You can cover your bases with as few as three funds.
Three simple investments fill your portfolio with hundreds or even thousands of different stocks.
Fortunately, the types of funds you need are plentiful, providing you with options.
If you ever find yourself wondering if it’s possible to build a balanced portfolio on your own that cuts through the noise and eliminates unnecessary decisions, the answer is yes. As a bonus, you can set up and run exchange-traded funds (ETFs) with minimal effort. Here’s how.
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If you want to cover your bases, you can get there with three types of funds:
Investing in three to four low-cost index funds can cover hundreds or even thousands of securities, providing you with instant diversification without the need for constant research or trading. The following three funds create the ideal portfolio foundation:
If you’re not sure where to start, this fund is among the best for providing primarily domestic market exposure:
For broad exposure to international stocks in developed markets outside of North America, there are some strong options, including:
When the market is off its axis or inflation is eroding your portfolio, having a bond index fund can help minimize losses. Here’s one worth considering:
If you decide to simplify your investment process, all you need to get started are these three easy-to-buy and manage index funds.
Before you buy stock in Fidelity Concord Street Trust – Fidelity 500 Index Fund, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Fidelity Concord Street Trust – Fidelity 500 Index Fund wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004… if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $395,679!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005… if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,294,805!*
Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 929% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 211% for the S&P 500. Don’t miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors.
*Stock Advisor returns as of July 12, 2026.
Dana George has positions in Fidelity Concord Street Trust – Fidelity 500 Index Fund. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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