Wasik Nano Plan
Investment Model Portfolios

John Wasik has been a professional journalist and author for 30 years specializing in personal finance, the environment, investing and social issues. John has proposed a Nano plan investment portfolio which employs just a handful of index or ETFs to cover virtually the entire world of bond and stock markets. This portfolio is supposed to be rebalanced annually.

John Wasik presents a classic asset allocation strategy with simple buy and hold.

  • 20% in Vanguard Total Stock Market VIPERS (VTI) – alternatives: SPY, IWM
  • 20% in Vanguard Total International (VGTSX) – alternatives: EFA, VEU, EEM, VWO, ADRE
  • 20% in Vanguard REIT VIPERS (VNQ) – alternatives: IYR, ICF
  • 20% in iShares Lehman TIPS Bond (TIP)
  • 20% in iShares Lehman Aggregate Bond (AGG) – alternative: BND

Things to note about the portfolio:

  • With 40% in fixed income, this would be considered moderate risk
  • With VGTSX covering both international and emerging markets (albeit in one fund) this would be something between a 4 and 5 asset class portfolio
  • VGTSX is not an ETF; while VGTSX can easily be replaced by VEU (Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US ETF) we will keep VGTSX because it has a longer history for back testing

 

MyPlanIQ maintains Wasik's original portfolio here.

Plan investment options

Total Available Funds: 5
Asset Class Ticker Description Rating Expense
REAL ESTATE
REAL ESTATE VNQ Vanguard REIT Index ETF 0.12%
INTERNATIONAL EQUITY
Foreign Large Blend EFA Vanguard Total Intl Stock Index 0.33%
US EQUITY
LARGE BLEND VTI Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF 0.03%
FIXED INCOME
Intermediate-Term Bond AGG iShares Barclays Aggregate Bond 0.03%
Inflation-Protected Bond TIP iShares Barclays TIPS Bond 0.19%
Average Expense Ratio: 0.14%

The following is a moderate-risk model portfolio constructed from the investment options of Wasik Nano Plan.

This portfolio is proactively monitored and rebalanced on a monthly basis when needed, ensuring it remains in line with its target allocation. We offer customization features, allowing subscribers to tailor the portfolio to align with their own risk tolerance and return expectations by changing risk profile parameter.

Our model portfolio is rooted in the MyPlanIQ Asset Allocation Composite (AAC) strategy. This dynamic (tactical) asset allocation and quantitative fund selection algorithm prioritize risk management by dynamically adjusting stock allocations based on prevailing asset momentum. Extensive research has shown that this momentum-based tactical approach can potentially reduce temporary losses while maintaining or outperforming traditional buy-and-hold strategies.

Both historical back test and real-time portfolio return and risk data are shown in the table on this page. These metrics are compared with stock and moderate allocation index funds.

Furthermore, subscribers have the option to explore alternative strategies such as Strategic Asset Allocation Optimal (SAA) and Tactical Asset Allocation (TAA) to further customize their model portfolio. See our investment methodology for more details on the investment strategies


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Puzzled on what to invest?

  • We ask a few questions to decide your personal return and risk expectations
  • We build a custom portfolio for your plan (401(k), 403(b), 529 ...) or for a  brokerage account
  • We monitor and send timely rebalance emails on what investment funds to buy and sell
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