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LAA (Lethargic Asset Allocation)

LAA (Lethargic Asset Allocation) is a tactical asset allocation strategy reviewed on a monthly cadence. Its hypothetical backtest runs through 2026-08-19. BestFolio supplies the public rule or approach and backtest context; current signals, allocations, and paid interactive data remain restricted to Pro access. The recorded 2019-12-04 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
Monthly
Backtest data through
2026-08-19
History boundary
The recorded 2019-12-04 publication or construction boundary separates pre-publication simulation from later market observations under fixed rules; all returns remain hypothetical.
Rule / approach
1. Hold static positions: IWD 25%, GLD 25%, IEF 25% (these never change) 2. Check condition A: Is US unemployment rate (FRED UNRATE) above its 12-month moving average? 3. Check condition B: Is SPY price below its 200-day SMA? 4. If BOTH…
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 2026-08-19. A run timestamp is not exposed here, so no stronger freshness claim is made.
Next expected action
First trading day of September; scheduled 2026-09-01 at 09:30 ET. Review the published signal before placing any trade.

LAA (Lethargic Asset Allocation) at a glance

LAA (Lethargic Asset Allocation) is a tactical asset allocation (TAA) strategy by Wouter J. Keller across US Equity (Nasdaq 100), US Equity (Value), Gold, Intermediate Treasuries, rebalanced monthly. Backtested 1986-02-28 to 2026-08-19 (40.3 years): 10.2% CAGR, 1.19 Sharpe, -19.4% max drawdown, 9.4% volatility.

Type
Tactical (TAA)
Author
Wouter J. Keller
Rebalancing
Monthly
Risk
Moderate
Period
1986-02-28 to 2026-08-19
CAGR
10.2%
Sharpe
1.19
Max Drawdown
-19.4%
Volatility
9.4%

LAA (Lethargic Asset Allocation) Tactical Asset Allocation Strategy

Lethargic Asset Allocation (LAA) was published by Wouter Keller in 2019. It is a near-static portfolio with a single risk toggle, designed to minimize trading while still providing drawdown protection.

The base portfolio holds four assets at 25% each: QQQ (Nasdaq 100), IWD (Russell 1000 Value), GLD (gold), and IEF (intermediate treasuries). Three of these positions (IWD, GLD, and IEF) never change. Only the QQQ position is subject to a risk toggle.

LAA (Lethargic Asset Allocation): frequently asked questions

What is Lethargic Asset Allocation?
Low-maintenance allocation with a permanent 75% core (value stocks, gold, bonds) plus a 25% growth sleeve. The growth sleeve rotates to cash only when both unemployment rises and equities trend below their SMA. Monthly rebalancing.
Who created the LAA (Lethargic Asset Allocation) strategy?
LAA (Lethargic Asset Allocation) was developed by Wouter J. Keller. It is based on Keller, W.J. (2019). Lethargic Asset Allocation (LAA).
What is the historical return and maximum drawdown of LAA (Lethargic Asset Allocation)?
Backtested from 1986-02-28 to 2026-08-19, LAA (Lethargic Asset Allocation) returned 10.2% CAGR with a -19.4% maximum drawdown and a Sharpe ratio of 1.19. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
How often is LAA (Lethargic Asset Allocation) rebalanced?
LAA (Lethargic Asset Allocation) is rebalanced monthly. BestFolio publishes the updated allocation signal each period.
Is LAA (Lethargic Asset Allocation) a tactical asset allocation strategy?
Yes. LAA (Lethargic Asset Allocation) 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 (1986-02-28 to 2026-08-19)

MetricLAA (Lethargic Asset Allocation)
CAGR10.2%
Max Drawdown-19.4%
Sharpe1.19
Sortino1.84
Volatility9.4%
Calmar0.53
Total Return4980.3%
Backtest Period40.3 years

Strategy Details

Type
Tactical (TAA)
Rebalancing
monthly
Risk Level
moderate
Variants
1
Author
Wouter J. Keller
Source
Keller, W.J. (2019). Lethargic Asset Allocation (LAA)

Asset Classes

  • US Equity (Nasdaq 100)
  • US Equity (Value)
  • Gold
  • Intermediate Treasuries
  • Short-Term Treasuries

Further reading

New to this approach? Read what tactical asset allocation is and how it works.

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