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U.S. Index Funds

Topnotch passive funds for the core of your domestic portfolio.
The advantages are starting to pile up for index funds and exchange-traded funds. First, there’s the cost advantage: Traditional index funds and exchange-traded funds that simply track a market benchmark rather than attempting to beat it tend to be much less expensive than their actively managed counterparts. That translates into a performance advantage, too, as low costs are highly correlated with an investment product being able to beat its peer group. Equity index funds and ETFs tend to be more tax-efficient than active funds, too. But just as there are worthwhile active funds, there are also index funds that aren’t so great. Some ETFs and index funds are saddled with high costs; others have narrow, gimmicky focuses or track overly concentrated indexes. Morningstar’s U.S. Index Funds pick list includes top-rated domestic passive funds from our small-, mid, and large cap categories.
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Name
Ticker
Morningstar Category
Morningstar Rating for Funds
Overall
Total Return
1 Year
Total Return
3 Year
Total Return
5 Year
Schwab Fundamental US Large Company IdxSFLNXLarge Value23.61%8.79%14.49%
Bltxsz Thrffpyrtsf GG Rpqwg Hdhyszh KffPTPMSSmall Blend22.21%4.00%10.63%
Qwvmpb Kfmmppjqfydjm ZypchzwXDRBQVForeign Large Blend14.33%3.28%7.81%
Cyvgjf Mnmhl Lns SbtjnZRBFNKSmall Blend17.83%−0.62%7.85%
Jhwvjh Bvnnq Fhbnf Grcnrm GqmsqQTQCFPLarge Blend27.96%8.45%14.18%
Lbjhnd ® VF Xszfg-Djg Kchsqz YcksZVPQJLarge Growth36.33%11.77%18.87%
Bdhxtv ® HF Jjrny-Gkj Lpqtt FvbZGTGBPLarge Value19.15%5.50%9.89%
Rdcqqf ® VM Vfv-Fsr FcwfSDBMMid-Cap Blend21.38%3.57%10.56%
Wqzvcz® M&L 422 JmyKYTWPLarge Blend28.99%9.89%15.16%
Qggfqvp K&C 614 Dkclq HskfylxvYJKVFLarge Blend28.52%9.51%14.71%
Dcdrmdw K&W Pkgbpv Qzxvw FgwsjygmvrmRFLLSMid-Cap Blend22.03%4.28%11.10%
Chsprjs M&P Zzvthnwr Xjjxm XcvsygbjhYXFLTNSmall Blend14.96%0.50%8.96%
Qbnypn 715 Jlxjywv PqjfPSNQGYLarge Blend29.99%
Gbrmp Vqvddy Zmp Rjx Lmt Mg rn-SS BJZBWVLForeign Large Blend14.10%0.85%6.92%
Dgmvl Jnxpxh Gfh Ndt Ysv Mn hs-FJ JrNVYKSForeign Large Blend15.90%0.80%6.77%
Nyylx Xjmgty Tdjlg/Jrw Rnc Cfdvjk LryztkwCFGQHCMid-Cap Blend24.09%0.13%10.12%
D. Lxnq Qvhqg Jvnqcp Bkwlr 4761WYHMBLarge Blend28.78%9.72%14.98%
R. Byps Vrxwq Cvzwgxft Nnhtrd Zqqcms CcdrtMNSCFMid-Cap Blend23.98%−0.23%9.64%
L. Lfkm Kjngq Wnbgtqrgqmnjh Nq WxdkFFKQZForeign Large Blend16.70%3.14%7.87%
V. Plwf Kdmlv Dzl-Ntr TqttzpsBQZGMid-Cap Growth29.87%0.39%11.23%
L. Ntbw Zglxm Bdxxr-Ytv MxJXSJZFSmall Blend18.63%−1.27%7.65%
P. Kncx Pzdsg Jgpys Sbpnwg Rhmycn YvDHWZLarge Blend28.18%8.51%13.98%
Hltpkcpm Hcqhv Ftdpyybt SqshrFLXCEnergy Limited Partnership24.03%13.79%8.91%
NBFJL Cbmzzyz W Gtgsglcwhrxyc Lnk TVNZLForeign Large Blend14.22%3.37%7.46%
HGXJG Wwhjkbb T Fpf Kgv MbcwglMSXHSMid-Cap Blend22.27%4.39%11.10%
BXPMW Gtsfqzm F Jchwm XfmptXZMGTLarge Blend28.08%9.84%14.72%
TZPH GDXR Ywzrm Dvskdz BP JfglvqrszcTBRTDiversified Emerging Mkts13.72%
NRSW TNYM Hnrdc Smhzvh FG HlfqywLNZPGFSmall Blend20.09%
Nwsthtzd 111 Rrpvr NsqvxwLSXHQLarge Blend30.71%9.66%15.16%
Rtwmrhzf Zwpbcywsl Mqhgjsz Gldyv JxtMJXKKForeign Large Blend13.50%2.11%7.67%
Hlwsrwhb Jwkzbvtn Wdqt Xfrnp Flx YrGNVVDiversified Emerging Mkts16.18%−2.49%5.12%
Pzllkjfx Lnbchvzs Dpckf QmrkswmwzSDQDFDEurope Stock18.08%3.72%8.52%
Xxrcvxkl Vqctqshk Yhmktv Vswcn XsjzgfnqdfgKZDDBMid-Cap Blend26.11%−0.58%9.65%
Dhzdzcwr Fsrxwj Gbpvw NdywjFQFYLarge Growth37.47%10.41%18.28%
Sfbflhbw Cvbhn Xzz Mqcqz NwkzclNPZDLarge Blend31.20%8.98%15.02%
Yxdwxmqt Dhb Kmb Yvgsy QfdxstFGHDMid-Cap Blend23.03%3.45%10.59%
Yvdfdqlj Wjl-Vnh Wfcfqx Fwbpv CdpxmtjvYDZDHMid-Cap Growth24.64%2.36%10.98%
Mkxhnmpv Stp-Sbn Gyxqf Nnmnb WwhcdnKZXCDMid-Cap Value19.17%4.40%9.72%
Xkdgslwz Lrwrlvc Wfvvd Shxrl CfrghhtTQWVLDiversified Pacific/Asia10.82%−0.66%5.74%
Txshmbjr Brmb Jhjbtl Ghrrx HlvdnlsnVDDBBNReal Estate6.31%−2.41%2.20%
Dkcmwmlm Szhks Rsw Gktvws Rtwwf VqhGVQJZSmall Growth19.22%−1.98%7.83%
Hywvbzds Smndz Thb Xyzjq LxcslLBGMKSmall Blend22.36%1.88%9.56%
Pbwlrstj Txlvr Mqg Qyfmg Slcbj PgqhwgFZCWCHSmall Value23.17%4.93%10.07%
Nrckgpng Ncwhp Bldt Wpdvr Nrphx CgkRGQFForeign Large Blend14.06%0.97%7.00%
Ylwmwvfh Fkdnz Rfkmw Sxv Ymn BqlVRPWMLarge Blend27.81%8.35%14.09%
Hnydxdtw Gcmyp Shmrs GlwpgZBQWZLarge Value21.85%7.31%11.10%
Yfrfmqd 731 Cyxhn RxnjhfFGTDLarge Blend28.92%9.74%15.24%
Crpgxmj Wxbvfgzn Stcssf RswhDBRLMid-Cap Blend22.36%0.66%10.60%
Ldzd Jnxwdzyftnpdq Fvwhs Gbyv XGSLBVForeign Large Blend13.57%2.64%7.16%
Nvht Trzlzwj Csjlk Qvg Pkmcqz Dxf Xydj CGKPDPLarge Growth37.53%13.03%19.58%
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List Criteria

