For a complete guide to index fund and ETF investing — including fund comparisons, expense ratios, and tax strategy — see the Index Funds and ETFs hub. If you want the absolute simplest way to invest for retirement, a target-date fund is it. You pick one fund based on when you plan to retire — say 2055 — and that single fund holds a diversified mix of US stocks, international stocks. Target Date Funds have a mandate to grow assets over a specified period of time to reach a targeted goal. These funds employ a strategy where asset allocation becomes more conservative as the target-date approaches. Target Date Funds Featured Dividend News, Stocks, ETFs, Funds View all Overview Payout For investors who wish to automate their retirement savings in diversified, low-cost passive investments, target-date funds can be valuable financial instruments. Looking for the best target-date funds? We compared Vanguard, Fidelity, Schwab, T. Rowe Price, and BlackRock on expense ratios, glide paths, and performance to find the top picks for your retirement. Target-date funds are a popular option for retirement investors, but pros say you need to look under the hood before investing. The table below summarizes the Morningstar Medalist Ratings for target-date strategies across mutual funds and ETFs, which are generally broadly available to US-based investors. Target date funds are becoming more and more popular. We review the top 10 target date fund providers and discuss index-based and actively-manged. A Target Date ETF is designed for investors planning to begin withdrawals around a specific year. It holds a diversified mix of stocks, bonds, and sometimes other assets, gradually shifting to more conservative investments as the target date approaches. This article explains how design, costs, and risk levels shape the best target-date funds.