Paul Farrell Second Grader's Starter Portfolio vs Gold Portfolio Portfolio Comparison

Simulation Settings

Period: January 1970 - May 2026 (~56 years)
Consolidated Returns as of 31 May 2026

Initial Amount: 1$

Rebalancing: at every Jan 1^st

Currency: USD

Inflation: US

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Results

30 Years
(1996/06 - 2026/05)

All Data
(1970/01 - 2026/05)

Inflation Adjusted:

Paul Farrell Second Grader's Starter Portfolio

1.00$
Invested Capital
June 1996
12.16$
Final Capital
May 2026
8.68%
Yearly Return
14.05%
Std Deviation
-48.52%
Max Drawdown
59months
Recovery Period

1.00$
Invested Capital
June 1996
5.69$
Final Capital
May 2026
5.97%
Yearly Return
14.05%
Std Deviation
-49.37%
Max Drawdown
66months
Recovery Period

1.00$
Invested Capital
January 1970
242.19$
Final Capital
May 2026
10.22%
Yearly Return
13.87%
Std Deviation
-48.52%
Max Drawdown
59months
Recovery Period

1.00$
Invested Capital
January 1970
27.33$
Final Capital
May 2026
6.04%
Yearly Return
13.87%
Std Deviation
-49.37%
Max Drawdown
66months
Recovery Period

Gold Portfolio

1.00$
Invested Capital
June 1996
10.62$
Final Capital
May 2026
8.19%
Yearly Return
16.19%
Std Deviation
-42.91%
Max Drawdown
107months
Recovery Period

1.00$
Invested Capital
June 1996
4.97$
Final Capital
May 2026
5.49%
Yearly Return
16.19%
Std Deviation
-45.71%
Max Drawdown
158months
Recovery Period

1.00$
Invested Capital
January 1970
118.00$
Final Capital
May 2026
8.82%
Yearly Return
19.33%
Std Deviation
-61.78%
Max Drawdown
319months
Recovery Period

1.00$
Invested Capital
January 1970
13.32$
Final Capital
May 2026
4.70%
Yearly Return
19.33%
Std Deviation
-82.52%
Max Drawdown
542months
Recovery Period

As of May 2026, in the previous 30 Years, the Paul Farrell Second Grader's Starter Portfolio obtained a 8.68% compound annual return, with a 14.05% standard deviation. It suffered a maximum drawdown of -48.52% that required 59 months to be recovered.

As of May 2026, in the previous 30 Years, the Gold Portfolio obtained a 8.19% compound annual return, with a 16.19% standard deviation. It suffered a maximum drawdown of -42.91% that required 107 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.

Paul Farrell Second Grader's Starter Portfolio

Weight (%)	Ticker	Name
60.00	VTI	Vanguard Total Stock Market
30.00	VEU	Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US
10.00	BND	Vanguard Total Bond Market

Gold Portfolio

Weight (%)	Ticker	Name
100.00	GLD	SPDR Gold Trust

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Portfolio Returns as of May 31, 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
(1996/06 - 2026/05)

All Data
(1970/01 - 2026/05)

Inflation Adjusted:

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	Initial Amount $	Final Amount $	Total Return (%)	Annualized (%)
Second Grader's Starter Paul Farrell	1 $	12.16 $	1 116.25%	8.68%
Gold	1 $	10.62 $	962.18%	8.19%
	Jun 1996	May 2026

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	Initial Amount $	Final Amount $	Total Return (%)	Annualized (%)
Second Grader's Starter Paul Farrell	1 $	5.69 $	469.42%	5.97%
Gold	1 $	4.97 $	397.28%	5.49%
	Jun 1996	May 2026

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	Initial Amount $	Final Amount $	Total Return (%)	Annualized (%)
Second Grader's Starter Paul Farrell	1 $	242.19 $	24 118.80%	10.22%
Gold	1 $	118.00 $	11 700.31%	8.82%
	Jan 1970	May 2026

