Kiplinger 25 Model Portfolios

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Aggressive Portfolio
Moderate Portfolio
Conservative Portfolio

last updated 4 April 2025

We've constructed three portfolios using only funds from the Kiplinger 25, a list of our favorite no-load mutual funds, designed for investors with different goals, time horizons and levels of risk tolerance.

Use the models below as a starting point for your own portfolio. Tweak where necessary. Beef up your stocks if you want to be more aggressive, or increase the bond portion of your portfolio if you're risk-averse.

Kiplinger 25 Model Portfolios

1. Aggressive Portfolio

Time horizon: 11 years or more

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Strategy: Invest 80% of assets in stocks and add a stable, core bond fund for the remaining 20%.

Dodge & Cox Income (DODIX): 20%

Dodge & Cox Stock (DODGX): 20%

Primecap Odyssey Growth (POGRX): 20%

Fidelity International Growth (FIGFX): 10%

T. Rowe Price Small-Cap Value (PRSVX): 10%

Oberweis Small-Cap Opportunities (OBSOX): 10%

Baron Emerging Markets (BEXFX): 5%

Brown Capital Management International Small Company (BCSVX): 5%

2. Moderate Portfolio

Time horizon: Six to 10 years

Strategy: Hold 70% in stocks and 30% in bonds for a more temperate mix.

T. Rowe Price Dividend Growth (PRDGX): 20%

Baird Aggregate Bond (BAGSX): 15%

Dodge & Cox Stock (DODGX): 15%

Fidelity International Growth (FIGFX): 15%

Fidelity Strategic Income (FADMX): 15%

Janus Henderson Global Equity Income (HFQTX): 10%

DF Dent Midcap Growth (DFDMX): 5%

T. Rowe Price Small-Cap Value (PRSVX): 5%

3. Conservative Portfolio

Time horizon: Five years or less

Strategy: A steadier blend of 70% bonds and 30% stocks geared primarily for income.

Dodge & Cox Income (DODIX): 25%

T. Rowe Price Dividend Growth (PRDGX): 15%

Vanguard Equity Income (VEIPX): 15%

Vanguard Short-Term Investment-Grade (VFSTX): 15%

Fidelity Strategic Income (FADMX): 10%

T. Rowe Price Floating Rate (PRFRX): 5%

Vanguard Emerging Markets Bond (VEMBX): 5%

Vanguard High-Yield Corporate (VWEHX): 5%

Vanguard Wellington (VWELX): 5%

Note: This item first appeared in Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine, a monthly, trustworthy source of advice and guidance. Subscribe to help you make more money and keep more of the money you make here.

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Nellie joined Kiplinger in August 2011 after a seven-year stint in Hong Kong. There, she worked for the Wall Street Journal Asia, where as lifestyle editor, she launched and edited Scene Asia, an online guide to food, wine, entertainment and the arts in Asia. Prior to that, she was an editor at Weekend Journal, the Friday lifestyle section of the Wall Street Journal Asia. Kiplinger isn't Nellie's first foray into personal finance: She has also worked at SmartMoney (rising from fact-checker to senior writer), and she was a senior editor at Money.