How a 20% gold portfolio fared in the 2020 COVID crash
20% gold tilt — 60% equities · 20% gold · 20% 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) | +5.1% |
|---|---|
| Total return (nominal) | +5.1% |
| CAGR (real) | +10.5% |
| Max drawdown (real) | −21.1% |
| Recovery | 77 days |
| Purchasing-power ratio | 1.05× |
| Ulcer index | 7.4 |
| Worst calendar year | — |
| Physical costs paid | $142 |
| Liquidation value | $10,442 |
A $10,000 stake in a 20% gold portfolio (60% equities · 20% gold · 20% cash, rebalanced quarterly, physical costs on coins applied) entering the 2020 COVID crash would have ended the window worth $10,505 in real, CPI-deflated terms — a real return of +5.1%. Along the way it fell at most 21.1% from its peak (77 days), with an ulcer index of 7.4. The same stake in equities alone returned +0.1% real — this allocation beat it by 5.0 percentage points of purchasing power. Physical ownership — dealer spread, storage, insurance — cost $142 over the window.
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