You benefit in several ways by avoiding investment clutter. You can keep your overall allocation on track with just a few mouse clicks per year. Sticking to a couple of broad funds will prevent you from getting distracted by niche bets (such as, say, a technology fund that’s on a tear). And by investing with index funds you’ll avoid the vain pursuit of hopping from one one-hit wonder to the next.
Rules for determining the right allocation among stocks and bonds seem to be as numerous as the stars in the sky. As a starting point, subtract your age from 120 to arrive at a stock allocation, then adjust your portfolio to fit your specific needs (the portfolio below may be appropriate for a 50-year-old).
See the simple portfolio.
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