Betterment Robo Advisor 0 Portfolio vs Merrill Lynch Edge Select Conservative Portfolio Portfolio Comparison

Simulation Settings
Period: January 1985 - July 2025 (~41 years)
Consolidated Returns as of 31 July 2025
Initial Amount: 1$
Rebalancing: at every Jan 1st
Currency: USD
Inflation: US
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The minimum date range must be at least 12 months. 'Date To' cannot be beyond July 2025.
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Results
30 Years
(1995/08 - 2025/07)
All Data
(1985/01 - 2025/07)
Inflation Adjusted:
Betterment Robo Advisor 0 Portfolio
1.00$
Invested Capital
August 1995
2.50$
Final Capital
July 2025
3.11%
Yearly Return
1.77%
Std Deviation
-5.86%
Max Drawdown
35months
Recovery Period
1.00$
Invested Capital
August 1995
1.19$
Final Capital
July 2025
0.58%
Yearly Return
1.77%
Std Deviation
-21.91%
Max Drawdown
179months*
Recovery Period
* in progress
1.00$
Invested Capital
January 1985
5.85$
Final Capital
July 2025
4.45%
Yearly Return
2.11%
Std Deviation
-5.86%
Max Drawdown
35months
Recovery Period
1.00$
Invested Capital
January 1985
1.92$
Final Capital
July 2025
1.62%
Yearly Return
2.11%
Std Deviation
-21.91%
Max Drawdown
179months*
Recovery Period
* in progress
Merrill Lynch Edge Select Conservative Portfolio
1.00$
Invested Capital
August 1995
4.57$
Final Capital
July 2025
5.20%
Yearly Return
4.28%
Std Deviation
-12.44%
Max Drawdown
27months
Recovery Period
1.00$
Invested Capital
August 1995
2.17$
Final Capital
July 2025
2.62%
Yearly Return
4.28%
Std Deviation
-19.91%
Max Drawdown
55months*
Recovery Period
* in progress
1.00$
Invested Capital
January 1985
13.68$
Final Capital
July 2025
6.66%
Yearly Return
4.53%
Std Deviation
-12.44%
Max Drawdown
27months
Recovery Period
1.00$
Invested Capital
January 1985
4.49$
Final Capital
July 2025
3.77%
Yearly Return
4.53%
Std Deviation
-19.91%
Max Drawdown
55months*
Recovery Period
* in progress

As of July 2025, in the previous 30 Years, the Betterment Robo Advisor 0 Portfolio obtained a 3.11% compound annual return, with a 1.77% standard deviation. It suffered a maximum drawdown of -5.86% that required 35 months to be recovered.

As of July 2025, in the previous 30 Years, the Merrill Lynch Edge Select Conservative Portfolio obtained a 5.20% compound annual return, with a 4.28% standard deviation. It suffered a maximum drawdown of -12.44% that required 27 months to be recovered.

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.
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Asset Allocations and ETFs

The compared portfolios have the following asset allocations.

Weight
(%)
Ticker Name
80.00
SHY
iShares 1-3 Year Treasury Bond
20.00
BSV
Vanguard Short-Term Bond
Weight
(%)
Ticker Name
8.00
VTV
Vanguard Value
5.00
VUG
Vanguard Growth
5.00
VEU
Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US
1.00
EEM
iShares MSCI Emerging Markets
1.00
IJS
iShares S&P Small-Cap 600 Value
1.00
IJT
iShares S&P Small-Cap 600 Growth
24.00
BIL
SPDR Blmbg Barclays 1-3 Mth T-Bill
17.00
IEI
iShares 3-7 Year Treasury Bond
12.00
MBB
iShares MBS
12.00
BNDX
Vanguard Total International Bond
10.00
LQD
iShares Investment Grade Corporate Bond
4.00
HYG
iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond
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Portfolio Returns as of Jul 31, 2025

