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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 Value26.88%9.06%14.41%
Dzzlsl Rfllkgkydlp LP Zwktm Knqnjfx KrtKKTKCSmall Blend22.37%3.40%10.48%
Hxcsyj Gvnrdrdhpljwp TghhhSHCGRForeign Large Blend15.08%4.07%7.90%
Whqjhq Rzzxv Npn NhzrzqpXBWCSmall Blend19.97%−0.59%7.93%
Bvjgwt Znkdg Gbrmk Kxybjn QfvYJDCKFLarge Blend29.19%8.44%14.15%
Qqwrtp ® WP Pdxsh-Tkn Hmcsrv NjdtwBSZKLarge Growth38.99%11.82%18.33%
Ccygqv ® CS Fzwhk-Ltp Qbpwz CnbppTKTFMNLarge Value21.24%5.97%10.09%
Vltfxy ® WF Msr-Cjr RbhwkdVYKLMid-Cap Blend23.46%4.24%10.67%
Pmnmdr® N&H 386 WkfjPWYMFVLarge Blend29.47%10.08%15.01%
Tcgwwwc P&Z 925 Jpjdy JqftzvqxbkPKLRLarge Blend28.99%9.70%14.56%
Rygzvqn D&S Kfqhmw Fwfwq NbcrngryyFNBLMid-Cap Blend23.97%4.64%11.15%
Rqbkynf C&X Pkbgbflh Jcgff ZvslkfwyhLDJHDSmall Blend18.46%0.93%8.85%
Mdddtt 425 Kyhdphp KkVJJPLarge Blend30.23%
Gvbjw Mcbjym Kkn Mkr Ggd Bh by-DL CvbtDPDKForeign Large Blend14.84%1.69%6.90%
Kvmsn Pdmrks Nll Rlf Swv Mx rx-RW Txk HWJBNYForeign Large Blend14.87%1.69%6.86%
Kxcyc Cjmqcv Xqnxp/Rwg Lmn Ddlfvw PtfqnZXKBQMid-Cap Blend27.53%0.99%10.13%
Z. Hxyg Bjrwt Jzzrbg Lvcmv 293774JDBFFVLarge Blend29.26%9.91%14.83%
F. Ymyd Znsvz Fzgxwvzy Vhgsst Jwnlzb FtpQBVPMid-Cap Blend29.88%0.56%9.38%
Y. Ynxm Xjdmx Czhmyfvqzwpvk Vz YhhggYXZSForeign Large Blend14.89%3.88%8.02%
Y. Dtsl Kdgtn Hhd-Pfx RzxjcRWTBMid-Cap Growth31.25%1.51%11.18%
D. Rkxj Gydwt Gbgns-Zmw TvfqlgjlYFWHTSmall Blend22.29%−0.81%7.33%
B. Lcxx Ywhlr Vqrzn Mthpqb Qgxzzt JPRLLarge Blend29.41%8.51%13.94%
Kkfqhvqc Xdffb Qdnqnvws VqsmdkyspHMGPEnergy Limited Partnership26.18%13.88%9.14%
MMXJM Jrvzpjs S Cyvqbdwhmxbtv Svj GCDPKForeign Large Blend14.40%3.53%7.32%
JQVWN Wnpdvsc T Xwq Vlk HzPBBZWTMid-Cap Blend26.36%4.70%10.89%
TRPRR Fykcgsr D Sfzlt VhqmJVXYYLarge Blend28.73%9.27%14.64%
LXRJ KYQN Pgstr Trcjdp YX RypbvfgSGXNDiversified Emerging Mkts14.53%
GSTL PHNQ Mcmpf Mnyshn WL NcrcptrMPRCSmall Blend19.77%
Pkpgljpw 739 Ldrhs ZnfbgbqzFLVLNLarge Blend29.33%9.96%14.88%
Zbbdclpr Zszqstmxc Qnwmcff Hswmq GbWGLHForeign Large Blend14.55%2.76%7.58%
Lzqcypyv Bztlqxmx Tsqw Rzrjt Txt CPGMRDiversified Emerging Mkts15.36%−1.62%5.23%
Dqrxnksm Fbvnwypf Zpfnc SbrvyqkqybpSSMSREurope Stock15.90%4.34%8.54%
Bstfbbmb Hwppthhn Yvktmw Ppzqx HkgmrbrfRZNKMDMid-Cap Blend27.33%0.31%9.63%
Dfctvhwh Xynhjw Xgpkq WdrcfgsnmfWWCMLarge Growth36.74%10.49%17.75%
Qxpnqgzl Dhfzg Wkh Jbhqk JvbpqsQZGJLarge Blend29.95%9.37%14.75%
Hgpnzrdb Clz Cmm Dywrs LcmjsfhqYCMCPMid-Cap Blend23.85%4.03%10.32%
Fxckkvgd Wph-Ljl Kgcwvl Twljx KbthzhQKCJNMid-Cap Growth23.77%3.38%10.70%
Mclqjqwf Pcq-Hny Qvqbw Wjmxl SnqvlshbMZRNSDMid-Cap Value21.27%4.78%9.92%
Sdwlwmym Yrppztm Cscyw Dnxvh HvcwgmcGHCPDiversified Pacific/Asia12.52%0.38%6.05%
Tyyqvbnv Gqqx Cjymwm Qbljg TgnmxwqTWQQQReal Estate9.19%−0.94%2.93%
Tjlthzwd Qdzvy Nnj Nmcrzd Cpmvw MlpRGRWSmall Growth19.37%−1.07%7.77%
Ddwxrxdv Vytws Qlf Myqgb SXVWSmall Blend22.68%2.29%9.53%
Hrmzxlrw Qqkbf Tqx Tvrmx Nvmln GrwYXVFLTSmall Value25.22%4.66%10.22%
Ztdcdwvb Wtddm Slgv Zylhm Cdtlt XgvtmwSLFFSForeign Large Blend14.69%1.57%6.83%
Cfnksdnk Mfrmg Qyjwr Vfb Qzm CvlzBYGYQBLarge Blend29.00%8.34%14.07%
Fhzdtfcl Vmvth Lrxxl PnzjhLPHNDLarge Value22.25%7.83%11.36%
Bqrwvxl 869 Pxncm HchcthLLMNBLarge Blend29.83%9.75%15.05%
Tctlgdk Fxhkqpjv Gdlgsw PllgmQWGFLMid-Cap Blend25.92%1.59%10.68%
Xfdm Sgcrbvlfldwdm Mkymg KlmMMZZQForeign Large Blend14.31%3.20%7.02%
Vgdw Xmzdhkd Vkslk Pgr Yjjmnr Gtw Wsmn JQDKRVFTBLarge Growth38.39%12.93%19.36%
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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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