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	Initial Amount $	Final Amount $	Total Return (%)	Annualized (%)
Second Grader's Starter Paul Farrell	1 $	27.33 $	2 633.15%	6.04%
Gold	1 $	13.32 $	1 231.69%	4.70%
	Jan 1970	May 2026

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		Return (%) as of May 31, 2026
		YTD (5M)	1M	6M	1Y	5Y	10Y	30Y	MAX (~56Y)
	Second Grader's Starter Paul Farrell	11.24	4.30	12.11	28.25	10.61	12.37	8.68	10.22
	Gold -- Market Benchmark	5.25	-1.54	7.54	37.39	18.52	13.65	8.19	8.82
Returns over 1 year are annualized.

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Portfolio Metrics as of May 31, 2026

The following metrics, updated as of 31 May 2026, provide an overview of performance and risk, with the best value in each row highlighted within the table.

METRIC COMPARISON

Period: 1 June 2025 - 31 May 2026 (1 year)

Period: 1 June 2021 - 31 May 2026 (5 years)

Period: 1 June 2016 - 31 May 2026 (10 years)

Period: 1 June 1996 - 31 May 2026 (30 years)

Period: 1 January 1970 - 31 May 2026 (~56 years)

1 Year

5 Years

10 Years

30 Years

All (1970/01 - 2026/05)

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	Second Grader's Starter	Gold
Author	Paul Farrell
ASSET ALLOCATION
Stocks	90%	0%
Fixed Income	10%	0%
Commodities	0%	100%
PERFORMANCES
Annualized Return (%)	28.25	37.39
Infl. Adjusted (%)	23.10	31.88
DRAWDOWN
Deepest Drawdown Depth (%)	-5.67	-13.77
Start to Recovery (months)	2	3*
Longest Drawdown Depth (%)	-5.67	-13.77
Start to Recovery (months)	2	3*
Longest Negative Period (months)	5	4*
Drawdowns / Negative periods marked with * are in progress
RISK INDICATORS
Standard Deviation (%)	10.96	21.55
Sharpe Ratio	2.22	1.55
Sortino Ratio	2.96	2.11
Ulcer Index	1.57	5.99
Ratio: Return / Standard Deviation	2.58	1.74
Ratio: Return / Deepest Drawdown	4.98	2.71
Metrics calculated over the period 1 June 2025 - 31 May 2026

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	Second Grader's Starter	Gold
Author	Paul Farrell
ASSET ALLOCATION
Stocks	90%	0%
Fixed Income	10%	0%
Commodities	0%	100%
PERFORMANCES
Annualized Return (%)	10.61	18.52
Infl. Adjusted (%)	5.87	13.45
DRAWDOWN
Deepest Drawdown Depth (%)	-24.21	-15.91
Start to Recovery (months)	26	12
Longest Drawdown Depth (%)	-24.21	-15.91
Start to Recovery (months)	26	12
Longest Negative Period (months)	29	28
RISK INDICATORS
Standard Deviation (%)	13.88	15.76
Sharpe Ratio	0.52	0.96
Sortino Ratio	0.69	1.41
Ulcer Index	8.12	5.42
Ratio: Return / Standard Deviation	0.76	1.17
Ratio: Return / Deepest Drawdown	0.44	1.16
Metrics calculated over the period 1 June 2021 - 31 May 2026

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	Second Grader's Starter	Gold
Author	Paul Farrell
ASSET ALLOCATION
Stocks	90%	0%
Fixed Income	10%	0%
Commodities	0%	100%
PERFORMANCES
Annualized Return (%)	12.37	13.65
Infl. Adjusted (%)	8.69	9.93
DRAWDOWN
Deepest Drawdown Depth (%)	-24.21	-18.08
Start to Recovery (months)	26	40
Longest Drawdown Depth (%)	-24.21	-18.08
Start to Recovery (months)	26	40
Longest Negative Period (months)	31	39
RISK INDICATORS
Standard Deviation (%)	13.55	14.70
Sharpe Ratio	0.75	0.78
Sortino Ratio	0.98	1.17
Ulcer Index	6.47	6.65
Ratio: Return / Standard Deviation	0.91	0.93
Ratio: Return / Deepest Drawdown	0.51	0.75
Metrics calculated over the period 1 June 2016 - 31 May 2026

