This two-fund portfolio from financial columnist Scott Burns may be the simplest way to achieve balance. It’s evenly split between stocks and bonds, and should appeal to you if you’re both lazy and risk-averse: 50% Vanguard Inflation-Protected Securities (VIPSX) 50% Vanguard Total Stock Market Index (VTSMX) You can read more about this portfolio at http://tinyurl.com/LP-potato. Burns has also created a “couch potato cookbook” that lists several different lazy portfolios and answers some common questions; you can find it at http://tinyurl.com/LP-cookbook.
