Kiplinger 25 Model Portfolios
Reach your investment goals with these plans using the Kiplinger 25, our favorite no-load mutual funds.
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
From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance
Become a smarter, better informed investor. Subscribe from just $107.88 $24.99, plus get up to 4 Special Issues
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
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.
Related content
- The Kiplinger Dividend 15: Our Favorite Dividend-Paying Stocks
- Kip ETF 20: The Best Cheap ETFs You Can Buy
- Kiplinger ESG 20: Our Favorite ESG Stock and Fund Picks for Investors
Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and much more. Delivered daily. Enter your email in the box and click Sign Me Up.

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.
-
How to Avoid the Financial Quicksand of Early Retirement LossesSequence of returns — experiencing losses early on — can quickly deplete your savings, highlighting the need for strategies that prioritize income stability.
-
How an Elder Law Attorney Can Help Protect Your Aging ParentsIf you are worried about older family members or friends whose financial judgment is raising red flags, help is out there — from an elder law attorney.
-
Q4 Post-Mortem From an Investment Adviser: Year of ResilienceFinancial pro Prem Patel shares his take on how markets performed in the fourth quarter of 2025, with an eye toward what investors should keep in mind for 2026.
-
This Is How Early Retirement Losses Can Dump You Into Financial Quicksand (Plus, Tips to Stay on Solid Ground)Sequence of returns — experiencing losses early on — can quickly deplete your savings, highlighting the need for strategies that prioritize income stability.
-
How an Elder Law Attorney Can Help Protect Your Aging Parents From Financial MistakesIf you are worried about older family members or friends whose financial judgment is raising red flags, help is out there — from an elder law attorney.
-
Q4 2025 Post-Mortem From an Investment Adviser: A Year of Resilience as Gold Shines and the U.S. Dollar DivesFinancial pro Prem Patel shares his take on how markets performed in the fourth quarter of 2025, with an eye toward what investors should keep in mind for 2026.
-
'Donroe Doctrine' Pumps Dow 594 Points: Stock Market TodayThe S&P 500 rallied but failed to turn the "Santa Claus Rally" indicator positive for 2026.
-
Is Your Emergency Fund Running Low? Here's How to Bulk It Back UpIf you're struggling right now, you're not alone. Here's how you can identify financial issues, implement a budget and prioritize rebuilding your emergency fund.
-
An Expert Guide to How All-Assets Planning Offers a Better RetirementAn "all-asset" strategy would integrate housing wealth and annuities with traditional investments to generate more income and liquid savings for retirees.
-
7 Tax Blunders to Avoid in Your First Year of Retirement, From a Seasoned Financial PlannerA business-as-usual approach to taxes in the first year of retirement can lead to silly trip-ups that erode your nest egg. Here are seven common goofs to avoid.
-
How to Plan for Social Security in 2026's Changing Landscape, From a Financial ProfessionalNot understanding how the upcoming changes in 2026 might affect you could put your financial security in retirement at risk. This is what you need to know.