For many, investing hard-earned cash seems like a lot of work (despite the potential rewards). If you're too tired at the end of the day to do all that much research, weblog Get Rich Slowly's lazy guide to investment success is worth a look.


Photo by Adri'.

The post rounds up five different "lazy" portfolios from several respected personal finance writers, like, for example, this guide to Couch Potato Investing:



What?

Put 50% of your money in long-term Treasury bonds and 50% of your money in a stock index fund. Why?

Over the last 70 years, US Treasury bonds have yielded about 2 percent a year after inflation with a low variance of returns. Stocks have yielded about 7.1 percent a year after inflation with a higher variance of returns. The 50/50 combination of the two gives you an expected after inflation return of roughly 5 percent and relatively low risk. This easily beats the couch potato's next best friend (CD's which have barely beaten inflation over time).


The Couch Potato Portfolio is the most simplified investing guide of the bunch rounded up by Get Rich Slowly, but the none of the highlighted portfolios are all that intimidating. And while "lazy" is a bit of a misnomer (a truly lazy investment plan involves the space between your mattress and box spring), the simplicity of these investment plans can hopefully provide a less intimidating starting point for easily intimidated investors. If you've got your own "lazy" investment strategy, let's hear more about it in the comments.

The Lazy Way to Investment Success [Get Rich Slowly]