Broad three fund portfolio mixing global stocks with treasuries for balanced growth and stability
Report created on Apr 9, 2026Risk profile
4/7
Diversification profile
4/5
Positions
-
IT iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF
ITOT - US4642871507 60.00% -
IX iShares Core MSCI Total International Stock ETF
IXUS - US46432F8344 20.00% -
VG Vanguard Intermediate-Term Treasury Index Fund ETF Shares
VGIT - US92206C7065 20.00%
The portfolio is a classic three-fund setup: 60% broad US stocks, 20% broad international stocks, and 20% intermediate US Treasuries. That means most of the money is in growth-oriented assets, with a meaningful slice in safer bonds to cushion shocks. Structurally, it’s very simple and easy to maintain, which reduces behavioral mistakes and monitoring fatigue. A mix like this naturally lines up with a “balanced” risk profile: you’re still betting on long-term stock growth, but with a built‑in shock absorber. For many investors, this kind of simple, diversified mix is a solid core holding they can stick with through different market cycles.
Growth
From 2016 to early 2026, $1,000 in this mix grew to about $2,889, a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.24%. CAGR is like your “average speed” over the whole journey, smoothing out bumps along the way. The portfolio lagged the US market noticeably but only slightly trailed the global market, while having a smaller max drawdown than both during the COVID crash. That’s the bond ballast doing its job. The takeaway is that you gave up some upside versus an all‑equity US approach, but in exchange you got softer hits in downturns and a smoother ride overall. Past performance, of course, can’t guarantee future results.
Projection
The Monte Carlo projection takes historical return and volatility patterns and then simulates many random future paths to see a range of possible outcomes. Think of it as rolling the market dice 1,000 different ways while keeping the same “average” behavior. For a 15‑year horizon, the median outcome grows $1,000 to about $2,654, with a fairly wide but reasonable range around that. Importantly, roughly three‑quarters of simulations end positive, but there’s still a meaningful chance of disappointing results. The key message is that even for a balanced mix, outcomes can vary a lot in the medium term, so it’s wise to anchor expectations on ranges instead of single numbers.
Asset classes
- Stocks 80%
- Bonds 20%
The asset mix is 80% stocks and 20% bonds, which is firmly in balanced territory but leaning growth‑oriented. Compared with a pure equity portfolio, this setup typically trades a bit of long‑run return potential for noticeably lower volatility and smaller drawdowns. Treasuries in particular tend to help when risk assets sell off, though this relationship can weaken in some inflationary environments. This allocation is well-balanced and aligns closely with common long‑term planning frameworks for investors who can handle some swings but don’t want an all‑equity roller coaster. Over time, even a 20% bond slice can significantly improve the ride without completely sacrificing growth.
Sectors
- Technology 22%
- Financials 12%
- Industrials 9%
- Consumer Discretionary 8%
- Health Care 8%
- Telecommunications 7%
- Consumer Staples 4%
- Energy 4%
- Basic Materials 3%
- Utilities 2%
- Real Estate 2%
This breakdown covers the equity portion of your portfolio only.
Sector exposure is nicely spread, with technology the largest at 22%, followed by meaningful chunks in financials, industrials, consumer-related areas, and health care. This looks quite similar to broad global benchmarks, which is a strong indicator of healthy diversification. A tech tilt does mean performance will be more sensitive to shifts in interest rates, innovation cycles, and regulatory headlines. On the other hand, exposure to traditionally steadier areas like utilities, staples, and health care provides some ballast when more cyclical sectors wobble. Overall, the portfolio’s sector composition matches benchmark data, which is a strong sign the risk isn’t accidentally concentrated in a narrow slice of the economy.
Regions
- North America 62%
- Europe Developed 8%
- Japan 3%
- Asia Developed 3%
- Asia Emerging 3%
- Australasia 1%
- Africa/Middle East 1%
- Latin America 1%
This breakdown covers the equity portion of your portfolio only.
Geographically, about 62% is in North America, with the rest spread across developed and emerging regions in Europe, Asia, and smaller markets. That North American dominance is broadly in line with global market weights, where the US is a large share of world equity value. The benefit is that you’re participating in opportunities across multiple economies and currencies, which can smooth country‑specific shocks. At the same time, results will still lean heavily on how the US market performs, simply because it’s the biggest piece. This allocation is well-balanced and aligns closely with global standards for investors using market‑cap weighted index funds as their core building blocks.
Market capitalization
- Mega-cap 34%
- Large-cap 25%
- Mid-cap 15%
- Small-cap 5%
- Micro-cap 1%
This breakdown covers the equity portion of your portfolio only.
The portfolio tilts strongly toward larger companies, with roughly a third in mega‑caps and another quarter in large‑caps, while still keeping exposure to mid, small, and even micro‑caps. That mirrors how global markets are actually structured: big companies dominate total value. Larger firms tend to be more stable and liquid, which can reduce single‑stock risk compared with a heavy small‑cap tilt. The smaller‑company sleeves add some extra growth and diversification potential, especially over long horizons, but they’ll be a modest driver of overall results. For most investors, this kind of market‑like size mix is a sensible middle ground between stability and long‑term return potential.