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	Second Grader's Starter	Gold
Author	Paul Farrell
ASSET ALLOCATION
Stocks	90%	0%
Fixed Income	10%	0%
Commodities	0%	100%
PERFORMANCES
Annualized Return (%)	8.68	8.19
Infl. Adjusted (%)	5.97	5.49
DRAWDOWN
Deepest Drawdown Depth (%)	-48.52	-42.91
Start to Recovery (months)	59	107
Longest Drawdown Depth (%)	-39.03	-42.91
Start to Recovery (months)	64	107
Longest Negative Period (months)	131	145
RISK INDICATORS
Standard Deviation (%)	14.05	16.19
Sharpe Ratio	0.46	0.37
Sortino Ratio	0.60	0.54
Ulcer Index	12.78	19.73
Ratio: Return / Standard Deviation	0.62	0.51
Ratio: Return / Deepest Drawdown	0.18	0.19
Metrics calculated over the period 1 June 1996 - 31 May 2026

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	Second Grader's Starter	Gold
Author	Paul Farrell
ASSET ALLOCATION
Stocks	90%	0%
Fixed Income	10%	0%
Commodities	0%	100%
PERFORMANCES
Annualized Return (%)	10.22	8.82
Infl. Adjusted (%)	6.04	4.70
DRAWDOWN
Deepest Drawdown Depth (%)	-48.52	-61.78
Start to Recovery (months)	59	319
Longest Drawdown Depth (%)	-39.03	-61.78
Start to Recovery (months)	64	319
Longest Negative Period (months)	131	329
RISK INDICATORS
Standard Deviation (%)	13.87	19.33
Sharpe Ratio	0.42	0.23
Sortino Ratio	0.56	0.36
Ulcer Index	10.77	33.30
Ratio: Return / Standard Deviation	0.74	0.46
Ratio: Return / Deepest Drawdown	0.21	0.14
Metrics calculated over the period 1 January 1970 - 31 May 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 June 1996 - 31 May 2026 (30 years)

Period: 1 January 1970 - 31 May 2026 (~56 years)

30 Years
(1996/06 - 2026/05)

Chart Table

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Second Grader's Starter			Gold
Drawdown (%)	Recovery (#Months)	From To	Drawdown (%)	Recovery (#Months)	From To
-48.52	59	Nov 2007 Sep 2012
			-42.91	107	Sep 2011 Jul 2020
-39.03	64	Apr 2000 Jul 2005
			-34.76	90	Jun 1996 Nov 2003
			-25.83	15	Mar 2008 May 2009
-24.21	26	Jan 2022 Feb 2024
-19.32	8	Jan 2020 Aug 2020
			-18.08	40	Aug 2020 Nov 2023
-14.32	5	Jul 1998 Nov 1998
			-13.77	3*	Mar 2026 In progress
-11.99	7	Oct 2018 Apr 2019
-10.88	14	Jun 2015 Jul 2016
			-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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Second Grader's Starter			Gold
Drawdown (%)	Recovery (#Months)	From To	Drawdown (%)	Recovery (#Months)	From To
			-61.78	319	Oct 1980 Apr 2007
-48.52	59	Nov 2007 Sep 2012
			-44.24	43	Jan 1975 Jul 1978
			-42.91	107	Sep 2011 Jul 2020
-39.03	64	Apr 2000 Jul 2005
-38.74	39	Jan 1973 Mar 1976
			-25.83	15	Mar 2008 May 2009
			-24.27	5	Feb 1980 Jun 1980
-24.21	26	Jan 2022 Feb 2024
-21.75	17	Sep 1987 Jan 1989
			-20.49	7	Jul 1973 Jan 1974
			-20.28	4	Nov 1978 Feb 1979
-19.60	12	Jan 1970 Dec 1970
-19.32	8	Jan 2020 Aug 2020
			-18.08	40	Aug 2020 Nov 2023

