Target date funds make investing easy by offering a complete portfolio of funds in a one-stop package to match your risk profile. But like how a multi-entre frozen TV dinner offers a complete meal, there are positives and negatives. In a Marketwatch.com article Jennifer Openshaw lays out the positives and negatives:

The advantages

• Autopilot for your investments.
• Diversification for less.
• Safety.

The disadvantages

• Bland investments.
• Diversification question.
• Potential for bad timing.

And offers some tips when investing in target date funds:

• Study their investments.
• Understand the mix.
• Find out whether allocations are fixed.
• Focus on the target fund.

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