John Wasik has been a professional journalist and author for 30 years specializing in personal finance, the environment, investing and social issues. John has proposed a Nano plan investment portfolio which employs just a handful of index or ETFs to cover virtually the entire world of bond and stock markets. This portfolio is supposed to be rebalanced annually.
John Wasik presents a classic asset allocation strategy with simple buy and hold.
- 20% in Vanguard Total Stock Market VIPERS (VTI) – alternatives: SPY, IWM
- 20% in Vanguard Total International (VGTSX) – alternatives: EFA, VEU, EEM, VWO, ADRE
- 20% in Vanguard REIT VIPERS (VNQ) – alternatives: IYR, ICF
- 20% in iShares Lehman TIPS Bond (TIP)
- 20% in iShares Lehman Aggregate Bond (AGG) – alternative: BND
Things to note about the portfolio:
- With 40% in fixed income, this would be considered moderate risk
- With VGTSX covering both international and emerging markets (albeit in one fund) this would be something between a 4 and 5 asset class portfolio
- VGTSX is not an ETF; while VGTSX can easily be replaced by VEU (Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US ETF) we will keep VGTSX because it has a longer history for back testing
Historical Returns
The return data shown below all have the same latest date: 03/17/2025.
AR inception is since 12/31/2004.
AR inception is since 12/31/2004.
| Name | YTD Return | 1Yr AR | 3Yr AR | 5Yr AR | 10Yr AR | 15Yr AR | 20Yr AR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wasik Nano | 1.85% | 9.62% | 4.28% | 11.30% | 6.29% | 7.34% | 6.55% |
| VFINX (VANGUARD 500 INDEX FUND INVESTOR SHARES) | -3.26% | 11.54% | 10.29% | 19.32% | 12.48% | 13.13% | 10.14% |
| VBINX (VANGUARD BALANCED INDEX FUND INVESTOR SHARES) | -1.34% | 4.94% | 3.39% | 8.97% | 6.70% | 7.97% | 6.96% |
| Ticker/Portfolio | Last 1 Week | 1 Yr | 3 Yr | 5 Yr | 10 Yr | 15 Yr | 20 Yr | Inception | YTD | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997 | 1996 | 1995 | 1994 | 1993 | 1992 | 1991 | 1990 | 1989 | 1988 | 1987 | 1986 | 1985 | 1984 | 1983 | 1982 | 1981 | 1980 | 1979 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized Return (%) | Wasik Nano | 0.98 | 9.62 | 4.28 | 11.30 | 6.29 | 7.34 | 6.55 | 6.49 | 1.85 | 10.24 | 15.95 | -18.77 | 20.16 | 8.65 | 21.71 | -6.54 | 10.00 | 7.66 | 0.99 | 10.55 | 9.50 | 12.82 | 3.95 | 13.05 | 17.95 | -23.58 | 2.91 | 17.12 | 7.42 | 0.00 | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| VFINX (VANGUA...R SHARES) | 1.11 | 11.54 | 10.29 | 19.32 | 12.48 | 13.13 | 10.14 | 10.06 | -3.26 | 24.84 | 26.12 | -18.24 | 28.53 | 18.74 | 31.33 | -4.55 | 21.66 | 11.83 | 1.23 | 13.52 | 32.17 | 15.82 | 1.96 | 14.91 | 26.52 | -37.02 | 5.39 | 15.64 | 4.77 | 10.74 | 28.50 | -22.17 | -12.03 | -9.05 | 21.08 | 28.62 | 33.18 | 22.87 | 37.45 | 1.18 | 10.15 | 8.24 | 32.05 | -3.33 | 28.37 | 14.92 | 3.97 | 9.30 | 22.60 | 3.67 | 17.07 | 19.25 | -8.55 | 27.89 | -2.07 | |
| VBINX (VANGUA...R SHARES) | 0.61 | 4.94 | 3.39 | 8.97 | 6.70 | 7.97 | 6.96 | 6.90 | -1.34 | 10.42 | 14.70 | -17.67 | 12.02 | 15.05 | 21.67 | -2.97 | 13.75 | 8.64 | 0.36 | 9.81 | 17.96 | 11.33 | 4.14 | 13.13 | 20.09 | -22.21 | 6.17 | 11.03 | 4.65 | 10.58 | 19.86 | -9.55 | -3.03 | -0.32 | 15.30 | 19.18 | 21.05 | 12.97 | 28.14 | -1.55 | 11.55 | 3.69 | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | |
| Sharpe Ratio | Wasik Nano | NA | 33.44 | 0.13 | 62.99 | 36.74 | NA | NA | 40.11 | 11.05 | 37.60 | 104.92 | -111.65 | 214.27 | 34.34 | 282.37 | -81.90 | 195.10 | 78.46 | 10.09 | 172.16 | 119.48 | 182.33 | 28.81 | 110.51 | 100.09 | -94.61 | -0.73 | 180.19 | 77.71 | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| VFINX (VANGUA...R SHARES) | NA | 31.69 | 45.85 | 76.08 | 60.69 | NA | NA | 44.79 | -127.73 | 144.05 | 168.50 | -81.42 | 217.48 | 53.11 | 239.69 | -34.37 | 316.32 | 88.64 | 7.76 | 118.55 | 290.33 | 124.85 | 8.24 | 82.04 | 97.09 | -92.28 | 15.05 | 123.84 | 25.29 | 88.29 | 163.16 | -89.66 | -67.65 | -59.22 | 98.26 | 123.57 | 162.11 | 163.05 | 432.60 | -17.93 | 91.08 | 58.43 | 191.72 | -53.33 | 173.14 | 59.74 | -0.19 | 30.84 | 149.03 | -23.73 | 80.36 | 64.68 | -126.79 | 119.12 | -383.89 | |
