401k
 
    PORTFOLIO ADVICE


Test Results
 

 
  • Is it important which funds you choose for your portfolio?
 

  These Tests include:

 

 

 

  • Time periods that include different market conditions; a sideways market, a dramatically rising market, and a dramatically falling market.
     
  • 10 different plan configurations constructed from over 700 available funds.
     
  • 8 portfolios constructed from funds in actual 401k plans.  The Fidelity and Schwab Brokerage Option portfolios were created with no transaction fee funds available through Fidelity or Schwab.
     
  • Calculations of Risk Adjusted Portfolios compared to Buy & Hold Portfolios and the S&P 500 using the same funds in each plan.
     

 

Conclusions:

 

 
  1. When BETTER performing funds are used in the portfolios, BETTER returns are realized.
     
  2. Risk Adjusted Portfolios returned BETTER results than Buy & Hold Portfolios constructed with the same funds.
     
  3. Our Risk Adjusted Portfolios shift assets away from market segments that are out of favor and into market segments that are in favor, which tends to REDUCE VOLATILITY AND RISK
     
  4. EACH Risk Adjusted Portfolio returned BETTER results than holding the S&P 500 over this 5 year, with less risk than holding the S&P 500.
     
  5. The returns of the individual Market Condition Portfolios used in the Risk Adjusted Portfolio are very similar to the returns of the Buy & Hold Portfolios.

     (Healthy Market Condition Portfolios are very similar to Aggressive/Growth Portfolios.  Moderate Market Condition Portfolios are very similar to Growth/Moderate Portfolios.  Weak Market Condition Portfolios are very similar to Moderate/Conservative Portfolios.)

    The significance of this is  --  if a Risk Adjusted Asset Allocation Model signal was generated to move from a Healthy Market Condition Portfolio to a Moderate Market Condition Portfolio, and an investor failed to move immediately, he/she would simply continue to generate the returns that an Aggressive/Growth Buy & Hold Portfolio would develop.
     


Is it important which funds you choose for your portfolio?

Answer: Yes!
 

 

Better Performing Funds
produce
Better Results

The differences among these Buy & Hold Growth Portfolios are the funds available in each plan.  When BETTER performing funds are used in the portfolios, BETTER returns are realized.

Additional Data
including

Available Funds,
Allocations and Results
for
Buy & Hold Portfolios and
Risk Adjusted Portfolios

can be seen by clicking on the specific plan.
 


 
 

------------------------------------------ 5 Years -------------------------------------------

 

Start

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

Buy & Hold
Growth Portfolio Values
Better Performing Funds
Schwab Brokerage Option

10,000

12,281

18,976

18,617

18,021

14,905

401k Plan 1

10,000

11,096

11,781

14,253

15,296

13,601

Under Performing Funds

401k Plan 8

10,000

11,472

13,497

14,195

13,252

11,588

401k Plan 5

10,000

11,621

13,872

13,139

12,444

10,537

Compared to S&P 500

Vanguard Index 500

10,000

12,862

15,571

14,161

12,459

9,700


How well do the Risk Adjusted Portfolios compare to Buy & Hold Portfolios?

Answer: Very Well!
 


Fidelity Brokerage Option

These portfolios are constructed with some of the better performing funds

from among the hundreds of No Transaction Fee funds available through Fidelity.
 
 

Start

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

12/31/97

12/31/98

12/31/99

12/29/00

12/31/01

12/31/02

Buy & Hold Portfolios

Aggressive Investor

10,000

11,645

15,063

16,256

14,116

11,350

Growth Investor

10,000

11,487

14,382

15,561

13,934

11,726

Moderate Investor

10,000

11,278

13,480

14,635

13,679

12,218

Conservative Investor

10,000

11,070

12,578

13,708

13,423

12,710

 

Risk Adjusted Portfolio

10,000

11,404

15,335

18,580

19,448

17,092

Compared to S&P 500

Vanguard Index 500

10,000

12,862

15,571

14,161

12,459

9,700

 


Schwab Brokerage Option

These portfolios are constructed with some of the better performing funds

from among the hundreds of No Transaction Fee funds available through Schwab.

