What's been your 5 year average return?

[Trek]

So, excluding things like real estate and just going based on your stocks/funds/CD and other cash investments, what's been the average % returned on your money over the last 5 years? 5%, 8%, 12% or more?

Also, what would you consider to be the one (or two) best index / mutual fund(s) one could put their money in if they fear risk and volatility but want a decent return (whatever that means to you).

[cardude]

I've averaged about 11% over the last 5 years including all accounts.

My best defensive investment (and offensive actually) has been Berkshire Hathaway. Although there is some volatility, and over the next 5-10 years the stock could suffer for some time when WB passes, the risk of a large, permanent loss seems low.

[mathjak107]

15.6% including this year as the 5th year. all actively managed funds

[CyclingInvestor]

I have averaged 24% over 2003-2007, staying 100% in individual stocks. All have been
either large-cap domestic stocks (mostly GE, JNJ, PG, KO, ITW, SYY, EMR) or REITs
(mostly KIM, GGP, VNO, WRE, PLD, DRE, ARE). No really large single winner, but
the REITs as a group have provided most of the return.

[TromboneAl]

11.87 (12/29/2002 - today).

[retire@40]

2003: 3.85%
2004: 4.18%
2005: 3.42%
2006: 7.06%
2007: 11.27% (through 11/30/07)

Average ROI: 5.956%

I'm including all cash accounts in this calculation, otherwise I'd be considerably higher.

[LOL!]

The 5-year annualized return of a Merriman (FundAdvice.com - Home) slice-and-diced Vanguard portfolio with 75% equities and 25% bonds is around 16.6%. (Calculated by Morningstar portfolio manager). Ticker symbols in the portfolio: NAESX, VDMIX, VEIEX, VFINX, VFTSX, VFITX, VGSIX, VISVX, VIVAX, VTRIX.

The 1-, 3-, 5- returns are 8.7%, 12.7% and 16.6%.

[calmloki]

Quote:

Originally Posted by LOL! The 5-year annualized return of a Merriman (FundAdvice.com - Home) slice-and-diced Vanguard portfolio with 75% equities and 25% bonds is around 16.6%. (Calculated by Morningstar portfolio manager). Ticker symbols in the portfolio: NAESX, VDMIX, VEIEX, VFINX, VFTSX, VFITX, VGSIX, VISVX, VIVAX, VTRIX. The 1-, 3-, 5- returns are 8.7%, 12.7% and 16.6%.

I'm not finding that portfolio - closest seen is this:
VANGUARD BALANCED - BUY-AND-HOLD
($50,000 minimum) 6%Vanguard 500 Index(VFINX) LCB
6%Vanguard Value Index(VIVAX) LCV6%Vanguard Small Cap Index(NAESX) SCB6%Vanguard Small Cap Value Index(VISVX) SCV6% Vanguard REIT Index (VGSIX) REIT12%Vanguard Developed Markets Index(VDMIX) Int'l LCB
12%Vanguard International Value(VTRIX) Int'l LCV
6%Vanguard Emerging Market Index(VEIEX) EM20%Vanguard Intermediate Term US Treasuries
(VFITX) Inter. Bond
12%Vanguard Short Term Treasuries
(VFISX) Short Bond
8% Vanguard Inflation Protected Securities (VIPSX)TIPS
which is a 60/40 mix - what porfolio are you looking at?

[Salaryman]

16.3% last five years annualized. Thanks to the international investments, especially in emerging markets.

[novaman]

5 year annualized return.....24.67%

[Alan]

my 5yr avg - including all cash accounts is 8.75% (includes 2007 ytd)

the VG Portfolio analysis shows the historic avg return for my particular AA is 7.9% so pretty good against my target over the last 5 yrs, but the last 3 years has only been 6.75%

[Cut-Throat]

Quote:

Originally Posted by retire@40 2003: 3.85% 2004: 4.18% 2005: 3.42% 2006: 7.06% 2007: 11.27% (through 11/30/07) Average ROI: 5.956% I'm including all cash accounts in this calculation, otherwise I'd be considerably higher.

Whenever I see a thread like this, I see more errors than correct calculations. The above calculation is totally incorrect. He has merely averaged the 5 years and came up with 5.956% (3 decimals is really impressive, but it's still wrong)

You are totally ignoring weighting.

Example take $10 for 5 years - 1st year return 50%, 2nd year 40%, 3rd - 30%, 4th - 20% and 5th 10% - at the end of 5 years you'd have $54.05 If you average the returns together - you would say you have a 30% return.

Take the same $10 and apply a 30% return to it for 5 years and you get $37.13

Reverse the percentages starting with 10% and moving to 50% and you get $36.03

[ziggy29]

2001: -1.8%
2002: -5.4%
2003: +27.3%
2004: +15.7%
2005: +8.0%
2006: +18.6%
2007 (so far): +5.6%

From '03 to '07 that's about 14.7% annualized. Of course, that includes an allocation of about 8-9% REITs, 3-4% gold stocks and about 22% short-term bonds. I'm too lazy to calculate the return without them.

[BOBOT]

17.45%, according to Quicken. I guess I believe it.

[BOBOT]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BOBOT 17.45%, according to Quicken. I guess I believe it.

I just rolled my 403b into my IRA. The original buys are not reflected in the IRA, so the return figures are bogus. I'll try to find a way around that.

[Moemg]

13% as of today .

[Bikerdude]

8.8%. 50/50 allocation. I'm retired and living on my investments plus pension.

[Spanky]

You guys are doing well. My 5-yr 60/40 (equity/fixed income) return is about 9%.

[DallasGuy]

7.8% with 60-65% fixed income.

[Texas Proud]

Vanguard (half of what I got)... says 14.2 as of end of Nov.. .but had a bad month as it was 16.4 at the end of Oct...

Don't know about Dec, but the accounts are up...

My other half is in 401 and stock and I don't keep track, but would say it is just a bit better than Vanguard.. but that is a guess looking at it...