Desert Portfolio
Desert Portfolio is a fixed-allocation portfolio reviewed on a annual cadence. Its hypothetical backtest runs through 2026-09-04. BestFolio supplies the public rule or approach and backtest context; current signals, allocations, and paid interactive data remain restricted to Pro access. The recorded 2017 publication or construction boundary separates pre-publication simulation from later market observations under fixed rules; all returns remain hypothetical. Users review each scheduled signal and place any resulting trades in their own brokerage. BestFolio does not execute trades or provide personalized investment advice.
- Cadence
- Annual
- Backtest data through
- 2026-09-04
- History boundary
- The recorded 2017 publication or construction boundary separates pre-publication simulation from later market observations under fixed rules; all returns remain hypothetical.
- Rule / approach
- 1. 30% VTI, 60% VGIT, 10% GLD 2. Rebalance annually
- BestFolio supplies
- the public rule or approach and backtest context; current signals, allocations, and paid interactive data remain restricted to Pro access
- Customer action
- Review each scheduled signal and place any required trades in your own brokerage; BestFolio does not execute orders.
- Costs and exclusions
- net of a modeled one-way transaction cost (10 bps, scaled up to 3x under stress); taxes, fund-expense drift, or market impact are not modeled
- Freshness
- The latest available backtest ends 2026-09-04. A run timestamp is not exposed here, so no stronger freshness claim is made.
- Next expected action
- First trading day of 2027 (annual); scheduled 2027-01-04 at 09:30 ET. Review the published signal before placing any trade.
Desert Portfolio at a glance
Desert Portfolio is a fixed-allocation portfolio by Gyroscopic Investing across US Equity, Intermediate Treasuries, Gold, rebalanced annual. Backtested 1987-12-31 to 2026-09-04 (38.7 years): 7.6% CAGR, 1.27 Sharpe, -15.9% max drawdown, 6.2% volatility.
- Type
- Fixed Allocation
- Author
- Gyroscopic Investing
- Rebalancing
- Annual
- Risk
- Conservative
- Period
- 1987-12-31 to 2026-09-04
- CAGR
- 7.6%
- Sharpe
- 1.27
- Max Drawdown
- -15.9%
- Volatility
- 6.2%
Desert Portfolio — Fixed Allocation Portfolio
The Desert Portfolio from Gyroscopic Investing: 30% VTI, 60% VGIT (intermediate treasuries), 10% GLD. Conservative, capital preservation focus.
Desert Portfolio: frequently asked questions
- What is Desert Portfolio?
- Conservative 3-fund portfolio: 30% stocks, 60% intermediate treasuries, 10% gold. Approximately risk-parity weighted.
- Who created the Desert Portfolio strategy?
- Desert Portfolio was developed by Gyroscopic Investing. It is based on Gyroscopic Investing. Desert Portfolio.
- What is the historical return and maximum drawdown of Desert Portfolio?
- Backtested from 1987-12-31 to 2026-09-04, Desert Portfolio returned 7.6% CAGR with a -15.9% maximum drawdown and a Sharpe ratio of 1.27. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
- How often is Desert Portfolio rebalanced?
- Desert Portfolio is rebalanced annual. BestFolio publishes the updated allocation signal each period.
- Is Desert Portfolio a fixed or tactical strategy?
- Desert Portfolio is a fixed-allocation (strategic) portfolio: it holds a set allocation and rebalances on schedule rather than rotating based on market signals.
Backtest Performance (1987-12-31 to 2026-09-04)
| Metric | Desert Portfolio |
|---|---|
| CAGR | 7.6% |
| Max Drawdown | -15.9% |
| Sharpe | 1.27 |
| Sortino | 2.22 |
| Volatility | 6.2% |
| Calmar | 0.48 |
| Total Return | 1599.7% |
| Backtest Period | 38.7 years |
Strategy Details
- Type
- Fixed / Strategic
- Rebalancing
- annual
- Risk Level
- conservative
- Variants
- 1
- Author
- Gyroscopic Investing
- Source
- Gyroscopic Investing. Desert Portfolio
Asset Classes
- US Equity
- Intermediate Treasuries
- Gold
Categories
Further reading
Holding Desert Portfolio alongside another strategy? Use the free portfolio overlap calculator to see how much of the two portfolios actually differs.
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