$10K invested in VTI (2001) $0 today

The Simplest Path to Building Wealth

One fund can change your life. A few more can optimize it. Inspired by JL Collins and Paul Merriman's timeless wisdom.

Explore Portfolios Our Philosophy
Buy. Hold. Chill. Complexity is a tax. Simplicity is a return. Your portfolio called. It wants fewer funds.

Choose Your Path

Three evidence-based portfolio tiers, each building on decades of academic research into factor investing.

Good

The 1-Fund Strategy

The heart of VTI & Chill. One fund, the entire US stock market, zero complexity. Buy it, hold it, live your life.

VTI
~$3.0M
$10K over 55 years (backtested)
 Better

The 4-Fund Strategy

Balanced diversification. Four asset classes covering US and international equities with value tilts.

AVUS AVUV AVLV AVSC
Near-optimal returns
Similar to 10-fund with fewer holdings
 Best

The 10-Fund Ultimate

Maximum diversification. 10 asset classes, ~12,000 companies globally. The Paul Merriman "Ultimate Buy & Hold."

AVUS AVUV AVLV AVSC AVDV AVDS VNQ +3
Historically superior
Outperforms S&P 500 with lower volatility

Why Index Funds Win

Index funds are "self-cleansing" — failing companies drop out, winners rise to the top through cap-weighting. You never need to pick stocks.

Wall Street profits from complexity. Your edge is simplicity. Dollar-cost average into low-cost index funds, stay the course through volatility, and let compounding do the heavy lifting.

90%
of active funds underperform
their benchmark over 15 years
0.03%
expense ratio
for VTI

S&P 500: Drawdowns vs. Long-Term Growth

10K+
Newsletter Subscribers
$0.03
Average Expense Ratio
12,000+
Companies in Best Portfolio
55+ yrs
Backtested Data

Free Tools to Plan Your Path

Calculators and planners built around the principles of passive index investing.

Compound Interest Calculator

See how $500/month grows over decades at historical VTI returns.

Coast FIRE Calculator

Find out when you can stop saving and let compounding finish the job.

When Can I Retire?

Input your numbers and see your projected financial independence date.