If you invested $100 in the Classic Couch Potato portfolio on January 1, 1976, it would be worth $2,560.19 as of December 31, 2008.

If you invested $100 in the Canadian Stock Index (now called the S&P/TSX Composite Index) on January 1, 1976, it would be worth $2,004.84 as of December 31, 2008.

Track record*

Year Couch Potato portfolio Canadian stock index
1976 118.35 100.14
1977 125.46 120.97
1978 145.01 155.70
1979 172.11 223.66
1980 209.45 288.78
1981 195.46 257.11
1982 243.14 265.61
1983 298.42 361.89
1984 323.22 350.41
1985 418.32 434.81
1986 475.21 469.99
1987 482.22 493.65
1988 525.46 544.02
1989 633.54 655.11
1990 600.74 533.66
1991 730.00 615.28
1992 793.42 601.62
1993 967.15 791.22
1994 956.48 783.53
1995 1,184.30 890.30
1996 1,430.34 1,133.73
1997 1,764.35 1,293.26
1998 2,048.74 1,262.58
1999 2,307.13 1,650.03
2000 2,395.07 1,758.21
2001 2,267.72 1,524.75
2002 2,064.97 1,324.34
2003 2,318.29 1,665.14
2004 2,516.59 1,891.22
2005 2,329.12 2,725.07
2006 3,163.45 2,725.07
2007 3,331.84 2,992.75
2008 2,560.19 2,004.84

*Value at end of period, starting with $100 investment on January 1, 1976

Rates of return (%)

Couch Potato portfolio Canadian stock index
(annualized since 1976)
8.9 8.7

Year-by-year performance (%)

Year Couch Potato portfolio Canadian stock index
1976 18.3 10.1
1977 6.0 9.8
1978 15.6 28.7
1979 18.7 43.6
1980 21.7 29.1
1981 -6.7 -11.0
1982 24.4 3.3
1983 22.7 36.2
1984 8.3 -3.2
1985 29.4 24.1
1986 13.6 8.1
1987 1.5 5.0
1988 9.0 10.2
1989 20.6 20.4
1990 -5.2 -15.5
1991 21.5 11.1
1992 8.7 -2.2
1993 21.9 31.5
1994 -1.1 -1.0
1995 23.8 13.6
1996 20.8 27.3
1997 23.4 14.1
1998 16.1 -2.4
1999 12.6 30.7
2000 3.8 6.6
2001 -5.3 -13.3
2002 -8.9 -13.1
2003 12.3 25.7
2004 8.6 13.6
2005 12.6 23.2
2006 11.7 17.0
2007 5.3 9.8
2008 -23.2 -33.0

2009 Month-by-month performance (%)

2009 Couch Potato portfolio Canadian stock index
January -4.18 -2.96
February -5.32 -6.31
March 5.83 7.79
April 5.51 7.26
May 5.30 11.46
June 0.50 0.34
July 4.11 4.22
August 3.15 0.95
September 3.16 5.14
October -1.80 -0.79

Updated on November 9, 2009