Passive versus Optimized Investing in Retirement Plan Portfolios

Abstract

This article uses portfolios of Vanguard index funds to study the optimal portfolio allocation strategy for long-term investors who are saving for retirement. The optimization, conducted using both a single-index-hybrid model (SIHM) and the Markowitz–Sharpe optimization method, suggests that in the long run, an optimized allocation strategy will yield cumulative returns equivalent to those of a passive allocation strategy with significantly less risk. In addition, the optimized allocation strategy achieves the favorable risk and reward profile using fewer funds than the passive strategy.