How a 20% gold portfolio fared in the eurozone debt crisis
20% gold tilt: 60% equities · 20% gold · 20% cash · quarterly rebalance · physical costs on (coins) · window 2011-04-29 to 2012-03-13 · computed 2026-07-13 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) | +1.2% |
|---|---|
| Total return (nominal) | +3.3% |
| CAGR (real) | +1.3% |
| Max drawdown (real) | −11.5% |
| Recovery | 4.0 months |
| Purchasing-power ratio | 1.01× |
| Ulcer index | 4.6 |
| Worst calendar year | — |
| Physical costs paid | $150 |
| Liquidation value | $10,267 |
A $10,000 stake in a 20% gold portfolio (60% equities · 20% gold · 20% cash, rebalanced quarterly, physical costs on coins applied) entering the eurozone debt crisis would have ended the window worth $10,117 in real, CPI-deflated terms: a real return of +1.2%. Along the way it fell at most 11.5% from its peak (4.0 months), with an ulcer index of 4.6. The same stake in equities alone returned +0.3% real. This allocation beat it by 0.9 percentage points of purchasing power. Physical ownership (dealer spread, storage, insurance) cost $150 over the window.
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The link above prefills the allocation. Adjust weights, costs, and windows from there. Sources and formulas: methodology.
Educational estimates, not financial advice