How a 20% gold portfolio fared in the 2008 financial crisis
20% gold tilt — 60% equities · 20% gold · 20% cash · quarterly rebalance · physical costs on (coins) · window 2007-10-09 to 2013-03-28 · 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) | +7.9% |
|---|---|
| Total return (nominal) | +19.8% |
| CAGR (real) | +1.4% |
| Max drawdown (real) | −36.5% |
| Recovery | 2.1 years |
| Purchasing-power ratio | 1.08× |
| Ulcer index | 13.5 |
| Worst calendar year | 2008: −23.7% |
| Physical costs paid | $271 |
| Liquidation value | $11,913 |
A $10,000 stake in a 20% gold portfolio (60% equities · 20% gold · 20% cash, rebalanced quarterly, physical costs on coins applied) entering the 2008 financial crisis would have ended the window worth $10,788 in real, CPI-deflated terms — a real return of +7.9%. Along the way it fell at most 36.5% from its peak (2.1 years), with an ulcer index of 13.5. The same stake in equities alone returned −9.7% real — this allocation beat it by 17.6 percentage points of purchasing power. Physical ownership — dealer spread, storage, insurance — cost $271 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