A 4-fund portfolio adds an international bond fund to the familiar U.S. stock, international stock, and U.S. bond structure of a 3-fund portfolio.

That extra fund can broaden bond exposure, but it is not automatically an improvement. The right question is whether the additional diversification fits your allocation …

A 3-fund portfolio is a simple way to own broad exposure to U.S. stocks, international stocks, and bonds. It is not a magic allocation or a promise of returns. It is a framework that makes diversification, cost control, and rebalancing easier to understand.

For a remote engineer with a …