Courant.com provides a number of options for using index funds to invest in international markets:

1. Invest in a few Exchange Traded Funds (ETF) that represent various sectors of the world economy.
   Purchase the MSCI EAFE index for stocks that focuses on developed countries together with the MSCI Emerging Markets index whose main focus is developing countries. To ensure that the proportions are aligned with the world’s economy, you might want to invest around 8 percent of the money you have put aside for international stocks into the iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF and the rest in the iShares MSCI EAFE.
2. Invest in the Vanguard Total International Stock index mutual fund does the mixing and matching for you.
   This Vanguard fund is also available in the form of an Exchange Traded Fund (ETF). The Vanguard fund does the mixing and matching for you to ensure that your portfolio represents the breadth of the world economy. The fund comprises three indexes for the European, Asian, and Emerging markets. These funds are the European Stock Index Fund, the Pacific Stock Index, and the Emerging Markets Stock Index Fund.
3. Investing in a single index that represents the entire world economy
   This simple entails buying a single index that has a portfolio that covers the entire global economy. Although this kind of fund is not yet available, a number of financial institutions have plans in the works to introduced such globally diverse funds.

   The Russell Investment Group is planning to introduce an Index Fund that will cover 98 percent of the world’s investment worthy stocks.

   Similarly, State Street Global Advisors is seeking permission from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to introduce an international fund that is similar in scope to the very broad MSCI ACWI (ex-US) index.