Index Funds

Index funds track a particular index, like the S&P 500, and attempt to match its returns by holding the same stocks that are in the index in the same proportion. Index funds are considered “passive” because they only hold what is in the index (or a representative sampling), and only change their portfolios when the index changes. Most indexes reflect or represent an entire market, region, sector, or style, and hence most index funds are intended to offer investors identical exposure to those markets. An index fund’s performance should match the performance of the index minus the expenses associated with running the fund, which are typically low.

Diversified U.S. Stock Funds

These U.S.-stock funds come from the nine categories associated with the Morningstar Style Box: large growth, large blend, large value, mid-cap growth, mid-cap blend, mid-cap value, small growth, small blend, and small value. Funds in these categories cover most of the U.S. stock market, from small companies to large, growth companies to value stocks.

Medalist Funds (Gold, Silver, or Bronze)

The Medalist Rating for funds reflects our forward-looking assessment of a fund’s ability to outperform its peer group (funds in the same category) and benchmark on a risk-adjusted basis over the long term. We assign the ratings on a five-tier scale with three positive (Medalist) ratings of Gold, Silver, and Bronze; a Neutral rating; and a Negative rating. If a fund receives a Gold, Silver, or Bronze rating, it means that Morningstar analysts expect it to outperform over a full market cycle of at least five years.

Share Class Exclusions Applied

Many fund families offer multiple versions of the same fund but with variations on the sales fees that are charged and/or investor qualifications. In some cases, certain share classes may be for institutions (such as company retirement funds) or otherwise have a high investment minimum. We've limited our list to funds that are primarily used by and available to individual, or retail, investors.

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