How a classic 60/40 portfolio fared in the 2020 COVID crash
60/40 — 60% equities · 40% cash · quarterly rebalance · physical costs on (coins) · window 2020-02-19 to 2020-08-18 · computed 2026-07-06 with the same engine the app runs.
Solid: this portfolio, real (CPI-deflated) value of $10,000. Dashed: the all-equity baseline.
| Total return (real) | +1.5% |
|---|---|
| Total return (nominal) | +1.5% |
| CAGR (real) | +3.0% |
| Max drawdown (real) | −20.0% |
| Recovery | 4.4 months |
| Purchasing-power ratio | 1.01× |
| Ulcer index | 7.5 |
| Worst calendar year | — |
| Physical costs paid | $0 |
| Liquidation value | $10,151 |
A $10,000 stake in a classic 60/40 portfolio (60% equities · 40% cash, rebalanced quarterly, physical costs on coins applied) entering the 2020 COVID crash would have ended the window worth $10,148 in real, CPI-deflated terms — a real return of +1.5%. Along the way it fell at most 20.0% from its peak (4.4 months), with an ulcer index of 7.5. The same stake in equities alone returned +0.1% real — this allocation beat it by 1.4 percentage points of purchasing power. This allocation carries no physical sleeves, so no ownership costs applied.
Open this portfolio in the stress-tester More scenarios
The link above prefills the allocation — adjust weights, costs, and windows from there. Sources and formulas: methodology.
Educational estimates — not financial advice