By MyPlanIQ : Permanent portfolios have been popular and very effective in the past 15 years. In Permanent Global Portfolio ETF Plan , it describes Harry Browne’s original portfolio: In his "Fail-Safe Investing " book, Harry Browne proposed this one-size-fits-all portfolio that he called the ‘permanent portfolio.’ His theory has been discussed in numerous articles like this . A mutual fund PRPFX was constucted and named after his theory. The following consists of the portfolio’s components. 25% in U.S. stocks, to provide a strong return during times of prosperity. For this portion of the portfolio, Browne recommends a basic S&P 500 index fund such as VFINX. 25% in long-term U.S. Treasury bonds for deflation protection. 25% in cash in order to hedge against periods of “tight money” or recession. In this case, “cash” means a money-market fund. 25% in precious metals (gold, specifically) in order to provide protection during periods of inflation. Browne recommends gold bullion Complete Story »