Blended US equities gold and international stocks with strong diversification and low volatility tilt
Report created on Mar 27, 2026Risk profile
4/7
Diversification profile
4/5
Positions
-
VO Vanguard S&P 500 ETF
VOO - US9229083632 60.00% -
GL SPDR® Gold Shares
GLD - US78463V1070 20.00% -
VX Vanguard Total International Stock Index Fund ETF Shares
VXUS - US9219097683 20.00%
The structure is very simple: roughly 60% in a broad US equity ETF, 20% in international equities, and 20% in gold. This creates an 80% growth engine from global stocks, with gold as a distinct diversifier. A clear structure like this makes it easy to understand what’s driving returns and risk. The stock-heavy allocation fits a balanced-to-growth style, while the gold slice adds a defensive element. Overall, this is a straightforward, rules-based mix that avoids complexity and single-stock bets, which is a strong foundation for a long-term, low-maintenance plan.
Growth
From 2016 to 2026, $1,000 grew to about $3,364, a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.93%. CAGR is like average speed on a road trip, smoothing out bumps along the way. This slightly trailed the US market’s 14.02% but beat the global market’s 11.46%. Max drawdown, the worst peak-to-trough fall, was -29%, milder than both benchmarks, showing good downside behavior. Only 39 days created 90% of returns, underscoring how missing a few strong days can hurt outcomes. Overall, this history shows strong growth with somewhat softer crashes than pure equity, which is well aligned with a balanced risk profile.
Asset classes
- Stocks 80%
- Other 20%
Asset allocation is 80% stocks and 20% “other,” which in this case is primarily gold. An 80/20 mix is growth-leaning but still has a meaningful stabilizer. Stocks are the main long-term driver of wealth, while gold has historically behaved differently, often helping during equity stress or inflation scares. This allocation is well-balanced and aligns closely with global standards for a balanced-to-growth investor. The relatively modest diversifier slice keeps the portfolio from being overly conservative while still reducing the sting of severe equity downturns compared with a 100% stock mix.
Sectors
- Technology 23%
- Financials 12%
- Industrials 8%
- Consumer Discretionary 8%
- Health Care 7%
- Telecommunications 7%
- Consumer Staples 4%
- Energy 3%
- Basic Materials 3%
- Utilities 2%
- Real Estate 2%
This breakdown covers the equity portion of your portfolio only.
Equity exposure is spread across many sectors, with technology the largest at 23%, followed by financials, industrials, and consumer-related areas. This sector mix looks broadly similar to major global benchmarks, which is a strong indicator of diversification. Being tech-tilted but not dominated helps capture innovation-driven growth while avoiding an extreme single-sector bet. In environments where interest rates rise or tech sentiment cools, the presence of financials, industrials, and defensive areas like health care and staples can cushion swings. The portfolio’s sector composition matches benchmark data, supporting resilient behavior across different economic cycles.
Regions
- North America 61%
- Europe Developed 8%
- Japan 3%
- Asia Developed 3%
- Asia Emerging 3%
- Australasia 1%
- Africa/Middle East 1%
This breakdown covers the equity portion of your portfolio only.
Geographically, about 61% of equities sit in North America, with the rest spread across Europe, Japan, developed Asia, emerging Asia, and smaller regions. That North American tilt is very much in line with global market capitalization, where the US is dominant. This alignment is beneficial because it mirrors how global capital is actually allocated, rather than making big active bets. The international 20% slice adds exposure to different economic cycles, currencies, and policy environments, which can reduce the risk of being tied solely to one region’s fortunes over decades while still retaining a strong home‑market core.
Market capitalization
- Mega-cap 37%
- Large-cap 27%
- No data 20%
- Mid-cap 14%
- Small-cap 1%
This breakdown covers the equity portion of your portfolio only.
Market capitalization exposure leans heavily toward mega‑cap and large‑cap companies, together around 64% of the portfolio. These tend to be established, profitable businesses that can be more stable and liquid than smaller firms. Mid‑caps add a bit of extra growth potential and diversification, while small‑cap exposure is minimal. This large‑company tilt usually means smoother rides than a small‑cap-heavy approach, but it can miss some of the explosive upside (and downside) that smaller firms offer. For many investors, this skew toward big, well-known names nicely balances risk, return potential, and simplicity.
