Candlewick

Educational portfolio research · Equity and reserve

Buffett-style 90/10

A high-equity allocation paired with a 10% short-term Treasury reserve. It illustrates the trade-off between simple, low-cost equity exposure and the ability to hold a liquid reserve.

How to read this profile

Warren Buffett publicly described a 90% S&P 500 / 10% short-term government bond example for a trust, not a universal portfolio prescription. These are liquid proxies and do not reproduce his or Berkshire Hathaway’s actual holdings.

A broad equity sleeve keeps the long-term growth engine simple, while a reserve can provide liquidity and reduce the need to sell equities for near-term spending.

Educational proxy allocation

  • VTI — Broad US equities proxy: 90.0%
  • BIL — Short US Treasury bills: 10.0%

These liquid ETF proxies do not reproduce any person’s current holdings. Historical observations are not predictions.

Where it can struggle

The 90% equity weight can experience deep drawdowns, the reserve may lag equities, and the example does not account for an investor’s time horizon, taxes, spending, or risk capacity.