Returns are calculated in USD, assuming:
  • no fees or capital gain taxes.
  • rebalancing: at every Jan 1st.
  • dividend reinvestment, when applicable.
Return Comparison
Capital Growth
30 Years
(1995/08 - 2025/07)
All Data
(1985/01 - 2025/07)
Inflation Adjusted:
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Initial Amount $ Final Amount $ Total Return (%) Annualized (%)
Betterment Robo Advisor 0
Betterment
1 $ 2.50 $ 150.32% 3.11%
Merrill Lynch Edge Select Conservative
Merrill Lynch
1 $ 4.57 $ 357.33% 5.20%

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Initial Amount $ Final Amount $ Total Return (%) Annualized (%)
Betterment Robo Advisor 0
Betterment
1 $ 1.19 $ 18.79% 0.58%
Merrill Lynch Edge Select Conservative
Merrill Lynch
1 $ 2.17 $ 117.01% 2.62%

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Initial Amount $ Final Amount $ Total Return (%) Annualized (%)
Betterment Robo Advisor 0
Betterment
1 $ 5.85 $ 485.46% 4.45%
Merrill Lynch Edge Select Conservative
Merrill Lynch
1 $ 13.68 $ 1 267.87% 6.66%

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Initial Amount $ Final Amount $ Total Return (%) Annualized (%)
Betterment Robo Advisor 0
Betterment
1 $ 1.92 $ 92.07% 1.62%
Merrill Lynch Edge Select Conservative
Merrill Lynch
1 $ 4.49 $ 348.75% 3.77%

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Return (%) as of Jul 31, 2025
YTD
(7M)
1M 6M 1Y 5Y 10Y 30Y MAX
(~41Y)
https://www.lazyportfolioetf.com/wp-content/themes/dynamico-child/img/author/avatar_betterment.webp Robo Advisor 0
Betterment
2.77 -0.09 2.38 4.35 1.12 1.51 3.11 4.45
https://www.lazyportfolioetf.com/wp-content/themes/dynamico-child/img/author/avatar_merrill_lynch.webp Edge Select Conservative
Merrill Lynch
4.55 0.12 3.44 6.00 3.34 3.89 5.20 6.66
Returns over 1 year are annualized.
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Portfolio Metrics as of Jul 31, 2025

The following metrics, updated as of 31 July 2025, provide an overview of performance and risk, with the best value in each row highlighted within the table.

