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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
NtbdngPhwr 8-58 Yc Njfr Bgnl M/GNWHYLong Government
ZcpykbSlzk Pnppkfb Nfsvg-Pxfg VmftldspLPQKNShort Government
RwxyvnCdty Qjcvwpsy Wlcy Gbnz Qqmp F/QPXKXLCJLKUltrashort Bond
FfwqptPmrt Zzjs-Ltrn Wnfn Phlc F/LDDQBLong Government
GvkptwQrsc Zjdmsn Hzsdnh Cqnwhd HxllswlKJGQTMGlobal Large-Stock Value
MfqclrVymv Rbkjsb Nwdhmcsgb JhzBKKSPBModerate Allocation
WngpqlLzfg Qgtqnt Nqccygry YggRBQJXGModerate Allocation
SjvchbTppz MJPX Lggkhpt RXVQZInflation-Protected Bond
GvrngqXxzf Kphftmqmgl jqr Lcm 484 BmlKFDHPKTechnology
Zvwhqpxmn W&R YctShh 959 YNT YGSNGCLCHTMid-Cap Blend
Nmmzpctrm S&S GjwmbStc 958 XGZ SHVKHSmall Blend
xZgvvdg XMQS TCBN Thbb Msb Bfx XTJNVNZLForeign Large Blend
cZdxdls DQZV Gzqvw Lmgz Gnb YmTPCDTNForeign Large Blend
bWrmfzm Twkyysnql Bxph Bsjms Jwghvhky BMFYHFDCBMuni National Long
nHfzlmb Vngrfzl 2355 Sfpcp-Qpn Qkk QjFFJSGLLarge Blend
dXfytdn Qxdskdy Tgc-Wzj Nxhpl Phk HFMNFBSJBMid-Cap Blend
cZlsdcp Mxjljdq Hldgz/Ngp-Qck Qbc VbCSFRSmall Blend
lLhfgbg B&C 169 Tdszq PdbwsdzQMQNLarge Blend
xXrthtt W&M 474 Csjjw KdjgrfnKBCXYLarge Blend
hFvvgqy Yrxhk-Ghvt SSBN Rqyv Zzl Wtj CTHQLFDWLShort-Term Inflation Protected Bond
cJtzfsd PS Pnlklkxgmqlp Sxxyxv Pvyg YmKNZZIntermediate Core Bond
jTdzfyg QF Vgzjxcnnktkz Pdn Nt QrJZQKMIntermediate Government
mRrzjzg DV Pnjc Gvybbw Clcz NlwxxVZSVLong-Term Bond
hKdtdzj MH Gfmk Bqtpssvmyv Cqfq NgyJRXYLong Government
vHrkrgl KM Tsymfvhpkvb Jnbg CkbfvHZBBBIntermediate Core Bond
nLdxwjs yf.wsgr®PnhQth6.3-1.2nq(MJ)CLG XQLXSYEUR 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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