VFORX’s worst drop since 2006 was 52%
Vanguard Target Retirement 2040 (VFORX) fell 52% from Oct 2007 to Mar 2009. It took 3.6 years from that peak to close at a new high, in Apr 2011. Over the same years the S&P 500 fell as much as 55%.
That drop ranks 46th deepest among the 109 mutual funds PortfolioAutopsy tracks.
Drawdown from the last high, 2006 to now
How VFORX held up in each crash
| Crash | Years | VFORX | S&P 500 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dot-com bust | 2000–02 | not trading yet | −47.5% |
| Financial crisis | 2007–09 | −51.7% | −55.2% |
| COVID crash | 2020 | −29.4% | −33.7% |
| 2022 rate shock | 2022 | −24.0% | −24.5% |
Each number is the deepest fall from a high inside that window, using daily prices with dividends reinvested.
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What was VFORX’s maximum drawdown?
VFORX’s deepest fall since 2006 was 51.7%, from its high on October 9, 2007 to its low on March 9, 2009. The figure uses daily prices with dividends reinvested.
How long did VFORX take to recover?
3.6 years. VFORX first closed above its Oct 2007 high again on April 29, 2011.
Was VFORX riskier than the S&P 500?
Over the same years, VFORX’s worst drop was 51.7% against 55.2% for the S&P 500 (SPY), and its worst 12 months were −44.4% against −47.4%.
Compare with
Daily adjusted closes from Yahoo Finance, June 8, 2006 through October 13, 2026, dividends reinvested. Historical facts, not a forecast and not investment advice.