Permanent Portfolio (Static)
Permanent Portfolio (Static) is a fixed-allocation portfolio reviewed on a annual 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 1999-09 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
- 2026-08-19
- History boundary
- The recorded 1999-09 publication or construction boundary separates pre-publication simulation from later market observations under fixed rules; all returns remain hypothetical.
- Rule / approach
- 1. Allocate 25% to SPY (prosperity asset) 2. Allocate 25% to TLT (deflation asset) 3. Allocate 25% to GLD (inflation asset) 4. Allocate 25% to SHY (recession/cash asset) 5. Rebalance annually or when drift exceeds threshold
- 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 2027 (annual); scheduled 2027-01-04 at 09:30 ET. Review the published signal before placing any trade.
Permanent Portfolio (Static) at a glance
Permanent Portfolio (Static) is a fixed-allocation portfolio by Harry Browne across US Equity, Long-Term Treasuries, Gold, Short-Term Treasuries, rebalanced annual. Backtested 1978-12-29 to 2026-08-19 (47.5 years): 7.9% CAGR, 1.08 Sharpe, -18.6% max drawdown, 6.4% volatility.
- Type
- Fixed Allocation
- Author
- Harry Browne
- Rebalancing
- Annual
- Risk
- Conservative
- Period
- 1978-12-29 to 2026-08-19
- CAGR
- 7.9%
- Sharpe
- 1.08
- Max Drawdown
- -18.6%
- Volatility
- 6.4%
Permanent Portfolio (Static) — Fixed Allocation Portfolio
The static Permanent Portfolio by Harry Browne divides the portfolio equally (25% each) across four asset classes designed for four economic states: stocks (prosperity), long-term bonds (deflation), gold (inflation), and cash (recession). Pure static version with annual rebalancing, no trend following or SMA filters.
Permanent Portfolio (Static): frequently asked questions
- What is Permanent Portfolio (Static)?
- Classic 4x25% allocation: stocks, long bonds, gold, and cash. Covers prosperity, deflation, inflation, and recession.
- Who created the Permanent Portfolio (Static) strategy?
- Permanent Portfolio (Static) was developed by Harry Browne. It is based on Browne, H. Fail-Safe Investing (1999).
- What is the historical return and maximum drawdown of Permanent Portfolio (Static)?
- Backtested from 1978-12-29 to 2026-08-19, Permanent Portfolio (Static) returned 7.9% CAGR with a -18.6% maximum drawdown and a Sharpe ratio of 1.08. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
- How often is Permanent Portfolio (Static) rebalanced?
- Permanent Portfolio (Static) is rebalanced annual. BestFolio publishes the updated allocation signal each period.
- Is Permanent Portfolio (Static) a fixed or tactical strategy?
- Permanent Portfolio (Static) is a fixed-allocation (strategic) portfolio: it holds a set allocation and rebalances on schedule rather than rotating based on market signals.
Backtest Performance (1978-12-29 to 2026-08-19)
| Metric | Permanent Portfolio (Static) |
|---|---|
| CAGR | 7.9% |
| Max Drawdown | -18.6% |
| Sharpe | 1.08 |
| Sortino | 1.75 |
| Volatility | 6.4% |
| Calmar | 0.42 |
| Total Return | 3562.2% |
| Backtest Period | 47.5 years |
Strategy Details
- Type
- Fixed / Strategic
- Rebalancing
- annual
- Risk Level
- conservative
- Variants
- 1
- Author
- Harry Browne
- Source
- Browne, H. Fail-Safe Investing (1999)
Asset Classes
- US Equity
- Long-Term Treasuries
- Gold
- Short-Term Treasuries
Categories
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