If you're assembling an investment portfolio, you can find an index fund to 
fit just about any asset class. Here are sample medium-risk allocations for 
three investors: a 35-year-old at the start of her career, a 45-year-old at 
mid-career, and a 55-year-old at her career's peak.


INVESTOR        LARGE-CAP  SMALL-CAP  INTERNATIONAL   FIXED    EXPECTED
PORTFOLIO       STOCKS     STOCKS     STOCKS          INCOME   ANNUAL RETURN

35 YEARS OLD    46%        18%        21%             15%      10.9%
45 YEARS OLD    37         15         18              30       10.0
55 YEARS OLD    32         12         14              42        9.2


FUND            SSGA         SCHWAB       FIDELITY      VANGUARD
                S&P 500      SMALL CAP    SPARTAN INT.  TOTAL BOND MARKET

EXPENSE RATIO   0.17%        0.52%        0.35%         0.20%

1998 TOTAL
RETURN          28.47%       3.57%        21.24%        8.59%


DATA: ERNST & YOUNG, MORNINGSTAR INC., BUSINESS WEEK