FOR NEWSLETTER WRITERS, EDUCATORS AND INVESTMENT CLUBS
Give readers a calculation they can inspect.
Start with a question, show the inputs and let your audience try the example. These free resources put the calculation and its limitations on the same page.
There is no account gate on the resources below. Choose the one that fits the story or lesson, then link directly to it so readers can check the workings.
Newsletter or investor explainer
Why two return forecasts produce different plans
Compare the published benchmarks, dates and horizons, then change a savings amount in the calculator. Preserve Vanguard’s endpoints and the source differences; the result is a compounding illustration, not a prediction.
Classroom or investment club
Teach diversification in 25 minutes
Three interactive exercises cover correlation, Bitcoin’s contribution to risk and the order of retirement returns. Use the worksheet first, then compare the model answers. Inputs are explicitly hypothetical.
Research note or data-led story
Inspect and cite a dated forecast snapshot
The September monitor includes model methods, input dates and a downloadable CSV across five investor currencies. It is the first issue, so it makes no claim about changes since a previous month. These are Portfolio Lab estimates, not institutional endorsements.
Single-question explainer
Explain why gold futures interest is not free extra return
Change the cash rate and gold-price move in a simplified financing example. See how the contract price offsets the apparent cash advantage. The page links the underlying commodity and gold references.
Retirement planning lesson
Explain a simulation success rate
Show how more simulated paths narrow sampling uncertainty while leaving model uncertainty unresolved. The interactive example is separate from a user’s retirement result.
A ready-to-use lesson
Ask learners to write down what they expect before changing the correlation or allocation. Have them explain why the risk contribution differs from the money allocation. Finish by changing the order of retirement returns while holding the returns themselves constant.
Keep the example reproducible
- Use hypothetical holdings and record the currency, weights, model edition and settings.
- Capture the real calculator output. Keep its labels and caveats visible.
- Say whether the number is a forecast, a simulated result or historical performance.
- Link to the exact calculation and its sources so readers can inspect or change the assumptions.
For an optimizer example, the workstation’s optional summary image exports allocations and captured estimates without portfolio balances or account details. Preview the image before sharing it.
Frequently asked questions
Do readers need an account?
The linked public calculators, research snapshot and teaching exercises work without an account. Saving personal analyses and exporting an optimizer result from the workstation requires a free account.
Are the research numbers realised investment returns?
No. The forecast monitor and outcome calculators contain model estimates or hypothetical illustrations. Historical results, where used elsewhere, are separately labelled. Retain the date, currency, assumptions and limitations when discussing a result.
How should I cite a Portfolio Lab calculation?
Link to the exact page and name Portfolio Lab, the page or snapshot title, the edition date and the settings you used. Distinguish Portfolio Lab calculations from any institutional reference figures quoted on that page. Link to the original source for those figures.
Suggest a teaching example or ask a methodology question. For the calculation details, visit return-forecast methodology.