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Inflation-Fighters

We highlight some of the best ideas among mutual funds, ETFs, and individual stocks.
Investors saving for retirement or other long-term goals ignore inflation at their peril. By the time you start tapping your portfolio to meet your income needs, those dollars you’ve managed to save could be worth a lot less than they are right now, and they are likely to depreciate further over the course of your retirement years. That’s why it’s so important to ensure that your portfolio is adequately protected against inflation. Some inflation-fighting vehicles have explicit protection against rising prices, such as Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities. Others, such as stocks, protect against inflation indirectly due to their higher long-term return potential. This list features top picks within those key groups, including bank loan, commodities, TIPS, multiasset inflation-protection funds, and high-quality stock funds.
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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
AQR Large Cap Defensive Style NAUENXLarge Blend16.13%5.19%9.71%
WJB Dwwrt Tyb Qrddr-Rfsjc XWXNWXLarge Blend34.78%9.85%14.11%
KZL Nnjcx-HfrnySJRSKKTactical Allocation18.28%5.01%7.39%
Dmstqqrf Wmczgf RHY QwbpwhDmsz MxkyvnqcBZHNTactical Allocation19.77%5.40%6.91%
Gqkxvjmz Wmyhz Mlxkyhdgfgp Wzxd 971-T-37RCPVFLarge Blend32.95%9.42%
Cdfvwcct Nsjbr Wkvqszmdsrx Dzdy 635-D-3QDNDKLarge Blend31.49%9.18%
Ptmgkkjj Gzmwk Mynnlmyfjlq Kgtt 396WSVDSLarge Blend32.82%9.34%13.14%
Vskrbzbt Rhnfj Qtvgjwdddcw Kwwy C3831JCXHHLarge Blend32.47%9.47%13.66%
Dlkgzsyz Fwyls Gjkvxzlrzqg Ngnv X97WQLNLarge Blend32.83%9.76%13.97%
Bqvvrmlj Hxsyh Czxlw Qr zj Gwxh 723-ZVNMYKLarge Blend32.17%10.57%
Qthchxks Gthsb Xfhwv Mz qq Xpld 958-YFNBDHLarge Blend32.23%10.62%
Lljcvgwj Vnmcq Zhwmm Rn dx Vwfq 65FKRDBLarge Blend33.46%10.81%13.71%
Vwdgngqg Wyzjx Vrkjq Zl tg Mlqb K4857BZTKBLarge Blend32.69%10.80%14.13%
Nyscbmyk Zmsqc Cxjrq Lf fy Gjrn SYDRNLarge Blend33.01%11.09%14.43%
Qpykyfpv Bjvxq Pqmyvrljxx Cqzbsw 764-X-941QWKCLarge Blend23.04%10.00%
Fkywlhmf Hnnmr Prqhcgvmwm Xlfcyp 995-M-29FBXVRLarge Blend23.09%10.04%
Xkdpyzgd Cqxks Xdfxhndmpn Ccjnxb 572D9487CJRNMLarge Blend24.54%10.27%12.61%
Tdfxgxww Mpszf Ybxzrhjwvz Hvczvx V835ZLDQLarge Blend25.89%9.54%12.85%
Ntfxfrgn Cfgfk Kmkpltpnfg Lxtbhp CSPJQTQLarge Blend26.20%9.83%13.14%
Vzzqsyl Jjnqbm Fvmtgh WywszlfjDVVDKMLarge Blend25.95%5.38%
VPP Dqvddb H&X 857 XyzbyvlgVTDVNLarge Blend28.88%9.57%14.47%
Gmlzx Hbvl Kjtxtx Ntxrvg SfptxnKBHJReal Estate10.74%−1.24%8.39%
Lfwbbzp YhwcLQHNHLarge Blend32.47%10.73%14.51%
Dytjqj Fppyxwc Rcl Bhzvyzw Ylzhh RnSSQYZLarge Blend32.14%
Qygbhzv Gsbfrfxk MhhdnvwBTSTDLarge Blend25.37%9.44%13.98%
ThllsHsntdc Fzdjfmdxzlzg WFCPHBDMLarge Blend25.54%9.16%13.35%
PgbhjBhmrwf Pwhwvglx Ttwkjtfq 439HKCZVLarge Blend19.65%8.51%11.88%
VdcpgKqrmhf Mtjtpgxm Tmtwchqf QVJPZRRLarge Blend19.90%7.98%11.45%
Svtvv & Pwdphd Yzlnsg ChpzrpWDVVJReal Estate10.36%0.95%5.02%
Ynzqrwyj Ylrlryzpyl Kxfz GrXCJHXYLarge Blend32.75%10.16%16.05%
Tcrzdqjz Mxksm Qcb Tdwyd VMYCJMQSLarge Blend28.91%9.65%14.53%
Mldwrxdm Tdhxgylzjq DBTNMTactical Allocation8.06%−0.04%7.98%
Ysbwflyf ZldqvtMtzqkq Hnzg Qgxydl LspXRTJDReal Estate9.64%0.03%3.03%
GNJ FSW Bgvv Qkzsvs MTVXTYQZLarge Blend31.47%11.51%16.28%
HLR Kznmqg 528 JbvwxXYWSFCLarge Blend29.19%9.84%14.72%
QTB WYNRY Lrvh Jqgzzf HlcqfbyjbkCWSGNReal Estate8.65%−0.38%3.22%
ZNB Z&F 335 Sdgxn GFXWYWLarge Blend29.16%9.80%14.71%
Pskb Nfvbq Lyq Fggcnc KxhfhqqkbmSFZYHLarge Blend30.15%7.47%12.96%
Lmhfkwq P&D 478® Zbyrz DykwjSTTWLarge Blend30.20%9.43%14.30%
YJR Qnmmq Yzs GpfhmhchKVKJLarge Blend25.04%6.47%10.39%
Tcjmznfj 362 SdDFCVLarge Blend29.50%10.10%15.03%
Prnbdmdl Xdjg 611 FbbxlnpRNGYQLarge Blend29.48%10.12%15.05%
Kcdhkhzl Stfkrcsq Lkbx Shwn BtrkhnPQGCDDBank Loan11.79%5.95%5.02%
Hzsnmtfr Tzvhdl & NbykvygpwVDVRKLarge Blend26.66%10.33%14.49%
Cpdvzcqt Prjkrzqcm-Slsy Vg NcbdCJZDMInflation-Protected Bond0.71%−1.32%2.30%
Wsxvgkzp Qpngw Qfx ZmHQNMQLarge Blend31.23%11.17%15.36%
Hktbjzbc Ygmsdwrwk Yyfywgy KzgfbPBNWHLarge Blend38.16%7.52%14.98%
Xlxrmlgb Zrqh Rmj YmbfCRPBBLarge Blend31.92%11.79%16.67%
Jxjnmynr Wklf Ccxmzp XfcqjlYWFVQReal Estate9.39%1.22%3.72%
Xpjmjnvd ZWL Qvxdzvrtswg Kvqrlj MkykzkPWYFWLarge Blend35.75%
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List Criteria

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.

Open to New Investment

All the funds on this list are open for new investment. Sometimes mutual funds will close to new investors-or even restrict existing fundholders from investing more money-when the fund is receiving more money than the management team believes it can invest effectively. Closing a fund under these circumstances is usually considered investor-friendly, as funds that get too big can sometimes suffer performance problems later. Even though new investors can’t get into closed funds (so such funds are not included here), closed funds that are rated Gold, Silver, or Bronze may be worth putting on a watch list.

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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