METRIC COMPARISON
Period: 1 August 2024 - 31 July 2025 (1 year)
Period: 1 August 2020 - 31 July 2025 (5 years)
Period: 1 August 2015 - 31 July 2025 (10 years)
Period: 1 August 1995 - 31 July 2025 (30 years)
Period: 1 January 1985 - 31 July 2025 (~41 years)
1 Year
5 Years
10 Years
30 Years
All (1985/01 - 2025/07)
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Robo Advisor 0 Edge Select Conservative
Author Betterment Merrill Lynch
ASSET ALLOCATION
Stocks 0% 21%
Fixed Income 100% 79%
Commodities 0% 0%
PERFORMANCES
Annualized Return (%) 4.35 6.00
Infl. Adjusted (%) 1.74 3.35
DRAWDOWN
Deepest Drawdown Depth (%) -0.71 -1.50
Start to Recovery (months) 4 3
Longest Drawdown Depth (%) -0.71 -1.50
Start to Recovery (months) 4 3
Longest Negative Period (months) 3 4
RISK INDICATORS
Standard Deviation (%) 1.66 3.88
Sharpe Ratio -0.11 0.38
Sortino Ratio -0.14 0.47
Ulcer Index 0.24 0.64
Ratio: Return / Standard Deviation 2.62 1.55
Ratio: Return / Deepest Drawdown 6.13 3.99
Metrics calculated over the period 1 August 2024 - 31 July 2025
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Robo Advisor 0 Edge Select Conservative
Author Betterment Merrill Lynch
ASSET ALLOCATION
Stocks 0% 21%
Fixed Income 100% 79%
Commodities 0% 0%
PERFORMANCES
Annualized Return (%) 1.12 3.34
Infl. Adjusted (%) -3.20 -1.09
DRAWDOWN
Deepest Drawdown Depth (%) -5.86 -12.44
Start to Recovery (months) 35 27
Longest Drawdown Depth (%) -5.86 -12.44
Start to Recovery (months) 35 27
Longest Negative Period (months) 46 39
RISK INDICATORS
Standard Deviation (%) 2.16 5.91
Sharpe Ratio -0.75 0.10
Sortino Ratio -1.06 0.14
Ulcer Index 2.48 4.54
Ratio: Return / Standard Deviation 0.52 0.56
Ratio: Return / Deepest Drawdown 0.19 0.27
Metrics calculated over the period 1 August 2020 - 31 July 2025
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Robo Advisor 0 Edge Select Conservative
Author Betterment Merrill Lynch
ASSET ALLOCATION
Stocks 0% 21%
Fixed Income 100% 79%
Commodities 0% 0%
PERFORMANCES
Annualized Return (%) 1.51 3.89
Infl. Adjusted (%) -1.50 0.81
DRAWDOWN
Deepest Drawdown Depth (%) -5.86 -12.44
Start to Recovery (months) 35 27
Longest Drawdown Depth (%) -5.86 -12.44
Start to Recovery (months) 35 27
Longest Negative Period (months) 49 39
RISK INDICATORS
Standard Deviation (%) 1.74 4.91
Sharpe Ratio -0.20 0.41
Sortino Ratio -0.29 0.56
Ulcer Index 1.78 3.30
Ratio: Return / Standard Deviation 0.87 0.79
Ratio: Return / Deepest Drawdown 0.26 0.31
Metrics calculated over the period 1 August 2015 - 31 July 2025
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Robo Advisor 0 Edge Select Conservative
Author Betterment Merrill Lynch
ASSET ALLOCATION
Stocks 0% 21%
Fixed Income 100% 79%
Commodities 0% 0%
PERFORMANCES
Annualized Return (%) 3.11 5.20
Infl. Adjusted (%) 0.58 2.62
DRAWDOWN
Deepest Drawdown Depth (%) -5.86 -12.44
Start to Recovery (months) 35 27
Longest Drawdown Depth (%) -5.86 -12.44
Start to Recovery (months) 35 27
Longest Negative Period (months) 49 39
RISK INDICATORS
Standard Deviation (%) 1.77 4.28
Sharpe Ratio 0.48 0.69
Sortino Ratio 0.71 0.92
Ulcer Index 1.06 2.35
Ratio: Return / Standard Deviation 1.76 1.22
Ratio: Return / Deepest Drawdown 0.53 0.42
Metrics calculated over the period 1 August 1995 - 31 July 2025
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Robo Advisor 0 Edge Select Conservative
Author Betterment Merrill Lynch
ASSET ALLOCATION
Stocks 0% 21%
Fixed Income 100% 79%
Commodities 0% 0%
PERFORMANCES
Annualized Return (%) 4.45 6.66
Infl. Adjusted (%) 1.62 3.77
DRAWDOWN
Deepest Drawdown Depth (%) -5.86 -12.44
Start to Recovery (months) 35 27
Longest Drawdown Depth (%) -5.86 -12.44
Start to Recovery (months) 35 27
Longest Negative Period (months) 49 39
RISK INDICATORS
Standard Deviation (%) 2.11 4.53
Sharpe Ratio 0.61 0.77
Sortino Ratio 0.93 1.05
Ulcer Index 0.94 2.13
Ratio: Return / Standard Deviation 2.11 1.47
Ratio: Return / Deepest Drawdown 0.76 0.54
Metrics calculated over the period 1 January 1985 - 31 July 2025
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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 August 1995 - 31 July 2025 (30 years)
Period: 1 January 1985 - 31 July 2025 (~41 years)
30 Years
(1995/08 - 2025/07)

