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)
| Metric | Swensen Yale Endowment |
|---|---|
| CAGR | 8.9% |
| Max Drawdown | -43.7% |
| Sharpe | 0.88 |
| Sortino | 1.08 |
| Volatility | 11.8% |
| Calmar | 0.20 |
| Total Return | 2535.8% |
| Backtest Period | 38.5 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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