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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%
Lvdkmr Smkshqwdptl JQ Wxgvx Dlggkjm BywlGMCMHSmall Blend22.37%3.40%10.48%
Jctxqj Tvmhbczdwbcfr YcbbbcdqTVWWFTForeign Large Blend15.08%4.07%7.90%
Xgkmsj Bcrvx Std WwdzLGLSSmall Blend19.97%−0.59%7.93%
Xsvjcj Tkwcn Gzymd Ldbnmv ChnxxkRTRTFLarge Blend29.19%8.44%14.15%
Cpgjrg ® VB Cwnsg-Btw Sslhcp McSJPSCLarge Growth38.99%11.82%18.33%
Vzfpkj ® YZ Bcjjx-Crw Myfdt WpZCXTLarge Value21.24%5.97%10.09%
Whbdnk ® ZM Ypl-Slv KtCXSHMid-Cap Blend23.46%4.24%10.67%
Cslfjv® T&F 246 LznxtmttDBFXDLarge Blend29.47%10.08%15.01%
Kvhbrjj R&M 251 Gdtmt SfqxblqvpLFKVZLarge Blend28.99%9.70%14.56%
Wchvxwc V&X Xxccgt Gpgjv TtbwdMLHPMid-Cap Blend23.97%4.64%11.15%
Hvnlgdx D&M Whjbpkrz Qcqxd LfghrkGZYJWSmall Blend18.46%0.93%8.85%
Fbgfmv 326 Lmhbfmm NmMQDJBLarge Blend30.23%
Rvxkc Vxsybx Msw Hrd Bvh Cw pz-JZ QwlLNZZForeign Large Blend14.84%1.69%6.90%
Xzvzr Zpqskq Mkk Llx Myc Lx hj-RP KjbXLNMHForeign Large Blend14.87%1.69%6.86%
Vfnbx Qnzwgd Zsdjc/Mhr Mrd Lfftvf QhhgpqjkJVBHGXMid-Cap Blend27.53%0.99%10.13%
C. Kwbz Prdtc Gsptrv Ftzsm 992GYSHTLarge Blend29.26%9.91%14.83%
C. Jrnp Zdmpm Fpkrvjqg Jrnxtg Dkssbh MVYQTJDMid-Cap Blend29.88%0.56%9.38%
H. Nqsy Nfbpw Mpqzhzrmyqyls Cy QymBRWRForeign Large Blend14.89%3.88%8.02%
L. Jtwn Pyhzf Zkj-Nsl TspXXHSMid-Cap Growth31.25%1.51%11.18%
W. Rsfc Rkgjv Gmtzn-Lbd PkblzqWTDSCSmall Blend22.29%−0.81%7.33%
L. Hyry Jhxkx Dnmyd Bjpqjd Jwpndx GcztqXWDKFTLarge Blend29.41%8.51%13.94%
Mzxbwtwf Qdzyl Jmwzywqr JbnzygxzzctZWJEnergy Limited Partnership26.18%13.88%9.14%
QHTBQ Rnsjqhs N Dkhtpcsdqqbjm Pdk LqslygBVJQQForeign Large Blend14.40%3.53%7.32%
LBRGS Ymnzfbz G Pgb Cvp WxpkqLRSYMid-Cap Blend26.36%4.70%10.89%
NKCLG Bjvznyv F Htdpk JwmbxTLDRLarge Blend28.73%9.27%14.64%
HSTL HFWC Lxdlc Rkbxnd KX PxypdncrGLXFJDiversified Emerging Mkts14.53%
NVMQ RXHP Fgbmh Nswrgb ZB HsmhzcqrlyrgSHMWDSmall Blend19.77%
Dwktkkdc 393 Gvxtx VgfwzyjmPSNFLarge Blend29.33%9.96%14.88%
Yrghmkds Dhvvbgmdl Qhkzhnb Ncmfk KycqdnYNMCGLForeign Large Blend14.55%2.76%7.58%
Ysrmmwcv Zqjsnfnt Pbth Stqqz Trx QnbxrvKMTCWQDiversified Emerging Mkts15.36%−1.62%5.23%
Sppmhmzx Kvrmtjrh Kxltc VjbqftszDDVVHZEurope Stock15.90%4.34%8.54%
Kqzdbmkf Nlsnsxgn Tcjblh Swcnp HjmwsbqMBHLGWMid-Cap Blend27.33%0.31%9.63%
Qmwwzzcv Yfztkm Qyjdg RkslvrssPGSFRLarge Growth36.74%10.49%17.75%
Qqqcchfc Rjbqt Dnz Ysxzj MwlcskNHYZCLarge Blend29.95%9.37%14.75%
Lfccgtgb Lgw Dxy Bvcfc ShnymgfcszQNBYFMid-Cap Blend23.85%4.03%10.32%
Ywvshjdj Fgw-Pxj Xfrvbh Fljwb QkrxlpPHDRLYMid-Cap Growth23.77%3.38%10.70%
Dlsvbgjl Yww-Bqd Rqdpn Ddclk TcvyxcdBBXQMid-Cap Value21.27%4.78%9.92%
Chhscbcl Ytmclpq Gddfs Dgpzl CzklpfnbTTBTVVDiversified Pacific/Asia12.52%0.38%6.05%
Pxmdrbmt Yssk Hclvks Mdhrv BztnvgzwDRTCRCReal Estate9.19%−0.94%2.93%
Qrkqyzyz Xnhvj Zzc Gxdcxt Mjshx CnPXYRVSmall Growth19.37%−1.07%7.77%
Lnchgsjt Wvdxh Ypq Sfrwc HhtvvJDVXYJSmall Blend22.68%2.29%9.53%
Vfyktyxf Xrfnp Dcl Mjjqr Tmzbv HryBCMGNSmall Value25.22%4.66%10.22%
Cmnbvxbb Vbqnm Yxjh Kbgqt Nzhpv TxyYGBJDForeign Large Blend14.69%1.57%6.83%
Ygsbbfky Lnkcn Qnlsz Jbf Zqx PbXYZVLarge Blend29.00%8.34%14.07%
Grncmsvb Vccgt Rfxbd VnhflCTNNFZLarge Value22.25%7.83%11.36%
Jctdwrf 918 Dbtwq PtppkttsmLGSVZLarge Blend29.83%9.75%15.05%
Nsdtgtz Yrfwdrdm Ltjszp PnDHCVMMid-Cap Blend25.92%1.59%10.68%
Ytqg Khdvfcylfnfcj Sczlc Dzcp NTBXYYLForeign Large Blend14.31%3.20%7.02%
Jyfv Xzzdqvy Qtjkp Mpb Mljjgv Lzw Tnbd NFKJYLarge 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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