Pure Benchmarks · Hypotheticals
How to Compare Two Portfolios Side by Side
Comparing two portfolios by return alone is meaningless unless both are priced over an identical period from an identical starting value. Pure Benchmarks Hypotheticals runs that comparison directly — holding your real portfolio and the version you are testing side by side over the same window using real historical prices, and reporting the starting value, ending value, total return, years covered, value year by year, sector exposure, the full holdings list, and which of nine standardized allocation categories each version falls into. JP Morgan Asset Management data shows missing just 10 of the best trading days out of 4,900 over 20 years cuts a $10,000 investment from $71,750 to $32,871 — exactly the size of difference a side-by-side comparison over real history makes visible and a forward projection never does.
Why most portfolio comparisons are not comparable
Two portfolios measured over different periods, from different starting values, or with contributions flowing into one and not the other cannot be compared at all. Most comparisons investors are shown fail at least one of those three conditions.
What a valid side-by-side comparison holds constant
The same start date, the same end date, the same starting value, and no cash flows in either line. Once those are fixed, the only remaining difference is the composition, which is the thing you were actually trying to test.
What the two-portfolio view shows
Both portfolios appear together on one chart and in one table: what each started at, what each ended at, total return, years covered, the value year by year, sector exposure, the full holdings list, and the allocation category each one falls into.
Comparing an allocation change, not just a holding
Adding or removing a holding shifts the allocation category as well as the return. The modeled side reports which of the nine categories it now falls into and the exact stock and bond mix, so a comparison that looks like a return question is also answered as a risk question.
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See Your Free Benchmark ReportFrequently asked questions
How do I compare two portfolios?
Price both over the same window from the same starting value with no cash flows, then compare composition. Pure Benchmarks Hypotheticals does this automatically and shows both portfolios side by side using real historical prices.
Is there a side by side portfolio comparison tool?
Hypotheticals shows your real portfolio and the version you are testing together on one chart and in one table, including starting value, ending value, total return, years covered, year-by-year values, sectors, holdings, and allocation category for each.
Can I compare a 60/40 portfolio to an 80/20 portfolio?
Yes. Adjust the allocation on the modeled side and Hypotheticals prices both versions over the same historical window, reporting which of the nine standardized risk categories each one falls into alongside the returns.
How do I decide between two portfolio options?
Pure Benchmarks makes no recommendation between options. It shows what each one would have produced over real historical periods and how each compares to verified investors carrying that level of risk.
Can I compare an index fund portfolio to an advisor managed portfolio?
Yes. Model the index fund version against your real connected portfolio over the same window and Hypotheticals reports both outcomes with the full composition of each side.
How do I compare two different portfolio options?
Price both over an identical window from an identical starting value with no cash flows, then compare composition. Hypotheticals does that automatically and displays both options together with starting value, ending value, total return, year-by-year values, sectors, holdings, and allocation category.
Keep exploring
- Should You Change Your Portfolio?
- Should You Rebalance Your Portfolio Now?
- The Hypothetical Portfolio Simulator Built on Real Peer Data
- How Do You Know If Your Portfolio Changes Worked?
- How Do You Know If You Are Making Good Investment Decisions?
- What Is a Peer Benchmark in Investing?
- Hetty: The AI Portfolio Assistant That Knows Your Real Peers
- Ask AI About Your Portfolio Using Your Real Account Data
See how portfolios at a specific firm stand before you model a change:
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This page is an information baseline for comparison only. It is not investment advice and not a recommendation to buy, sell, replace, or transfer any specific asset, account, or firm. Past performance does not guarantee future results. All figures shown are illustrative.