 
 

Start

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

12/31/97

12/31/98

12/31/99

12/29/00

12/31/01

12/31/02

Buy & Hold Portfolios

Aggressive Investor

10,000

12,589

20,518

19,884

18,974

15,125

Growth Investor

10,000

12,281

18,976

18,617

18,021

14,905

Moderate Investor

10,000

11,874

16,926

16,926

16,739

14,602

Conservative Investor

10,000

11,467

14,875

15,236

15,457

14,300

 

Risk Adjusted Portfolio

10,000

12,227

19,408

22,345

25,470

21,499

Compared to S&P 500

Vanguard Index 500

10,000

12,862

15,571

14,161

12,459

9,700

 


401k Plan 1

These funds are among the 10 funds available in this 401k plan.

These 10 funds have very strong performance rankings by Morningstar.

The Large Cap Growth fund in this portfolio, Jensen Fund, has superior relative performance in a Weak market environment, but under performs in a Healthy Market environment.  The next plan, 401k Plan 2, shows the effect of replacing the Jensen Fund with the Rydex OTC fund.
 
 

Start

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

12/31/97

12/31/98

12/31/99

12/29/00

12/31/01

12/31/02

Buy & Hold Portfolios

Aggressive Investor

10,000

11,178

11,968

14,708

15,765

13,548

Growth Investor

10,000

11,096

11,781

14,253

15,296

13,601

Moderate Investor

10,000

10,989

11,536

13,648

14,666

13,654

Conservative Investor

10,000

10,881

11,290

13,043

14,036

13,707

 

Risk Adjusted Portfolio

10,000

10,397

11,142

13,284

14,941

13,533

Compared to S&P 500

Vanguard Index 500

10,000

12,862

15,571

14,161

12,459

9,700

 


401k Plan 2

To test the effectiveness of the Risk Adjusted Asset Allocation model, the Rydex OTC Fund replaced the Jensen Fund.  The other funds are the same.

The Rydex OTC fund in this study had superior performance in a Healthy Market environment, and very poor performance in the Moderate and Weak market environments during this time period.

The Risk Adjusted Asset Allocation Model made good use of this fund. Compare the results of this plan to the original plan, 401k Plan 1.
 
 

Start

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

12/31/97

12/31/98

12/31/99

12/29/00

12/31/01

12/31/02

Buy & Hold Portfolios

Aggressive Investor

10,000

13,498

19,880

17,121

15,501

11,920

Growth Investor

10,000

13,050

18,444

16,285

15,073

12,230

Moderate Investor

10,000

12,454

16,533

15,172

14,498

12,626

Conservative Investor

10,000

11,858

14,621

14,059

13,924

13,022

 

Risk Adjusted Portfolio

10,000

11,933

17,449

20,566

22,586

19,970

Compared to S&P 500

Vanguard Index 500

10,000

12,862

15,571

14,161

12,459

9,700

 


401k Plan 3

These portfolios are constructed with some of the better performing funds

from among the 84 funds available in this 401k plan.
 

Start

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

12/31/97

12/31/98

12/31/99

12/29/00

12/31/01

12/31/02

Buy & Hold Portfolios

Aggressive Investor

10,000

11,781

15,878

14,510

13,626

11,411

Growth Investor

10,000

11,604

15,060

14,034

13,376

11,641

Moderate Investor

10,000

11,370

13,977

13,418

13,078

11,983

Conservative Investor

10,000

11,136

12,895

12,802

12,780

12,326

 

Risk Adjusted Portfolio

10,000

11,249

15,259

17,113

18,424

16,803

Compared to S&P 500

Vanguard Index 500

10,000

12,862

15,571

14,161

12,459

9,700

 


 401k Plan 4

These portfolios are constructed with some of the better performing funds

from among the 85 funds available in this 401k plan.

 

Start

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

12/31/97

12/31/98

12/31/99

12/29/00

12/31/01

12/31/02

Buy & Hold Portfolios

Aggressive Investor

10,000

11,473

15,545

15,824

14,711

11,550

Growth Investor

10,000

11,368

14,781

15,205

14,431

11,985

Moderate Investor

10,000

11,222

13,770

14,377

14,046

12,526

Conservative Investor

10,000

11,076

12,759

13,549

13,662

13,067

 

Risk Adjusted Portfolio

10,000

11,351

15,327

18,549

20,136

18,613

Compared to S&P 500

Vanguard Index 500

10,000

12,862

15,571

14,161

12,459

9,700

 


401k Plan 5

These portfolios are constructed with some retail funds and funds that clone market indices.

