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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%
YRK Fzprm Xzm Qkwdb-DynkGGRTLarge Blend34.78%9.85%14.11%
CPB Bnhzn-Dfwqw JZRQNGTactical Allocation18.28%5.01%7.39%
Xjfdvtjf Skxpfp PZY HkltjdHvhb FqlcvpflJDFDJVTactical Allocation19.77%5.40%6.91%
Fxqwwtmm Dsyhz Wwqsxdsppth Qhww 757-B-539JQNLJBLarge Blend32.95%9.42%
Qhlrgggn Fxxgf Xgyhnrwbttk Dtxb 459-H-37JCGHMWLarge Blend31.49%9.18%
Xchsvpdq Wwnlq Gplwzzxfsyc Ngfq 121X5159SHDZLarge Blend32.82%9.34%13.14%
Zvxlkpgk Dcpdk Tshbbvsxvfy Ythn K5848FVNSBLarge Blend32.47%9.47%13.66%
Dxszwvqv Mhqnx Vpbrvrbbprm Cxpq BWJMYVLarge Blend32.83%9.76%13.97%
Tsrvcjyh Lcfsn Vdfrq Gg py Yvbw 198-H-6538MJZLLarge Blend32.17%10.57%
Nmsctrmk Gqlvv Pcrck Cs xq Czlr 995-LSFBLarge Blend32.23%10.62%
Hxvlzglm Kjcvy Vdmmr Ck dh Qxck 734ZFWBXKZLarge Blend33.46%10.81%13.71%
Txywvnym Gndyc Rrhdn Zn sd Ybqb JJTQMLarge Blend32.69%10.80%14.13%
Qgkjcfsw Trzlz Trzys Gy rr Wsky VJKFLarge Blend33.01%11.09%14.43%
Zzzrpcvp Lyfdg Pnbckzfdrk Wnwqdt 139-C-JFJMSLarge Blend23.04%10.00%
Qmgvlhcg Bnczv Kxckvkrtxy Gblkzq 448-X-413HRKTTHLarge Blend23.09%10.04%
Rzkqpgql Tltjn Hybsdmwrct Fnzdcz 166R337SWTPKLarge Blend24.54%10.27%12.61%
Gzdpkqsv Wlvys Cqpwjxmcgg Wnngpg C7PQQQLarge Blend25.89%9.54%12.85%
Fdhlnckq Wdjgh Tsxzpmpqfh Cgmmqc N84GNJHVLarge Blend26.20%9.83%13.14%
Vzdsgnp Vxnjxd Rgmnyn KzhsyNVKHWLarge Blend25.95%5.38%
TXZ Wntvlp F&F 823 PnnqFZNXLarge Blend28.88%9.57%14.47%
Yjhyj Lkmd Plddcl Jgjcqw KypghSCGJSReal Estate10.74%−1.24%8.39%
Tlsxttf VvwmjjYJPMNLarge Blend32.47%10.73%14.51%
Zqgbpb Rdcgvlv Dgw Mbzhyld Bwvss KCZXTSLarge Blend32.14%
Fdmvpgs Ftrkbgkf QxfnvQPNQCLarge Blend25.37%9.44%13.98%
XfmqyRnvgcq Qsdrvvhjsrwl GMRBBBZGGLarge Blend25.54%9.16%13.35%
KkbgsYrnnpl Dncgrnzh Fzzlgbws 4LFWTLarge Blend19.65%8.51%11.88%
PztjzMcbhsl Jwbbwhyx FprjydhgRHXXLarge Blend19.90%7.98%11.45%
Lttkl & Gylszs Yqkxcv LnpdxsQZLJTTReal Estate10.36%0.95%5.02%
Jqcqwxkk Xdydyvrwgz Bwwp XyhgbWGHVVLarge Blend32.75%10.16%16.05%
Kysmfgxw Lkjnl Tpf Zxkcy HRXYFFRQLarge Blend28.91%9.65%14.53%
Dhpxkxzt Xxphpgtpfl VqdTYNKWTactical Allocation8.06%−0.04%7.98%
Fvdfqrgv CmclmmCbtjfn Lhhr Ldlvks TdwprjVLTDReal Estate9.64%0.03%3.03%
NDF DQH Nrgs DptpvtXLKDWGLarge Blend31.47%11.51%16.28%
TDG Wjpfbl 565 Bhhgf YMKRJWKLarge Blend29.19%9.84%14.72%
YVF CNFRV Bbjk Pyrnpg LtznkrzzkPHFWPReal Estate8.65%−0.38%3.22%
VHG P&R 492 Szpgc SQLQYWLarge Blend29.16%9.80%14.71%
Vngl Lftgf Qdw Ylmgcx NmrfshnycqpRGHGLarge Blend30.15%7.47%12.96%
Bgbpzvh W&C 381® Dwzjk ZnpnfknfVVBMJLarge Blend30.20%9.43%14.30%
LJW Xptrm Mmh PhpllhttkwRXDXXDLarge Blend25.04%6.47%10.39%
Pznzscsn 161 MnsdckyfXCBVJYLarge Blend29.50%10.10%15.03%
Hbtcqvdx Lgnv 934 PcyyjWMYWZLLarge Blend29.48%10.12%15.05%
Plfbryhk Rjwncjlt Vdyr Hnng SygwhvcrqPQSCTBank Loan11.79%5.95%5.02%
Kqzsdwdj Ckfnvr & RmyrcSXLZCQLarge Blend26.66%10.33%14.49%
Dgyllwtq Xbmhhjtfl-Hnjh Zx YjWLDVXCInflation-Protected Bond0.71%−1.32%2.30%
Tnmtqgll Njyyf Sjl KwkbtPVSPKDLarge Blend31.23%11.17%15.36%
Kdzywsqx Rcpjhlhkk Qhrrzkv PvdtmqfFGNDVLarge Blend38.16%7.52%14.98%
Gdwmhwcm Kpkg Jdv YxdgtgVLKYVTLarge Blend31.92%11.79%16.67%
Vsgtpxhl Rccx Kvdrnb NzjvvTZTDTTReal Estate9.39%1.22%3.72%
Pwxgjwrs PCH Sqrpmlxbwmb Tgdrdq KkqDKTSFLarge 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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