Question 1

Is this financial advice?

Accepted Answer

No. What-If Portfolio is strictly an educational and entertainment tool. Nothing on this site constitutes investment, tax, or legal advice. Every chart and statistic is a hypothetical simulation, not a recommendation. Before making any real investment decision, please speak with a licensed financial adviser who knows your personal situation.

Question 2

Where does the price data come from?

Accepted Answer

Historical price data is sourced from the public Yahoo Finance API, with a small number of supplementary providers used for ETFs and international markets that Yahoo covers poorly. We do not run our own data feed; we rely on these third parties and their accuracy and availability is outside our control.

Question 3

How accurate is the historical data?

Accepted Answer

For major US, European, and Asian listings the data is generally reliable for educational purposes — close enough to make valid relative comparisons between portfolios. However, gaps can exist for delisted assets, recent IPOs, illiquid markets, and certain corporate actions like spin-offs. Treat exact percentage figures as approximations, not as audited returns.

Question 4

Can I simulate crypto portfolios?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Major cryptocurrencies (BTC-USD, ETH-USD, and many others) are supported and can be mixed freely with stocks, ETFs, and bonds in the same portfolio. Be aware that crypto historical data starts much later than equities and that past crypto returns are extremely poor predictors of future returns due to the asset class’s short history and high volatility.

Question 5

What’s the difference between Free and Pro?

Accepted Answer

Free covers everything you need to learn the tool: up to 4 assets per portfolio, 5 years of history, future projections up to 5 years. Pro removes those limits (unlimited assets, 10-year history, 20-year projections), unlocks the share-link and CSV export features, and removes all ads. Pro is a single one-time €14 payment with no subscription.

Question 6

Is my portfolio saved anywhere?

Accepted Answer

Your current configuration is saved in your browser using localStorage and the URL hash. It never leaves your device unless you explicitly use the Share feature. If you create a free account, you can save named simulations to load again later. We do not collect or store anything else about you.

Question 7

How do I share my simulation?

Accepted Answer

Use the Share button in the top navigation. The full configuration (assets, weights, date range, currency, mode) is encoded into the URL. Anyone you send the link to will see exactly the same simulation when they open it, with no account required. Share is a Pro feature.

Question 8

What is CAGR?

Accepted Answer

CAGR stands for Compound Annual Growth Rate. It is the smoothed annual rate of return that would have grown your investment from its starting value to its ending value over the simulation period. CAGR is generally a more honest measure than simple total return because it accounts for the time invested. We have a full explainer in our blog post on CAGR.

Question 9

What is max drawdown?

Accepted Answer

Max drawdown is the largest peak-to-trough fall the portfolio experienced during the simulation, expressed as a percentage. It is the single most useful risk metric for most investors because it answers the question: "what is the worst it got before recovering?" A portfolio with high returns but a 60% drawdown might be unbearable to actually hold.

Question 10

What is the Sharpe ratio?

Accepted Answer

The Sharpe ratio measures return per unit of risk — specifically, how much excess return (above a risk-free rate) the portfolio produced for each unit of volatility it took on. Higher is better. A Sharpe above 1 is generally considered good; above 2 is excellent (and rare in real life over long periods).

Question 11

Can I simulate future returns?

Accepted Answer

Yes — toggle to "Future" mode in the top navigation. You can set an expected annual return and volatility for each asset, choose a projection length, and see a Monte-Carlo-style distribution of possible outcomes. Remember that any future projection is only as good as your input assumptions; treat the output with healthy skepticism.

Question 12

How do I cancel my Pro subscription?

Accepted Answer

There is no subscription to cancel. Pro is a one-time €14 payment that unlocks features on your account permanently. We do not bill you again, ever. If you want a refund, please see our Terms — because Pro grants instant access to digital content, purchases are non-refundable.

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