Ferri points to two exchange-traded funds to use for his simple portfolio, both from Vanguard Group: the Total World Stock ETF ( VT ) and the Total Bond Market ETF ( BND ). The margarita and the no-brainer Another lazy portfolio worth mimicking was created by Scott Burns, who, before he retired, was a longtime financial writer and principal at AssetBuilder, a money management firm in Plano, Texas. More complex - and simpler - options Those seeking even greater diversification could add two asset classes: real estate and Treasury inflation protected securities, or TIPS, Kahler says.