True holdings
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NV NVIDIA Corporation 4.05%
Part of fund(s):- iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF
-
AA Apple Inc 3.53%
Part of fund(s):- iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF
-
MS Microsoft Corporation 2.61%
Part of fund(s):- iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF
-
AM Amazon.com Inc 1.92%
Part of fund(s):- iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF
-
GO Alphabet Inc Class A 1.62%
Part of fund(s):- iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF
-
AV Broadcom Inc 1.40%
Part of fund(s):- iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF
-
GO Alphabet Inc Class C 1.30%
Part of fund(s):- iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF
-
ME Meta Platforms Inc. 1.18%
Part of fund(s):- iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF
-
TS Tesla Inc 0.95%
Part of fund(s):- LS 1x Tesla Tracker ETP Securities GBP
- iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF
-
BR Berkshire Hathaway Inc 0.82%
Part of fund(s):- iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF
- Top 10 total 19.38%
This breakdown covers the equity portion of your portfolio only.
Looking through the ETFs, the largest underlying exposures are familiar mega‑cap names like NVIDIA, Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, and Alphabet, each appearing via the broad index funds. Some companies show up in more than one ETF, which creates “hidden” concentration even if each fund looks diversified on its own. Because we only see top‑10 holdings, the true overlap is likely higher than reported. This kind of index-based overlap isn’t inherently bad — these companies also dominate the global market — but it does mean a large part of your equity performance will be driven by how a relatively small group of giants behaves, especially in tech and communication-related areas.
Factors
Factor exposures are estimated using statistical models based on historical data and measure systematic (market-relative) tilts, not absolute portfolio characteristics. Results may vary depending on the analysis period, data availability, and currency of the underlying assets.
Factor exposure across value, size, momentum, quality, yield, and low volatility is essentially neutral, sitting close to market averages on all six. Factors are like investing “ingredients” — for example, value tilts toward cheaper stocks, and momentum leans into recent winners. A neutral profile means you’re not making big bets on any one style; you’re just holding the market’s blend. That approach has two advantages: it avoids the risk that a single factor falls out of favor for a decade, and it keeps performance closely tied to broad market outcomes. For someone wanting simplicity and predictability versus style calls, this balanced factor profile is a real strength.
Risk contribution
-
iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF
Weight: 60.00% 78.0% -
iShares Core MSCI Total International Stock ETF
Weight: 20.00% 22.3% -
Vanguard Intermediate-Term Treasury Index Fund ETF Shares
Weight: 20.00% 0.0%
Risk contribution shows how much each holding drives the portfolio’s ups and downs, which can be quite different from its weight. Here, the US stock ETF is 60% of capital but contributes about 78% of total risk, meaning it’s the main engine behind volatility. The international ETF is 20% of assets and about 22% of risk, roughly in line. Treasuries, while 20% by weight, contribute essentially none of the measured risk, acting as a stabilizer. This is exactly what you’d want from a balanced stock‑bond mix: risk is concentrated where the return potential is higher, while the bond slice focuses on dampening swings and offering dry powder in stress periods.
Risk vs. return
This chart shows the Efficient Frontier, calculated using your current assets with different allocation combinations. It highlights the best balance between risk and return based on historical data. "Efficient" portfolios maximize returns for a given risk or minimize risk for a given return. Portfolios below the curve are less efficient. This is informational and not a recommendation to buy or sell any assets.
Click on the colored dots to explore allocations.
On the risk‑return chart, the current mix sits right on or very close to the efficient frontier, meaning it’s using these three holdings in a highly efficient way for its chosen risk level. The Sharpe ratio — a simple measure of return per unit of risk — is solid, though an even higher Sharpe is possible if you were willing to accept more volatility and a higher equity share. Conversely, a minimum‑variance mix would shrink risk but also slash expected returns. The key takeaway is that, given the three building blocks you’re using, the current allocation is already doing a very good job of balancing growth potential with overall portfolio volatility.
Dividends
- iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF 1.10%
- iShares Core MSCI Total International Stock ETF 3.00%
- Vanguard Intermediate-Term Treasury Index Fund ETF Shares 3.80%
- Weighted yield (per year) 2.02%
The overall dividend yield is about 2.02%, coming from a blend of lower‑yielding US stocks, higher‑yielding international stocks, and coupon income from Treasuries. Dividends and bond interest don’t just provide cash flow; they also form a meaningful chunk of long‑term total return, especially when reinvested. For a balanced investor, a modest yield like this can help soften the impact of flat or choppy markets where price gains are scarce. It’s not a high‑income setup, but it’s a steady, diversified stream. Over the long haul, consistently reinvesting these payouts can quietly but significantly boost the value of the portfolio.
Ongoing product costs
- iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF 0.03%
- iShares Core MSCI Total International Stock ETF 0.07%
- Vanguard Intermediate-Term Treasury Index Fund ETF Shares 0.04%
- Weighted costs total (per year) 0.04%
The total ongoing cost (TER) of around 0.04% per year is impressively low. TER is the annual fee embedded in each fund; it’s like a tiny haircut from your balance every year. Keeping that haircut small really matters because fees compound just like returns — but in the wrong direction. Here, the use of broad, low‑cost index ETFs means you’re capturing almost all of the market’s return without much drag. This is a major structural strength: over 20–30 years, the difference between 0.04% and, say, 0.5–1.0% can easily add up to many thousands of dollars on a typical long‑term portfolio.
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