I love this "Investment Returns Periodic Table" also known as a "Quilt Chart". The chart shows the best performing asset classes from highest to lowest for each year. For example, if you look at 2019 on the far right you will see that Large Cap stocks (S&P 500) were the best performers up 31.5% while Cash (down at the bottom) was the worst performer at 2.1% 

 

This chart can teach you a ton about investing. Here are a few things that jump out at me when I look at this chart:

• It is impossible to know what types of investments will perform better from one year to the next. 

• Sometimes the best performing asset class (top of list) becomes the worst the following year (bottom of list) and vice versa. 

• AA (Gray Box) Stands for Asset Allocation Portfolio. This represents a diversified mix of assets. Follow the gray box through the years, it is never the best and never the worst. A diversified portfolio will smooth out those big swings that occur in each asset class.

• Cash has been in the bottom 4 Asset Classes 12 out of the last 15 years. 

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