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I'd go with VBIL (lower fee version of SGOV) for short duration. Cheap and flexible. IBIE is also a decent option, October 2028 TIPS (inflation linked bonds).
IBIE is one random example. [Here](https://www.ishares.com/us/strategies/bond-etfs/build-better-bond-ladders) is BlackRock's full set. BlackRock is not the only player, but they have [IMO] the easiest to understand web page. These function as a rung on a bond ladder. Value will fluctuate, but at the end date approaches the volatility narrows and they liquidate as expected -- just like any other set of bonds what mature at the same time. Buy with limit orders since these tend to be thinly traded (being buy & hold investments for most people). Set to dividend reinvestment, let run to liquidation. I use these and have had several run to liquidation with no surprises. However I would avoid the junk/high yield versions, since such bonds don't lend themselves to buy & hold in the first place.
If you want inflation protection I suggest buying the actual TIPS bonds -OR- defined maturity TIPS ETFs [IBIE is an example]. Hold to maturity/liquidation. However TIPs are usually used for longer term inflation protection, not short term. Typical TIPS funds that maintain a constant duration are volatile due to interest rate exposure. They do not behave the way that retail investors often expect. TIPS bonds held in a taxable account create phantom income since the inflation adjustments are taxable. This can be a PIA at tax time. The defined maturity TIPS ETFs simply this, though the end result is the same. TLDR: Buy the actual bonds or use defined maturity ETFs. Hold to maturity.
Just look here, sort the ETFs by size: [https://www.justetf.com/en/search.html?search=ETFS&resetPage=true](https://www.justetf.com/en/search.html?search=ETFS&resetPage=true) The most money is invested in funds tracking the S&P 500, then there are those that track developed markets (70% USA) or the whole world (60% USA), then there are emerging markets, gold, and the overnight rate. When I look at it like that, it seems to me that most people in the EU are heavily invested in US stocks, and European stocks make up about 15–20% at most. So you don’t need to make any changes to your portfolio. The bigger issue will be taxes—if you plan to move permanently to a European country, you should be paying taxes there, and that could be a problem. So make sure to research and understand the topic of double taxation and how to avoid it. Also, check what your broker will say when you change your tax residency. It might be better to move your portfolio to the European branch of Interactive Brokers (IBIE); there you can continue to hold/sell U.S. ETFs.
Source: Anonymous person who claims to be old and is using TIPS. You can easily buy the bonds and hold to maturity. Your tax return will be simpler if you hold them in an IRA or in a 401k with a brokerage window. There is always risk, and this approach exposes you to opportunity risk. Take this another step and you can have a plan and build a bond ladder using TIPS. Or you could buy a typical TIPS fund. The trap here, and it is a big one, is that TIPS are very sensitive to interest rate changes. So you are exposed to interest rate risk, and a good bit of it. So notice that buying the bonds and holding them to maturity is not the same thing as buying your typical open ended TIPS fund. There is a third way. There are TIPS ETFs that hold bonds maturing in the same year, and then once they are all cash they liquidate. IBIE is an example. These are designed to be used to build bond ladders, and they function as one rung on the ladder. Buy with limit orders since they are thinly traded (being buy and hold investments). Set for dividend reinvestment. Let run to maturity/liquidation. Rinse, repeat. And I suggest getting a copy of *The Bond Book* by Annette Thau.