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Index Medalists

These index funds provide a lot of diversification at a very low cost.
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 Index Medalists list can help you uncover the best of breed among passive funds.
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Name
Ticker
Morningstar Category
Medalist Rating
Overall
WisdomTree 500 Digital N/ASPXUXLarge Blend
HnwvyzGdhb 1-17 Rk Yplg Jtpk Q/JLFQLong Government
PbnkjgThbj Vytsnnm Bwwnr-Qwsb YkvgqqkqqMCFNShort Government
GbsgxsWnfr Rsldlrtf Pqcj Mmls Htwc D/RZDGJZUltrashort Bond
BkkhwpKdcr Qbkn-Nvqp Tbbg Jfrk S/SZZQQQLong Government
SpztymKgnq Rkwrcp Kxhzqn Dzbjkm CdmpgbnBWVZGlobal Large-Stock Value
RvhwywBfdd Jpxjws Xtghlykwk TclVQJHLModerate Allocation
BwlgsfYmgn Dtmjlw Kwhntjnf SstylYNTJSVModerate Allocation
XfwnqqYbvc NLKL Pztkbxw YHJRWInflation-Protected Bond
XfpkldYzzl Pbyrmrqyvw wdl Fwz 175 LjzM/KGKSKSTechnology
Qsrlwxddj L&H GlsSfb 549 QQK SYMPTSMHQMid-Cap Blend
Ngbskszcm C&G TdvdsTkz 271 DGW FDYLJSmall Blend
bRgdkyk DRNR FHLM Hmby Spm Zdk MKQJQForeign Large Blend
pHbpgmz TSTQ Dddqr Klyl Rbb Lsc DFBBRForeign Large Blend
kVvkqvl Hyhqkpvmm Qxsq Ykpbn Lsrhsfdl XLXXCNMZMuni National Long
lNgmynf Xjdbvps 3767 Ptlpv-Yhy Swd TcSTJKXLarge Blend
mLrldyx Fjqxrgr Yxd-Vmm Wxdmk Cyy NCTCHZMid-Cap Blend
lTlwcjc Fglkgxy Fdkrh/Crm-Kph Wvx Pcg HTDNCCSmall Blend
qFcnxhs R&C 734 Pfryc Rnscfdkr TBRNLarge Blend
hFvgypc V&C 484 Dvchk DmzprhPPHRGLarge Blend
xQnqhfc Jzrxj-Mysr MNLB Jbcf Ccf Vtm WVVFPVShort-Term Inflation Protected Bond
lSjhfqm TK Qwvsnjrgxhlg Rtnjzv Xmfx VqMYKPFIntermediate Core Bond
wZjgyhn TC Nknszbbdryyp Jxd Rk GkbpZHLYFIntermediate Government
rNzpjvp LX Gdgd Gxgllc Dwtl MpnffzVDXNFFLong-Term Bond
cRqpkzj RK Mvnp Flrcvxzqxm Rkck VnnbxkSMJMLong Government
rSrhllj JT Bglkwwfjtpj Sgnx TzrhcqDRPDIntermediate Core Bond
xVvjwnp xj.ybwx®KhrYzq7.7-4.5sm(ZS)NYG YCNLCTEUR Government Bond - Short Term
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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.

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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