The Global Core Portfolios

Four portfolios. One disciplined framework.

Globally diversified ETF allocations built on five asset classes, calibrated to four distinct risk profiles. Designed to capture growth, contain drawdowns, and stay invested through both.

4
Risk Profiles
5
Asset Classes
0.09%
Avg. Expense Ratio
14yr
Backtested History
The Risk Spectrum

From capital preservation to maximum growth.

Conservative
Low Volatility
Tier 1
7.61%14-yr CAGR
Conservative
Tier 2
8.52%14-yr CAGR
Moderate
Tier 3
9.93%14-yr CAGR
Aggressive
Tier 4
12.64%14-yr CAGR
At a Glance

Side by side.

Backtested performance January 2012 through December 2025. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

Portfolio 14-yr CAGR Max Drawdown Yield Expense Ratio
Conservative Low Volatility
Tier 1
7.61%annualized
−2.95%peak to trough
2.63%trailing 12 mo
0.16%weighted avg
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Conservative
Tier 2
8.52%annualized
−5.86%peak to trough
2.41%trailing 12 mo
0.11%weighted avg
 View details
Moderate
Tier 3
9.93%annualized
−9.42%peak to trough
2.15%trailing 12 mo
0.09%weighted avg
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Aggressive
Tier 4
12.64%annualized
−13.62%peak to trough
1.73%trailing 12 mo
0.06%weighted avg
 View details
Returns shown are gross of advisor and platform fees. Net returns will vary based on your specific fee schedule and account type.
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Reading the Numbers

What each metric actually tells you.

Four numbers do most of the work in evaluating a portfolio. Here is how to interpret each one.

Compound Annual Growth Rate
CAGR
The smoothed annual return that, if earned every year, would produce the same ending value as the actual year-by-year results. The cleanest single number for comparing long-term growth.
Maximum Drawdown
Max DD
The worst peak-to-trough loss the portfolio experienced during the backtest period. A measure of downside, not theory. Smaller drawdowns mean less recovery work and easier behavior in bad markets.
Yield
TTM Yield
The trailing twelve-month income generated by dividends and interest, as a percentage of the portfolio's current value. The cash flow component of total return.
Expense Ratio
Weighted ER
The annual cost of the underlying ETFs, weighted by allocation. Subtracted automatically from fund returns. Lower is better and compounds meaningfully over decades.
How They're Built

Strategic, not reactive. Diversified, not diluted.

Every Global Core portfolio is built from the same five-asset-class framework. What changes between tiers is the weighting, not the philosophy. The result is a coherent product family where moving from Conservative to Moderate to Aggressive is a question of how much volatility a client can absorb, not which strategy they happen to land on.

01

Low-cost ETFs

Weighted expense ratios between 0.06% and 0.16%. Every basis point saved on fees compounds for decades.

02

True diversification

Across asset classes (equity, income, gold) and geographies (U.S., international developed). Not just a different shade of the same risk.

03

Built-in defense

Gold, ultra-short income, and dividend quality serve as structural ballast. Drawdown protection is engineered in, not bolted on.

04

Strategic, not tactical

Allocations are set with intent and held with discipline. We do not chase momentum, predict markets, or shuffle positions on news cycles.

05

Rebalanced annually

Drift is the enemy of risk discipline. Annual rebalancing keeps each portfolio anchored to its stated risk profile.

The Five Roles

Each holding plays a deliberate role.

The portfolios are not a collection of funds we like. They are a system where every position answers a specific question about growth, income, or protection.

SCHB / SPLV U.S. Equity
Primary growth engine. SCHB delivers total-market exposure. SPLV adds a low-volatility screen for clients who need equity returns without equity drama.
SCHF International Developed Equity
Geographic diversification across 1,400+ holdings in developed markets outside the U.S. Hedges against single-country concentration risk.
SCUS Ultra-Short Income
Volatility buffer and dry powder. Provides yield while preserving capital. Lets clients rebalance into weakness instead of selling into it.
SCHD U.S. Dividend Equity
Quality factor exposure. The 100-stock screen for dividend consistency and balance-sheet strength has historically softened drawdowns while keeping pace in growth markets.
IAU Gold / Hard Asset
Inflation hedge and crisis diversifier. Low correlation with both stocks and bonds means gold often zigs when the rest of the portfolio zags.
The Compounding Engine

Every dividend. Every interest payment. Automatically reinvested.

Dividends from SCHB, SCHD, and SCHF, along with interest from SCUS, are not pulled out as cash. They go straight back to work, buying more shares, generating more income, compounding quietly and relentlessly across decades.

