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Swensen Yale Endowment

Swensen Yale Endowment 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 2005 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 2005 publication or construction boundary separates pre-publication simulation from later market observations under fixed rules; all returns remain hypothetical.
Rule / approach
1. Allocate 30% to VTI, 15% to VEA, 5% to VWO 2. Allocate 15% to IEI, 15% to TIP 3. Allocate 20% to VNQ (US REITs) 4. 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.

Swensen Yale Endowment at a glance

Swensen Yale Endowment is a fixed-allocation portfolio by David Swensen across US Equity, International Developed Equity, Emerging Markets, Intermediate Treasuries, rebalanced annual. Backtested 1987-12-31 to 2026-08-19 (38.5 years): 8.9% CAGR, 0.88 Sharpe, -43.7% max drawdown, 11.8% volatility.

Type
Fixed Allocation
Author
David Swensen
Rebalancing
Annual
Risk
Moderate
Period
1987-12-31 to 2026-08-19
CAGR
8.9%
Sharpe
0.88
Max Drawdown
-43.7%
Volatility
11.8%

Swensen Yale Endowment Fixed Allocation Portfolio

David Swensen's simplified Yale Endowment portfolio for individual investors: 30% US stocks (VTI), 15% developed international (VEA), 5% emerging markets (VWO), 15% intermediate treasuries (IEI), 15% TIPS (TIP), and 20% REITs (VNQ). The heavy REIT and TIPS allocations are distinctive: Swensen valued real assets as inflation hedges.

Swensen Yale Endowment: frequently asked questions

What is Swensen Yale Endowment?
Simplified Yale endowment for individuals: 50% stocks, 30% bonds (treasuries + TIPS), 20% REITs.
Who created the Swensen Yale Endowment strategy?
Swensen Yale Endowment was developed by David Swensen. It is based on Swensen, D. Unconventional Success (2005).
What is the historical return and maximum drawdown of Swensen Yale Endowment?
Backtested from 1987-12-31 to 2026-08-19, Swensen Yale Endowment returned 8.9% CAGR with a -43.7% maximum drawdown and a Sharpe ratio of 0.88. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
How often is Swensen Yale Endowment rebalanced?
Swensen Yale Endowment is rebalanced annual. BestFolio publishes the updated allocation signal each period.
Is Swensen Yale Endowment a fixed or tactical strategy?
Swensen Yale Endowment 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 2026-08-19)

MetricSwensen Yale Endowment
CAGR8.9%
Max Drawdown-43.7%
Sharpe0.88
Sortino1.08
Volatility11.8%
Calmar0.20
Total Return2535.8%
Backtest Period38.5 years

Strategy Details

Type
Fixed / Strategic
Rebalancing
annual
Risk Level
moderate
Variants
1
Author
David Swensen
Source
Swensen, D. Unconventional Success (2005)

Asset Classes

  • US Equity
  • International Developed Equity
  • Emerging Markets
  • Intermediate Treasuries
  • TIPS
  • REITs

Categories

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