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 1970 - 31 May 2026 (~56 years)

Rolling Period:

Second Grader's Starter
Gold

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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	Second Grader's Starter		Gold
Year	Return (%)	Drawdown (%)	Return (%)	Drawdown (%)
2026	11.24	-5.67	5.25	-13.77
2025	20.67	-3.62	63.68	-0.61
2024	16.09	-3.63	26.66	-4.49
2023	20.93	-9.14	12.69	-7.22
2022	-17.70	-24.21	-0.77	-15.91
2021	17.70	-3.84	-4.15	-10.32
2020	16.72	-19.32	24.81	-10.12
2019	25.83	-5.44	17.86	-4.10
2018	-7.40	-11.99	-1.94	-11.66
2017	21.30	0.00	12.81	-4.09
2016	9.42	-5.60	8.03	-15.02
2015	-1.16	-9.62	-10.67	-17.81
2014	6.75	-3.49	-2.19	-12.44
2013	24.11	-2.56	-28.33	-28.33
2012	15.86	-7.88	6.60	-10.45
2011	-2.83	-17.88	9.57	-14.48
2010	14.62	-11.38	29.27	-5.09
2009	28.98	-17.20	24.03	-7.20
2008	-34.54	-37.04	4.92	-25.83
2007	8.57	-5.03	30.45	-4.20
2006	17.83	-3.36	22.55	-8.63
2005	8.70	-3.82	17.76	-4.91
2004	14.35	-3.09	4.65	-8.31
2003	30.95	-4.37	19.89	-8.88
2002	-15.98	-22.25	25.57	-6.72
2001	-11.78	-21.62	0.75	-6.10
2000	-9.89	-14.07	-5.44	-9.93
1999	23.19	-3.08	0.85	-11.47
1998	19.50	-14.32	-0.83	-12.01
1997	19.31	-4.84	-21.41	-21.41
1996	14.34	-4.50	-4.59	-8.95
1995	24.48	-1.28	0.98	-2.46
1994	2.56	-5.09	-2.17	-3.91
1993	16.32	-4.22	17.68	-11.51
1992	1.74	-4.65	-5.73	-6.97
1991	23.80	-4.67	-8.56	-10.05
1990	-10.22	-16.95	-3.11	-15.14
1989	22.09	-2.57	-2.84	-12.30
1988	18.82	-3.47	-15.26	-18.05
1987	10.87	-21.75	24.53	-1.97
1986	29.27	-5.18	18.96	-8.14
1985	36.18	-2.85	6.00	-6.67
1984	3.66	-8.18	-19.38	-21.80
1983	21.23	-3.07	-16.31	-23.52
1982	14.99	-12.58	14.94	-20.13
1981	-2.74	-11.40	-32.60	-32.60
1980	27.18	-10.99	15.19	-24.27
1979	17.88	-7.18	126.55	-4.46
1978	14.57	-8.59	37.01	-20.28
1977	2.89	-4.35	22.64	-4.00
1976	17.93	-2.79	-4.10	-25.85
1975	32.69	-11.35	-24.80	-25.92
1974	-22.01	-29.06	66.15	-16.62
1973	-13.91	-15.04	72.96	-20.49
1972	22.52	-1.37	49.02	-6.88
1971	21.01	-5.36	16.70	-3.48
1970	0.25	-19.60	6.16	-1.56

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Table of contents

Resources & Extras

Asset Allocations and ETFs

Portfolio Returns as of May 31, 2026

Portfolio Metrics as of May 31, 2026

Drawdowns

Rolling Returns

Yearly Returns