This is not optional behavior. It is the structural choice that turns a 2% yield into a meaningful share of long-term total return. No cash sits idle. The earliest dollars work for the longest time, and that is where compounding does its real damage to the case for keeping money on the sidelines.

$100,000 on Global Core Moderate
14-yr Backtest
January 2012 through December 2025, full reinvestment, annual rebalancing.
$100K START ~$194K YEAR 7 $376,381 YEAR 14
Total Wealth Created
+$276,381
Compound Annual Growth
9.93%
01Tier One
Capital Preservation

Global Core Conservative, Low Volatility

Designed for investors prioritizing capital preservation and minimal drawdowns, with reduced equity volatility through a low-volatility screen.

14-yr CAGR
7.61%
−2.95% Max DD
HoldingRoleWeight
SPLV U.S. Low Volatility 20%
SCHF International Equity 10%
SCUS Ultra-Short Income 30%
SCHD U.S. Dividend Equity 20%
IAU Gold / Hard Asset 20%
CAGR
7.61%
Max DD
−2.95%
Yield
2.63%
Expense
0.16%
Why this works. Replacing broad U.S. equity (SCHB) with a low-volatility screen (SPLV) lowers the portfolio's beta without sacrificing equity participation. Combined with the highest cash and gold weightings in the suite, this is the portfolio for retirees, near-retirees, and clients who simply cannot stomach meaningful drawdowns.
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02Tier Two
Capital Preservation with Growth

Global Core Conservative

Designed for investors prioritizing capital preservation with steady growth and limited drawdowns.

14-yr CAGR
8.52%
−5.86% Max DD
HoldingRoleWeight
SCHB U.S. Equity 20%
SCHF International Equity 10%
SCUS Ultra-Short Income 30%
SCHD U.S. Dividend Equity 20%
IAU Gold / Hard Asset 20%
CAGR
8.52%
Max DD
−5.86%
Yield
2.41%
Expense
0.11%
Why this works. Same defensive architecture as the Low Volatility tier (30% income, 20% gold) but with broad U.S. equity exposure swapped in for the low-vol screen. The result is roughly a percentage point of additional CAGR for clients willing to accept a still-modest 5.86% historical drawdown. Suited to retirees with longer horizons or conservative pre-retirees.
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03Tier Three
Balanced Growth

Global Core Moderate

Designed for investors seeking growth with built-in guardrails to limit drawdowns.

14-yr CAGR
9.93%
−9.42% Max DD
HoldingRoleWeight
SCHB U.S. Equity 35%
SCHF International Equity 15%
SCUS Ultra-Short Income 20%
SCHD U.S. Dividend Equity 15%
IAU Gold / Hard Asset 15%
CAGR
9.93%
Max DD
−9.42%
Yield
2.15%
Expense
0.09%
Why this works. The most popular tier for a reason. Equity exposure rises to roughly 65% to capture real growth, while a meaningful 20% income sleeve and 15% gold position contain volatility. A 9.42% peak-to-trough loss is notably milder than the broad market, which gives clients the staying power to actually realize equity returns.
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04Tier Four
Maximum Growth

Global Core Aggressive

Designed for investors seeking maximum growth while being comfortable with volatility in exchange for higher long-term returns.

14-yr CAGR
12.64%
−13.62% Max DD
HoldingRoleWeight
SCHB U.S. Equity 55%
SCHF International Equity 15%
SCHD U.S. Dividend Equity 20%
IAU Gold / Hard Asset 10%
CAGR
12.64%
Max DD
−13.62%
Yield
1.73%
Expense
0.06%
Why this works. The income sleeve is removed and equity exposure rises to 90%, with SCHD providing quality-factor support to soften drawdowns. Gold remains at 10% as a structural diversifier. Outperformed a traditional 80/20 portfolio over the backtest period with materially lower drawdowns than a 100% equity portfolio. Suited to accumulators with long horizons.
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A Note on Customization

Models are a starting point, not a ceiling.

Many clients sit comfortably inside one of the four Global Core portfolios. Others have specific preferences that deserve respect. A meaningful Bitcoin allocation. A long-held position in a single stock they want to keep. A tilt toward a sector they believe in. A holding they want to avoid for personal reasons.

The framework bends. Custom allocations are built on the same five-role foundation, with the same discipline around cost, diversification, and rebalancing, then adjusted to the client's specific wishes.

Crypto Allocation Concentrated Positions Sector Tilts Values-Based Screens
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The Next Step

Which portfolio fits your road ahead?

The right portfolio depends on your time horizon, your tax situation, and your tolerance for volatility. A short conversation is the fastest way to find out.

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