"Don't want to try this at home?" Not interested in researching investments? Have no intention of keeping tabs on your account? Have a pro do it for you. It's a simple way to achieve diversification, manage asset allocation, and control risk . all without lifting a finger.

Nearly every employer-sponsored plan has professionally managed funds that take care of everything for you. They generally come in two stripes: balanced funds, and lifestyle or target funds. Why not find out if one of these funds is available to you?

Balanced funds: To manage investor risk, professional money managers allocate assets across classes. Performance in one sector is intended to offset performance in the other.

Lifestyle/target-year funds: Money managers choose investments to reflect a certain lifestyle or for a specific year goal. Over the years, the pros make changes to the investments based on where investors are in their lives or how close they are to a goal year.