Golden Ratio at a glance
Golden Ratio is a tactical asset allocation (TAA) strategy by Bogleheads Community across US Large-Cap Growth, US Small-Cap Value, Long-Term Treasuries, Gold, rebalanced annual. Backtested 1994-12-30 to 2026-07-03 (31.5 years): 9.3% CAGR, 1.13 Sharpe, -21.7% max drawdown, 8.9% volatility.
- Type
- Tactical (TAA)
- Author
- Bogleheads Community
- Rebalancing
- Annual
- Risk
- Moderate
- Period
- 1994-12-30 to 2026-07-03
- CAGR
- 9.3%
- Sharpe
- 1.13
- Max Drawdown
- -21.7%
- Volatility
- 8.9%
Golden Ratio — Tactical Asset Allocation Strategy
The Golden Ratio portfolio blends growth equities, value factor, long treasuries, gold, managed futures, and cash using golden ratio proportions. 21% US large-cap growth (VUG), 21% US small-cap value (AVUV), 26% long-term treasuries (VGLT), 16% gold (GLD), 10% managed futures (DBMF), and 6% cash (BIL). Designed for strong risk-adjusted returns through diversification across assets with low or negative correlations.
Golden Ratio: frequently asked questions
- What is Golden Ratio?
- Multi-asset portfolio blending growth equities, value factor, long treasuries, gold, managed futures, and cash. The allocation follows golden ratio proportions across uncorrelated asset classes. Managed futures provide crisis alpha while small-cap value adds a return premium. Since 1992: 9.3% CAGR, -17.3% max DD, 1.18 Sortino.
- Who created the Golden Ratio strategy?
- Golden Ratio was developed by Bogleheads Community. It is based on Bogleheads Community. Golden Ratio Portfolio.
- What is the historical return and maximum drawdown of Golden Ratio?
- Backtested from 1994-12-30 to 2026-07-03, Golden Ratio returned 9.3% CAGR with a -21.7% maximum drawdown and a Sharpe ratio of 1.13. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
- How often is Golden Ratio rebalanced?
- Golden Ratio is rebalanced annual. BestFolio publishes the updated allocation signal each period.
- Is Golden Ratio a tactical asset allocation strategy?
- Yes. Golden Ratio is a tactical asset allocation (TAA) strategy: it adjusts its holdings based on market signals each period rather than holding a fixed allocation.
Backtest Performance (1994-12-30 to 2026-07-03)
| Metric | Golden Ratio |
|---|---|
| Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) | 9.3% |
| Maximum Drawdown | -21.7% |
| Sharpe Ratio | 1.13 |
| Sortino Ratio | 1.64 |
| Annualized Volatility | 8.9% |
| Calmar Ratio | 0.43 |
| Total Return | 1540.9% |
| Backtest Period | 31.5 years |
Strategy Details
- Type
- Tactical (TAA)
- Rebalancing
- annual
- Risk Level
- moderate
- Variants
- 1
- Author
- Bogleheads Community
- Source
- Bogleheads Community. Golden Ratio Portfolio
Asset Classes
- US Large-Cap Growth
- US Small-Cap Value
- Long-Term Treasuries
- Gold
- Managed Futures
- Cash/T-Bills
Categories
Further reading
New to this approach? Read what tactical asset allocation is and how it works.
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