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Robo Advisor 0 Edge Select Conservative
Drawdown
(%)
Recovery
(#Months)
From
To
Drawdown
(%)
Recovery
(#Months)
From
To
-12.44 27 Jan 2022
Mar 2024
-10.97 16 May 2008
Aug 2009
-5.86 35 Aug 2021
Jun 2024
-4.57 5 Feb 2020
Jun 2020
-2.88 7 Jun 2011
Dec 2011
-2.46 11 May 2015
Mar 2016
-2.43 3 Jul 1998
Sep 1998
-2.30 6 May 2013
Oct 2013
-2.26 5 Sep 2018
Jan 2019
-1.95 6 Jun 2002
Nov 2002
-1.89 6 Feb 2001
Jul 2001
-1.86 3 Apr 2024
Jun 2024
-1.82 5 Apr 2004
Aug 2004
-1.66 3 May 2010
Jul 2010
-1.58 2 Aug 1997
Sep 1997

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Robo Advisor 0 Edge Select Conservative
Drawdown
(%)
Recovery
(#Months)
From
To
Drawdown
(%)
Recovery
(#Months)
From
To
-12.44 27 Jan 2022
Mar 2024
-10.97 16 May 2008
Aug 2009
-5.86 35 Aug 2021
Jun 2024
-5.44 6 Sep 1987
Feb 1988
-4.57 5 Feb 2020
Jun 2020
-4.06 5 Aug 1990
Dec 1990
-3.75 13 Feb 1994
Feb 1995
-2.89 5 Jan 1990
May 1990
-2.88 7 Jun 2011
Dec 2011
-2.46 11 May 2015
Mar 2016
-2.43 3 Jul 1998
Sep 1998
-2.30 6 May 2013
Oct 2013
-2.26 5 Sep 2018
Jan 2019
-2.24 3 Sep 1986
Nov 1986
-2.22 12 Feb 1994
Jan 1995

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 1985 - 31 July 2025 (~41 years)


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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Robo Advisor 0 Edge Select Conservative
Year Return
(%)
Drawdown
(%)
Return
(%)
Drawdown
(%)
2025
2.77 -0.25 4.55 -0.75
2024
3.89 -0.71 5.96 -1.86
2023
4.16 -1.03 9.20 -3.89
2022
-4.20 -5.09 -9.59 -12.44
2021
-0.79 -0.81 3.46 -1.41
2020
3.37 -0.09 6.74 -4.57
2019
3.70 -0.16 11.07 -0.76
2018
1.44 -0.46 -1.01 -2.26
2017
0.45 -0.54 6.67 0.00
2016
0.92 -0.77 4.67 -1.32
2015
0.53 -0.54 -0.16 -2.46
2014
0.63 -0.29 4.82 -1.01
2013
0.20 -0.40 5.12 -2.30
2012
0.55 -0.21 6.74 -1.52
2011
1.74 -0.27 3.69 -2.88
2010
2.60 -0.49 7.47 -1.66
2009
0.59 -0.88 10.64 -5.42
2008
6.99 -1.21 -5.32 -9.24
2007
7.05 -0.10 5.55 -0.80
2006
4.11 0.00 7.57 -0.79
2005
1.66 -0.35 4.31 -1.00
2004
0.95 -1.13 6.35 -1.82
2003
2.62 -0.63 10.38 -1.16
2002
7.46 -0.78 2.13 -1.95
2001
7.87 -1.01 2.93 -1.89
2000
8.70 -0.14 5.85 -1.16
1999
2.14 -0.84 5.52 -1.57
1998
7.20 -0.06 10.67 -2.43
1997
6.60 -0.20 9.16 -1.58
1996
4.47 -1.05 7.09 -0.68
1995
12.23 0.00 17.99 0.00
1994
-0.40 -2.22 -0.59 -3.75
1993
6.46 -0.42 11.76 -1.05
1992
6.84 -1.23 6.62 -1.08
1991
11.81 0.00 18.00 -1.13
1990
9.78 -0.10 3.99 -4.06
1989
11.47 -0.94 14.88 -0.43
1988
5.93 -0.32 10.13 -0.73
1987
4.72 -1.07 4.09 -5.44
1986
10.57 -0.34 15.59 -2.24
1985
14.05 -0.52 22.07 -0.64
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