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A risk-managed portfolio for your retirement account.

Limnal reads the economy and the markets every day and turns that read into a clear list of ETFs to hold in your own account. When conditions weaken, it shifts toward defense.

Limnal Growth vs a 2050 target-date fund · backtest since January 2016 · through October 23, 2026
Annual return+13.4%vs +11.3%
Worst drop-12.2%vs -31.4%
Return per unit of risk1.13Sharpe ratio, vs 0.65
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What Limnal does for you
A better return for the risk you take

A standard retirement plan holds a fixed mix and accepts whatever the market does to it. Limnal manages that risk actively and shifts toward defense as conditions weaken. Over a full cycle the aim is a higher return for each unit of risk, with shallower losses along the way.

Downside you can measure and plan around

Limnal frames your downside as a statistical estimate: the size of loss you should be prepared for under current conditions, in the spirit of Value at Risk. Sizing your exposure to a number you have measured makes retirement planning a more statistical exercise.

The track record

$10,000, simulated day by day since January 2016

What a $10,000 starting balance would have done across the Limnal Growth tiers, traced against three things most people already hold: the S&P 500, a classic 60/40 stocks-and-bonds mix, and a 2050 target-date retirement fund.

$7.2K$17.4K$27.6K$37.8K$47.9KJan '16Aug '17Mar '19Oct '20May '22Dec '23Jul '25VFIFX (Target 2050)60/40 SPY/AGG100% SPYLimnal Smooth · ADB · TrimLimnal Simple · ADB · Trim
Limnal GrowthLimnal Growth SmoothSPY60/40VFIFX

See the worst-drop, month-by-month, and every-window views on /performance →

How it works
01

Pull data

Limnal pulls market prices, Treasury yields, inflation expectations, credit spreads, and federal cash-flow data, then reads their trend, momentum, and volatility for a full picture of the market environment.

02

Read the market

Four independent models weigh the economy and the markets from different angles, each with its own method.

03

Allocate

Their consensus becomes a concrete portfolio of up to 17 ETFs, with every weight shown.

Headline risk score

as of 2026-05-18
2.75Risk score · 1.0 risk-off · 3.0 risk-on

Synthesized from the macro and treasury-flow models at this rebalance. The full model on Overview combines four models into one score from 1.0 to 3.0.

Rules-based and auditable

Limnal runs on fixed, published rules. Every input feeds the same calculation, so the same inputs always produce the same portfolio, and you can audit every step.

The models

Macro Regime

Growth · Inflation · Liquidity · Credit

Scores the backdrop from four market signals: volatility-adjusted trend in equities (the S&P 500) and in inflation (oil and 10-year breakeven inflation expectations), a liquidity gate that turns defensive when the dollar strengthens and the yield curve flattens, and a high-yield credit-spread stress flag. Together they read whether conditions favor risk or defense.

DTS Liquidity

US Treasury fiscal flows

Tracks the cash the federal government actually pays out each day (Social Security, Medicare, federal salaries, tax refunds) and how it is growing year over year. Rising outflows push liquidity into the economy and tend to lead risk assets by days to weeks.

Momentum

8 macro categories

Ranks about 66 ETFs across eight asset classes (US and international equities, Treasuries by maturity, credit, commodities, and alternatives) by volatility-adjusted trend, so a steady move scores higher than a sharp but noisy one of the same size.

Expected Returns

Forward real returns

Estimates the forward real return for US, developed, and emerging equities from valuations (Shiller CAPE and Research Affiliates CAPE) measured against the 10-year TIPS yield. Cheaper markets imply higher expected returns, and this sets the baseline equity envelope the other models tilt around.

Account types

Adjusting a portfolio often in a taxable account triggers short-term taxes that reduce returns. Where you run Limnal matters.

Limnal Growth and Growth Smooth

Best in a retirement account: a Roth IRA, traditional IRA, or 401(k) rollover. Both also work in a taxable account, where each rebalance can realize gains.

Information, not tax advice. The right setup depends on your tax bracket, how long you have held positions, and prior capital losses, among other things. If you are unsure, talk to a CPA before automating anything in a taxable account.

Get started

You keep your money at your own brokerage and place the trades yourself. The setup guide walks through choosing an account and a tier, turning the allocation into dollar amounts, and keeping up with rebalances.

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This is information, not investment advice. Past backtest performance does not guarantee future results. Frictionless simulations don't reflect transaction costs, tax effects, or individual circumstances. Limnal Research provides analytics; investment decisions are yours.

DisclaimerLimnal Research provides information and analytics, not investment advice. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Privacy · Terms.v0.1 · macro_regime · 2026-10-27