Single Fund Portfolio

10 Jan 2026

I asked Gemini to help me choose between mutual funds.

Choosing between these four Vanguard funds essentially comes down to how much international exposure and bond stability you want.

Here is a comparison table followed by specific recommendations for a “one-fund” portfolio.

Mutual Fund	Full Name	Asset Class	International?	Management	Expense Ratio	Risk Level	Minimum
VTSAX	Total Stock Market Index	100% US Equities	No	Static (All Stocks)	0.04%	High (Equity Volatility)	$3,000
VTWAX	Total World Stock Index	100% Global Equities	Yes (~37%–40%)	Static (All Stocks)	0.10%	High (Currency/Global Risk)	$3,000
VASGX	LifeStrategy Growth	80% Stocks / 20% Bonds	Yes (Intl Stocks & Bonds)	Static (80/20 split)	0.14%	Moderate-High	$3,000
VTTSX (2060)	Target Retirement 2060	90% Stocks / 10% Bonds*	Yes (Intl Stocks & Bonds)	Dynamic (Glides to Bonds)	0.08%	High (Decreases over time)	$1,000

If you were to pick only one fund to hold for the long term, the choice depends on your personal philosophy:

You believe the US economy will continue to outperform the rest of the world.
You have a very long time horizon and can handle high volatility.
Drawback: You have zero international diversification; if the US enters a “lost decade” while global markets thrive, you miss out.

You want a “set it and forget it” portfolio that owns every public company on Earth.
You don’t want to bet on which country will win; you just want the average return of the global market.
Drawback: Performance may be lower than VTSAX if the US continues its historical dominance.

You want a “balanced” portfolio that never changes its risk profile.
You want some bonds to cushion the blow during market crashes, but you always want to stay 80% in stocks.
Drawback: It is slightly more expensive and won’t get “safer” as you age unless you manually switch funds later.

This is the ultimate one-fund solution. It is designed to be the only fund you ever own.
You want the fund to automatically become more conservative (adding more bonds) as you get closer to retirement.
Drawback: It may be too conservative for some “aggressive” investors because it holds ~10% in bonds even when you are young.

If you are looking to simplify your portfolio down to a single fund, consider the following:

For the “Hands-Off” Investor (Best Overall Single Choice): VTTSX (Target Retirement 2060) is the most complete “all-in-one” solution. It automatically diversifies across US stocks, international stocks, and bonds, and it rebalances itself to become more conservative as you approach retirement.
For the “Globalist” Investor: VTWAX (Total World Stock) is ideal if you want equity exposure and believe in global market efficiency without wanting to manage the split between US and International markets yourself.
For the “US-Focused” Growth Investor: VTSAX (Total Stock Market) is the choice if you want the lowest fees and believe that the US economy will continue to lead global markets, provided you are comfortable with international and bond exposure.
For the “Consistent Risk” Investor: VASGX (LifeStrategy Growth) is best if you want a permanent stock-to-bond ratio that never changes, regardless of how close you are to retirement.