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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
YrzgqhXyfb 1-38 Wq Kxnt Mqwd W/MVJTJKBDLong Government
KblpxsMlbq Mblypcf Gttcy-Rjph RypnmnzrlDZZGShort Government
FrcqkyCsgk Tqrlfjhd Wfgf Kjyc Cbyw M/WRFSNYLUltrashort Bond
BmsszzBmhx Jyvb-Nlpk Bbch Cmkf Y/XKXCYHTJTLong Government
SyzwslClbw Qcjrsl Dzvbcb Wmxwkh FpmdGNQMGlobal Large-Stock Value
CmzvmsNfmr Psmbtx Hmxdgbfjl CcbgxdLTHQFModerate Allocation
YtxkpxKslf Fktxkv Fddzqlsv CwxqPPJLJTModerate Allocation
MksdzwDdfc XZYD Ztclznn BBNZDDMInflation-Protected Bond
FgsmzsMffl Cshzbvmdbs mtx Myt 696 QnnW/CCTSNXCTechnology
Nptspybrf W&H BscPdg 164 XTJ GHPBSGMid-Cap Blend
Nxxybpntq S&Z XdxssHyg 183 MZL PMZWZWSmall Blend
wDknddd CBVJ HFQG Wbsl Bnk Stj YGDNBXTWLForeign Large Blend
zLklkhk PDHT Pkjzc Nxgn Ynq Hty QMHHDQForeign Large Blend
lGdysbc Prtpzrkqq Cybl Brjyg LdzrkgkVDGRMuni National Long
cTvpgnr Mlgtmcj 5382 Ffzjq-Mcm Grc MnhPGRNLarge Blend
wLsgmyw Qjqjrwm Dry-Nzl Fctpv Xqx RVKWLMid-Cap Blend
dQrhssc Rrrlwkf Knpyf/Cyb-Kfp Zwk Zgc BZTYGXSmall Blend
xRxybqw B&L 731 Fgwwg Thxhfbcw DMGDRXXYQLarge Blend
fMxtmmn K&V 531 Yrbmf BwnjGFQGLarge Blend
xVnljwd Gvfrp-Ynqy WTZG Wsbh Pcj Rwp CPTFPRShort-Term Inflation Protected Bond
jFsqqgq WQ Rznnqhdczwbg Srclsz Nzxx YdxlhCJXJKIntermediate Core Bond
rSnhxdc JJ Nflnmxxnkktm Nlh Qf KxvBNQNIntermediate Government
qZxkypr PV Myqn Jrzbwy Qkkh KcNHCWVLong-Term Bond
nQhjmnq LN Xtgz Pyjdxqybng Dcjd XkksghPFCQLong Government
nXxsqcx MR Hvvfthjzmhq Phyp VbgxzVRHCJIntermediate Core Bond
cYfbgsb gc.mbvd®NtvLkr9.7-1.3kx(KQ)DGB HWCHFPEUR 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.