Benchmarks for model portfolios
36 ETFIQ benchmarks in 6 families, each a written rule over broad, low-cost ETFs. They measure model portfolios the way the S&P 500 measures large US stocks, and none is a recommendation.
Over 10 years to Sep 30, 2026, strategic benchmarks at 20% to 95% stocks returned +3.41% to +11.78% a year, hypothetical.
One sentence, recomputed every trading night. A benchmark is a rule, not a recommendation.
| Family | Benchmark | Stocks | Band | 1 year | 3 years, ann. | Volatility 3Y | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strategic | US Bonds | 0% | below the bands | −1.85% | +4.05% | 5.55% | 0.03% |
| Strategic | Strategic 20 | 20% | 15 to 30 | +1.67% | +7.40% | 6.18% | 0.04% |
| Strategic | Strategic 40 | 40% | 30 to 50 | +5.27% | +10.82% | 7.25% | 0.04% |
| Strategic | Strategic 60 | 60% | 50 to 70 | +8.93% | +14.30% | 8.59% | 0.05% |
| Strategic | Strategic 80 | 80% | 70 to 85 | +12.65% | +17.84% | 10.10% | 0.05% |
| Strategic | Strategic 95 | 95% | over 85 | +15.49% | +20.54% | 11.30% | 0.06% |
| Strategic | Global Stocks | 100% | over 85 | +16.45% | +21.45% | 11.71% | 0.06% |
| Strategic | US Stocks | 100% | over 85 | +15.38% | +22.34% | 12.88% | 0.03% |
| Tax-aware | Municipal Bonds | 0% | below the bands | −2.15% | +2.76% | 5.59% | 0.03% |
| Tax-aware | Tax-Aware 20 | 20% | 15 to 30 | +1.42% | +6.34% | 6.33% | 0.04% |
| Tax-aware | Tax-Aware 40 | 40% | 30 to 50 | +5.06% | +9.99% | 7.42% | 0.04% |
| Tax-aware | Tax-Aware 60 | 60% | 50 to 70 | +8.78% | +13.73% | 8.73% | 0.05% |
| Tax-aware | Tax-Aware 80 | 80% | 70 to 85 | +12.57% | +17.55% | 10.18% | 0.05% |
| Tax-aware | Tax-Aware 95 | 95% | over 85 | +15.47% | +20.46% | 11.32% | 0.06% |
| Factor | Factor 20 | 20% | 15 to 30 | +2.86% | +7.71% | 6.41% | 0.05% |
| Factor | Factor 40 | 40% | 30 to 50 | +7.70% | +11.43% | 7.84% | 0.07% |
| Factor | Factor 60 | 60% | 50 to 70 | +12.68% | +15.21% | 9.61% | 0.09% |
| Factor | Factor 80 | 80% | 70 to 85 | +17.80% | +19.06% | 11.55% | 0.11% |
| Factor | Factor 95 | 95% | over 85 | +21.73% | +21.98% | 13.08% | 0.12% |
| Factor | Factor 100 | 100% | over 85 | +23.06% | +22.96% | 13.59% | 0.13% |
| Income | Income 20 | 20% | 15 to 30 | +2.70% | +8.00% | 5.20% | 0.10% |
| Income | Income 40 | 40% | 30 to 50 | +5.75% | +9.96% | 5.68% | 0.15% |
| Income | Income 60 | 60% | 50 to 70 | +8.87% | +11.94% | 6.32% | 0.21% |
| Income | Income 80 | 80% | 70 to 85 | +12.06% | +13.93% | 7.08% | 0.26% |
| Income | Income 95 | 95% | over 85 | +14.50% | +15.44% | 7.70% | 0.31% |
| Tactical | Tactical from 20 | 20% | 15 to 30 | +4.14% | +6.05% | 4.83% | 0.12% |
| Tactical | Tactical from 40 | 40% | 30 to 50 | +7.17% | +8.50% | 5.90% | 0.11% |
| Tactical | Tactical from 60 | 60% | 50 to 70 | +10.22% | +10.97% | 7.27% | 0.09% |
| Tactical | Tactical from 80 | 80% | 70 to 85 | +13.32% | +13.45% | 8.79% | 0.08% |
| Tactical | Tactical from 95 | 95% | over 85 | +15.66% | +15.33% | 10.00% | 0.06% |
| Thematic | Thematic 20 | 20% | 15 to 30 | +1.60% | +8.42% | 7.23% | 0.13% |
| Thematic | Thematic 40 | 40% | 30 to 50 | +5.06% | +12.82% | 9.70% | 0.24% |
| Thematic | Thematic 60 | 60% | 50 to 70 | +8.55% | +17.24% | 12.48% | 0.34% |
| Thematic | Thematic 80 | 80% | 70 to 85 | +12.05% | +21.69% | 15.39% | 0.45% |
| Thematic | Thematic 95 | 95% | over 85 | +14.68% | +25.04% | 17.61% | 0.52% |
| Thematic | Thematic 100 | 100% | over 85 | +15.56% | +26.16% | 18.36% | 0.55% |
A written rule over broad, low-cost ETFs, frozen on Oct 3, 2026, with its weights, calendar and returns on its own page. Figures before Oct 5, 2026 are hypothetical: today’s rule and funds applied to earlier prices. Total returns are market price with distributions reinvested, net of each fund’s own fees, with nothing else deducted. The price source does not carry funds that closed before 2016, so nothing here is free of survivorship bias. Methodology v1.3 →
Questions people ask about the ETFIQ benchmarks
- What is an ETFIQ benchmark?
- A rule over broad, low-cost ETFs, written down before its returns were looked at, that measures model portfolios the way the S&P 500 measures large US stocks. Its weights, rule and returns are published.
- Can I invest in an ETFIQ benchmark?
- No. A benchmark is a published yardstick, not a fund, and ETFIQ publishes no trades for any of them. It takes no payment from the issuer of any fund a benchmark holds.
- Why are some returns hypothetical?
- Each family’s rule is frozen on a stated date. Returns before it apply today’s rule and funds to earlier prices, which is look-ahead; returns from it are tracked. The price source does not carry funds that closed before 2016, so nothing here is free of survivorship bias.
ETFIQ, Benchmarks for model portfolios: all 36, data as of Oct 7, 2026. https://etfiq.com/benchmarks/
Free to use with attribution for figures ETFIQ computes; issuer data stays under its owner's terms. The underlying files are at Open data. Figures before Oct 5, 2026 are hypothetical.
Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices. Data sourced by Tiingo.