.97	-5.87
2014	-2.19	-12.44	4.48	-2.69
2013	-28.33	-28.33	16.68	-1.92
2012	6.60	-10.45	10.73	-5.29
2011	9.57	-14.48	-1.31	-12.59
2010	29.27	-5.09	12.32	-7.86
2009	24.03	-7.20	17.83	-14.02
2008	4.92	-25.83	-19.64	-22.16
2007	30.45	-4.20	3.90	-4.18
2006	22.55	-8.63	15.44	-2.51
2005	17.76	-4.91	7.49	-2.54
2004	4.65	-8.31	13.68	-3.20
2003	19.89	-8.88	25.46	-2.67
2002	25.57	-6.72	-3.83	-10.99
2001	0.75	-6.10	1.46	-7.30
2000	-5.44	-9.93	5.09	-4.07
1999	0.85	-11.47	10.77	-2.62
1998	-0.83	-12.01	6.51	-11.58
1997	-21.41	-21.41	12.72	-2.62
1996	-4.59	-8.95	12.51	-2.90
1995	0.98	-2.46	18.49	-1.31
1994	-2.17	-3.91	-1.08	-5.17
1993	17.68	-11.51	17.22	-1.90
1992	-5.73	-6.97	9.42	-1.37
1991	-8.56	-10.05	24.15	-3.18
1990	-3.11	-15.14	-4.70	-9.79
1989	-2.84	-12.30	19.42	-1.78
1988	-15.26	-18.05	16.48	-1.57
1987	24.53	-1.97	4.41	-16.69
1986	18.96	-8.14	20.58	-3.51
1985	6.00	-6.67	27.95	-1.60
1984	-19.38	-21.80	9.53	-4.07
1983	-16.31	-23.52	20.22	-1.54
1982	14.94	-20.13	19.04	-3.82
1981	-32.60	-32.60	6.74	-6.49
1980	15.19	-24.27	19.74	-9.03
1979	126.55	-4.46	17.56	-6.70
1978	37.01	-20.28	11.95	-7.40
1977	22.64	-4.00	7.71	-1.43
1976	-4.10	-25.85	21.01	-2.56

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Table of contents

Resources & Extras

Asset Allocations and ETFs

Portfolio Returns as of Apr 30, 2026

Portfolio Metrics as of Apr 30, 2026

Drawdowns

Rolling Returns

Yearly Returns