Quick Read
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Four ETFs (BBUS, VEU, SCHZ, and SPTS) cover U.S. stocks, international stocks, core bonds, and short-term Treasuries for under $50 annually on $100,000.
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BBUS costs just $20 a year on $100,000 and returned 16.05% over the past year, driven by heavy megacap tech exposure including Apple at 7% of assets.
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SCHZ slipped 1.83% over the past year as the 10-year Treasury yield hit 5.15%, a reminder that low cost and low risk are two separate things.
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You want a retirement portfolio that covers every major corner of the market, and you want your money working for you rather than for a fund company. Four index ETFs fit the bill: JPMorgan BetaBuilders U.S. Equity ETF( CBOE:BBUS ), Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US ETF( NYSEARCA:VEU ), Schwab U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF( NYSEARCA:SCHZ ), and SPDR Portfolio Short Term Treasury ETF( NYSEARCA:SPTS ). Between them, they hold U.S. stocks, stocks outside the U.S., broad U.S. bonds, and short-term Treasuries. Those are the basic building blocks of a diversified portfolio.
Each fund, held on its own, costs less than $50 a year on $100,000 based on its expense ratio. Because every fund sits below that line, any combination of the four does too. The priciest fund, VEU at $40, sets the upper limit for any mix you build.
Those figures cover expense ratios only. Trading spreads, any brokerage fees, and taxes on distributions in a taxable account are separate costs. Expense ratios can also change, so the numbers below reflect the most recent figures available.
BBUS Covers Broad U.S. Stocks for $20 a Year
BBUS charges a 0.02% expense ratio, or $20 a year on a $100,000 position. That is the lowest fee in this group.
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For that price, you get broad large- and mid-cap U.S. stock exposure covering technology, health care, financials, energy, industrials, consumer, and utility companies. The fund held about $8.9 billion in net assets as of July 31, 2026. Big tech tops the list. Apple( NASDAQ:AAPL ) alone made up about 7% of assets, with other megacap tech names close behind.
On a dividend-adjusted basis, BBUS rose 16.05% over the past year and 78.88% over five years. That heavy tech weighting drives the gains, and it can just as easily drive sharp drops.
VEU Takes Your Stock Money Global for $40
VEU tracks the FTSE All-World ex US Index, covering developed and emerging markets outside the U.S. Its 0.04% expense ratio means $40 a year on $100,000. That is the highest fee of the four, and it still sits under the headline ceiling.
With about $95.8 billion in net assets, VEU spreads money across Canada, Germany, France, the U.K., Switzerland, Japan, China, India, and other markets. Its largest holding, Tencent Holdings, made up under 1% of assets, so no single company dominates. Returns climbed 15.64% over the past year and 144.45% over 10 years.
Expect lumpy income. VEU pays quarterly, and payouts swing widely, from $1.258 per share in December 2025 to $0.1132 in March 2026. Currency moves add another layer of volatility.
SCHZ Holds the Core U.S. Bond Market for $30
SCHZ charges 0.03% per its prospectus dated April 28, 2026, or $30 a year on $100,000. It holds a broad mix of Treasuries, agency mortgage-backed securities, and investment-grade corporates.
SCHZ pays monthly. Its latest distribution was $0.0821 per share, and it paid $0.9618 over the trailing 12 months. Keep one thing in mind: unlike an individual bond, a bond fund has no set maturity date. There is no date when your principal comes back in full, so its price rises and falls with interest rates. With the 10-year Treasury yield at 5.15% on October 19, 2026, rate swings matter. SCHZ slipped 1.83% over the past year and 1.33% over five years on a dividend-adjusted basis.
SPTS Gives You the Steadiest Sleeve for $30
SPTS costs 0.03%, or $30 a year on $100,000. It holds 1–3-year U.S. Treasuries, which react far less to rate changes than longer bonds.
It also pays monthly, most recently $0.094555 per share, with $1.112105 paid over the trailing 12 months. SPTS gained 1.56% over the past year and 10.32% over five years. It is the most stable of the four, though its price still moves and can dip when short-term rates rise.
Where This Lineup Falls Short
Low cost and low risk are two separate things. The two stock funds can lose a big chunk of value in a bad year, and the bond funds can decline too, as SCHZ's recent record shows. These four ETFs give you a complete set of building blocks, but the right blend depends on your timeline, income needs, and tolerance for swings, and no single mix suits every retiree (we walked through how to turn a lump sum into something that acts like a paycheck, including the mix and withdrawal order, in a free guide here: The Paycheck Portfolio Method).
The appeal holds up, though. You get U.S. stocks, international stocks, core bonds, and short-term Treasuries, and none of the four costs more than $40 a year on $100,000. Few retirement plans keep more of your money invested.
Learn 7 Ways To Generate Income With A $1,000,000+ Portfolio
If you've saved over $1,000,000, this guide is for you. The last thing you want in retirement is to run out of money, you want your money to generate lasting income while you enjoy your life.
Now you can learn the strategies wealthy retirees use to fund their retirement with The Definitive Guide to Retirement Income from Fisher Investments. Download the guide today! (sponsor)
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