| VBINX (VANGUA...R SHARES) | NA | -22.08 | 1.88 | 41.47 | 45.65 | NA | NA | 56.54 | -115.34 | 41.44 | 111.33 | -119.10 | 142.11 | 71.50 | 285.34 | -43.90 | 329.21 | 107.95 | 3.85 | 147.07 | 261.51 | 154.65 | 30.31 | 123.20 | 121.00 | -98.17 | 34.78 | 117.15 | 38.04 | 137.91 | 204.46 | -76.83 | -43.65 | -30.73 | 108.09 | 137.09 | 174.84 | 120.29 | 454.07 | -66.00 | 157.21 | 574.16 | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | |
| Standard Deviation(%) | Wasik Nano | NA | 10.13 | 13.22 | 13.88 | 12.63 | NA | NA | 12.81 | 11.44 | 9.70 | 11.15 | 18.05 | 9.40 | 24.52 | 7.19 | 9.59 | 4.80 | 9.50 | 9.50 | 6.12 | 7.92 | 7.00 | 13.59 | 11.73 | 17.84 | 25.90 | 11.89 | 7.69 | 6.76 | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| VFINX (VANGUA...R SHARES) | NA | 13.73 | 17.13 | 19.68 | 17.93 | NA | NA | 18.02 | 16.47 | 12.67 | 13.09 | 24.19 | 13.11 | 34.69 | 12.48 | 17.11 | 6.68 | 13.11 | 15.51 | 11.39 | 11.07 | 12.74 | 23.36 | 18.07 | 27.22 | 40.99 | 16.02 | 10.04 | 10.29 | 11.10 | 17.04 | 25.96 | 21.55 | 22.20 | 18.17 | 20.48 | 18.21 | 11.77 | 7.77 | 9.92 | 8.83 | 9.93 | 14.69 | 16.06 | 13.09 | 17.07 | 33.80 | 16.55 | 11.67 | 12.80 | 13.62 | 18.09 | 14.61 | 16.53 | 23.80 | |
| VBINX (VANGUA...R SHARES) | NA | 9.66 | 11.79 | 12.74 | 11.13 | NA | NA | 10.98 | 10.28 | 9.23 | 9.47 | 16.06 | 8.44 | 20.63 | 7.10 | 9.80 | 4.00 | 7.81 | 8.67 | 6.66 | 6.86 | 7.35 | 13.57 | 10.59 | 16.52 | 23.49 | 9.17 | 6.65 | 6.52 | 6.99 | 9.38 | 13.87 | 12.48 | 14.34 | 11.17 | 11.57 | 9.98 | 7.81 | 5.35 | 6.83 | 6.00 | 4.65 | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | |
| Draw Down(%) | Wasik Nano | NA | 5.69 | 21.87 | 25.06 | 27.50 | NA | NA | 39.89 | 4.80 | 5.31 | 10.55 | 25.01 | 4.66 | 27.50 | 3.08 | 11.94 | 2.30 | 6.98 | 8.05 | 4.69 | 8.69 | 5.41 | 11.78 | 8.00 | 18.05 | 37.71 | 8.07 | 5.64 | 4.18 | 0.00 | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| VFINX (VANGUA...R SHARES) | NA | 10.05 | 22.14 | 24.59 | 33.83 | NA | NA | 55.25 | 10.05 | 8.45 | 9.97 | 24.59 | 5.14 | 33.83 | 6.63 | 19.40 | 2.60 | 10.29 | 12.05 | 7.30 | 5.59 | 9.60 | 18.71 | 15.66 | 27.17 | 47.73 | 9.88 | 7.47 | 7.01 | 7.47 | 13.79 | 33.02 | 29.18 | 16.55 | 11.81 | 19.20 | 10.79 | 7.45 | 2.50 | 8.48 | 4.84 | 5.63 | 5.57 | 19.19 | 7.35 | 7.24 | 33.08 | 11.63 | 7.51 | 10.58 | 7.02 | 13.21 | 15.61 | 16.03 | 2.40 | |
| VBINX (VANGUA...R SHARES) | NA | 9.07 | 17.70 | 23.05 | 23.05 | NA | NA | 35.97 | 5.98 | 6.25 | 8.27 | 21.71 | 3.67 | 22.78 | 3.26 | 11.95 | 1.35 | 5.99 | 7.27 | 4.07 | 4.70 | 5.28 | 10.87 | 8.83 | 17.50 | 31.87 | 5.50 | 4.77 | 4.03 | 4.98 | 7.07 | 18.14 | 15.94 | 9.94 | 7.19 | 12.20 | 6.83 | 5.51 | 1.82 | 7.21 | 2.78 | 0.87 | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | |
| Yield(%) | Wasik Nano | NA | 2.97 | 2.86 | 2.87 | 2.89 | NA | NA | 3.33 | NA | 0.06 | 3.01 | 2.50 | 3.12 | 2.33 | 2.98 | 2.31 | 0.80 | 4.26 | 3.18 | 4.25 | 3.16 | 3.59 | 3.86 | 3.58 | 4.13 | 3.95 | 4.03 | 4.09 | 4.13 | 0.00 | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| VFINX (VANGUA...R SHARES) | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | |
| VBINX (VANGUA...R SHARES) | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
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Rolling Returns
From 12/31/2004 to 03/17/2025, the worst annualized return of 3-year rolling returns is -8.68%.
From 12/31/2004 to 03/17/2025, the worst annualized return of 5-year rolling returns is 1.35%.
From 12/31/2004 to 03/17/2025, the worst annualized return of 10-year rolling returns is 4.74%.