Many of the 24 funds in this 401k plan are proprietary to Insurance company that sponsors this 401k plan.  Their proprietary funds cannot be tracked with third party data.

To approximate the performance of these funds, we have used funds that clone the market indices these proprietary funds are supposed to track.
 
 

Start

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

12/31/97

12/31/98

12/31/99

12/29/00

12/31/01

12/31/02

Buy & Hold Portfolios

Aggressive Investor

10,000

11,765

14,452

13,353

12,341

9,876

Growth Investor

10,000

11,621

13,872

13,139

12,444

10,537

Moderate Investor

10,000

11,420

13,104

12,847

12,567

11,392

Conservative Investor

10,000

11,220

12,335

12,554

12,690

12,248

 

Risk Adjusted Portfolio

10,000

11,570

14,376

14,724

15,225

13,210

Compared to S&P 500

Vanguard Index 500

10,000

12,862

15,571

14,161

12,459

9,700

 


401K Plan 6

These portfolios are constructed with some of the better performing funds

from among the 18 funds available in this 401k plan.
 

Start

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

12/31/97

12/31/98

12/31/99

12/29/00

12/31/01

12/31/02

Buy & Hold Portfolios

Aggressive Investor

10,000

11,798

15,505

15,299

13,797

11,135

Growth Investor

10,000

11,666

14,785

14,817

13,734

11,705

Moderate Investor

10,000

11,476

13,820

14,154

13,615

12,402

Conservative Investor

10,000

11,287

12,855

13,491

13,495

13,099

Risk Adjusted Portfolio

10,000

11,662

15,154

17,385

18,432

16,547

Compared to S&P 500

Vanguard Index 500

10,000

12,862

15,571

14,161

12,459

9,700

 


401k Plan 7

These portfolios are constructed with some of the better performing funds

from among the 10 funds available in this 401k plan
 

Start

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

12/31/97

12/31/98

12/31/99

12/29/00

12/31/01

12/31/02

Buy & Hold Portfolios

Aggressive Investor

10,000

11,743

14,678

14,954

13,585

11,032

Growth Investor

10,000

11,619

14,088

14,527

13,556

11,618

Moderate Investor

10,000

11,441

13,297

13,936

13,481

12,337

Conservative Investor

10,000

11,263

12,507

13,346

13,406

13,056

 

Risk Adjusted Portfolio

10,000

11,074

13,862

15,438

16,226

13,893

Compared to S&P 500

Vanguard Index 500

10,000

12,862

15,571

14,161

12,459

9,700

 


401k Plan 8

These portfolios are constructed with some of the better performing funds

from among the 10 funds available in this 401k plan.
 

Start

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

12/31/97

12/31/98

12/31/99

12/29/00

12/31/01

12/31/02

Buy & Hold Portfolios

Aggressive Investor

10,000

11,567

13,975

14,560

13,224

10,996

Growth Investor

10,000

11,472

13,497

14,195

13,252

11,588

Moderate Investor

10,000

11,331

12,854

13,687

13,253

12,314

Conservative Investor

10,000

11,189

12,211

13,180

13,254

13,041

 

Risk Adjusted Portfolio

10,000

11,262

13,778

15,127

15,780

14,380

Compared to S&P 500

Vanguard Index 500

10,000

12,862

15,571

14,161

12,459

9,700

 

 

  • Each Risk Adjusted Portfolio used the same asset allocation percentages. They differ from one another by the specific funds used in each 401k plan.
     
  • All the Risk Adjusted Portfolios include a 2% per year management fee. None of the other portfolios include any management fee.  This is the management fee that would be used for a Manage It For Me Investor.  Even with this 2% annual management fee, the Risk Adjusted Portfolios out performed the S&P 500 and the Buy & Hold Portfolios.

These results have been calculated using historical data, which we believe is accurate but we cannot guarantee.  These portfolios have been prepared to compare the performance of different types of asset allocation strategies but have not been traded in actual accounts.  Past performance does not guarantee future results.
 

NOTE!
We changed the parameters and slightly improved the performance of our Risk Adjusted Asset Allocation model in the beginning of 2003.  These changed parameters and improved 2003 Model results are compared to the 2002 Model results here.
 

Copyright © 2002 - 2006  Zin Investment Services. All rights reserved.