True holdings
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NV NVIDIA Corporation 4.39%
Part of fund(s):- Vanguard S&P 500 ETF
-
AA Apple Inc 3.98%
Part of fund(s):- Vanguard S&P 500 ETF
-
MS Microsoft Corporation 2.98%
Part of fund(s):- Vanguard S&P 500 ETF
-
AM Amazon.com Inc 2.08%
Part of fund(s):- Vanguard S&P 500 ETF
-
GO Alphabet Inc Class A 1.85%
Part of fund(s):- Vanguard S&P 500 ETF
-
AV Broadcom Inc 1.54%
Part of fund(s):- Vanguard S&P 500 ETF
-
GO Alphabet Inc Class C 1.48%
Part of fund(s):- Vanguard S&P 500 ETF
-
ME Meta Platforms Inc. 1.44%
Part of fund(s):- Vanguard S&P 500 ETF
-
TS Tesla Inc 1.15%
Part of fund(s):- LS 1x Tesla Tracker ETP Securities GBP
- Vanguard S&P 500 ETF
-
BR Berkshire Hathaway Inc 0.94%
Part of fund(s):- Vanguard S&P 500 ETF
- Top 10 total 21.83%
This breakdown covers the equity portion of your portfolio only.
Looking through the ETFs, the biggest indirect exposures are familiar mega-cap names like NVIDIA, Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Alphabet, and Meta. These appear via broad index funds, so there’s some hidden overlap between US and international holdings where large global companies are dual-listed or widely owned. Coverage is limited to ETF top-10s, so actual overlap will be higher than reported. This kind of concentration in a handful of global giants is common in cap‑weighted indexes and has worked well recently, but it can increase sensitivity to sentiment around big tech and large growth names.
Factors
Factor exposure shows a notably high tilt toward low volatility at 66%, meaning holdings have historically been less jumpy than the average market. Factor exposure is like checking which “traits” your portfolio leans into, such as cheapness (value) or stability (low volatility). Here, value, size, momentum, and quality are all mildly below neutral, so there’s no aggressive bet on any one style. Yield is roughly neutral. The strong low‑vol tilt suggests the portfolio may hold up relatively better in choppy or bearish markets, though it might lag in sharp, speculative rallies when high‑risk assets lead.
Risk contribution
-
Vanguard S&P 500 ETF
Weight: 60.00% 71.5% -
Vanguard Total International Stock Index Fund ETF Shares
Weight: 20.00% 21.5% -
SPDR® Gold Shares
Weight: 20.00% 7.0%
Risk contribution shows how much each holding drives overall portfolio ups and downs, which can differ from simple weights. The S&P 500 ETF, at 60% weight, contributes about 71% of total risk, so it’s the main engine of volatility. The international ETF, at 20%, contributes around 22% of risk, quite proportional. Gold is the standout: it’s 20% of the portfolio but only 7% of risk, meaning it’s a strong stabilizer. This pattern signals that most risk lives in US equities, with gold effectively dampening swings without requiring a huge allocation.
Risk vs. return
This chart shows the Efficient Frontier, calculated using your current assets with different allocation combinations. It highlights the best balance between risk and return based on historical data. "Efficient" portfolios maximize returns for a given risk or minimize risk for a given return. Portfolios below the curve are less efficient. This is informational and not a recommendation to buy or sell any assets.
Click on the colored dots to explore allocations.
On the risk vs. return chart, the current portfolio has a Sharpe ratio of 0.8, below both the optimal portfolio (1.06) and the minimum variance mix (1.03). The Sharpe ratio measures return per unit of risk, like miles per gallon for your car. Being below the efficient frontier means the same ingredients, with different weights, could potentially deliver either higher return for similar risk or similar return with less risk. In other words, reweighting among the three existing funds could move the portfolio closer to that optimal point without adding new holdings or complexity.
Dividends
- Vanguard S&P 500 ETF 1.20%
- Vanguard Total International Stock Index Fund ETF Shares 3.00%
- Weighted yield (per year) 1.32%
Dividend yield for the whole portfolio is about 1.32%, with US equities yielding around 1.20% and international equities around 3.00%. Dividends are payments companies make to shareholders and can be a steady return source alongside price gains. This overall yield is modest, which is typical for a growth‑oriented mix tilted toward large US companies. For someone focused on portfolio growth rather than current income, this is perfectly reasonable. Over time, reinvested dividends can meaningfully boost compounding, even when starting yields look small, especially if payout levels grow as company earnings expand.
Ongoing product costs
- SPDR® Gold Shares 0.40%
- Vanguard S&P 500 ETF 0.03%
- Vanguard Total International Stock Index Fund ETF Shares 0.05%
- Weighted costs total (per year) 0.11%
Total ongoing costs come in at an impressively low 0.11% per year, thanks to ultra‑low‑fee core equity funds and only a moderately priced gold ETF. The TER (Total Expense Ratio) is like a small annual service charge; keeping it low means more of the portfolio’s returns stay in your pocket. Over decades, shaving even a few tenths of a percent off fees can add up to thousands of extra dollars. The costs are impressively low, supporting better long-term performance and aligning very well with best practices for efficient, index‑based investing.
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