Methodology & Disclosure

Affiliate Disclosure

We may earn a commission if you open an account through links on this page. This does not influence our fund recommendations, allocation logic, or any analysis we publish. Our recommendations are based on what works for the Five Fund Frame — not on which broker pays us the most.

We only recommend brokers that genuinely support ETF investing with zero commissions, fractional shares, and (where applicable) auto-rebalancing. If a broker doesn't meet those standards, we don't link to it — regardless of commission rates.

How the Five Fund Frame Works

The Five Fund Frame is a portfolio allocation system built around five jobs that money needs to do:

Park Safety cushion
for emergencies

Earn Growing income
from dividends

Build Wealth compounding
market growth

Roam Global diversification
outside US

Dare Speculative bets
(max 10%)

Allocation Logic

Each slot receives a percentage based on your life stage, risk tolerance, time horizon, and personal circumstances. The system is designed to:

Park — 5–20% depending on dependents, income stability, and time horizon. More safety when you have less flexibility.
Earn — 10–30% based on risk tolerance and income stability. Dividend-focused funds that grow over time.
Build — 20–55% as the largest slot for most investors. Broad market index funds that compound wealth.
Roam — 15–25% for international diversification. Reduces US-centric risk.
Dare — 0–10% maximum. Speculative positions in sectors you believe in.

Fund Selection Criteria

We recommend specific ETFs for each slot based on:

Low expense ratios — typically under 0.10% for core holdings
Liquidity — daily volume sufficient for fractional share purchases
AUM size — funds with over $1B in assets (reduces closure risk)
Sponsor reputation — Vanguard, Schwab, iShares as primary sponsors
Tracking accuracy — funds that closely match their benchmark index

Data Sources

All fund data (expense ratios, AUM, yields) is sourced directly from:

Fund data changes. We note approximate values and recommend verifying current figures at the sources above.

Update Log

June 2025

Added broker recommendation module. Added affiliate disclosures to all tool pages.

May 2025

Launched Five Fund Frame tools. Initial methodology published.

This page is updated when our methodology changes. Last verified: June 2025.

Not Financial Advice

The Five Fund Frame is an educational framework, not personalized financial advice. We don't know your tax situation, your employer benefits, or your specific goals. The allocations we suggest are starting points — not recommendations tailored to you.

If your situation involves complex tax considerations, business ownership, inherited wealth, or other non-standard factors, consult a fee-only fiduciary financial advisor before implementing any allocation.