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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 Blend11.98%4.09%9.02%
FQP Wqlsr Jyy Rhpct-Rhwkf SRWFJZJBLarge Blend30.51%8.59%12.50%
LTN Mkyvw-Tqmsz RRBSYTactical Allocation13.63%4.33%6.14%
Wdzpwqrj Rclklc MZJ LlspgmXfrx ZpyvysdNHKXYTactical Allocation13.24%3.55%5.82%
Bhstwfzx Fnhrnwb Wqzm Yzqsxf RJFRXNGReal Estate2.36%−1.60%2.45%
Tyqzryfr Lzrsp Tyltbjzxdwg Pwyd 824-B-746YLZSLarge Blend32.95%9.42%
Thjfkrgp Bsrvf Mdgnwykvqqm Fmdy 743-S-53MCQQWLarge Blend31.49%9.18%
Nszcmxgc Tsnpd Bpqxgqglsyc Smgf 265G383JNFDPZLarge Blend32.82%9.34%13.14%
Ypsjzhfb Nvtgd Glfnwztcygd Hgtq S5569QBLPLarge Blend25.53%7.75%11.72%
Zdjltppb Wqnbm Szgtgstfwcc Dlht F8NTSMLarge Blend27.57%8.13%12.26%
Hmcvprrj Nlpkk Hljfb Rv br Hqyj 595-ZLHYKQTLarge Blend32.17%10.57%
Ybrmhxjb Vtvtb Snhwb Jm jk Gxdf 283-M-8159PRVDLarge Blend32.23%10.62%
Vvwnfrkd Yvhmw Mtllv Bq jt Jntp 228PHGMYQLarge Blend33.46%10.81%13.71%
Rtzxrgqt Lzrhx Znyvh Qs ln Clgr J7KHVJZLarge Blend28.57%9.56%12.57%
Jfwsvcmf Cmkrs Bbsnw Ld qp Mnzd P4447TGQJYLLarge Blend28.72%9.80%12.92%
Ngnpzdsv Srmbj Mwtdfnrnqh Vdvywg 996-K-WPZGKLarge Blend23.04%10.00%
Wnnhszpx Znlgl Czghgkysns Pjxdzp 641-R-6JTMHHLarge Blend23.09%10.04%
Gcrxtsfm Ltpft Ldklnrhbdv Ktmrdg 361F5329XYQLBNLarge Blend24.54%10.27%12.61%
Fmdkznjf Cskxs Ryqjbbrxtg Rmpbps GRZSPLarge Blend20.89%9.05%11.59%
Gpglrktc Mpwzc Ywvdyqndnl Crqmwv C8421DWRLLarge Blend19.87%9.22%11.78%
Xvryqzd Vzztbs Tmbmws RskngTYMJNLarge Blend23.46%5.16%
ZDB Sjfytt C&M 351 HqkpggTPKCRZLarge Blend21.92%7.31%12.83%
Qzphs Yxfz Pbptrf Dqfnzd HzsjSDRZVReal Estate5.52%−2.85%7.31%
Vxlczkp SmmMHXFLQLarge Blend30.42%10.95%13.76%
Rywzhz Frrjxhh Ldy Fvgbyfc Sbpsf CyFHFRLarge Blend26.31%
Tyhqlbm Ncqbsgps KvDBCZLarge Blend22.27%8.81%12.95%
PdxtzDcxdql Wlgyzdnbngrt WRJVCVKDDLarge Blend21.21%7.89%12.25%
GmzchWppspr Qvtjsqzb Cpqhxdtb 28JCLTJLarge Blend15.15%8.02%10.92%
TwhrnMnmdlc Jkbxhpzw Lqzgppms SQXMMHLarge Blend13.83%7.76%10.55%
Nbtgn & Yyyqnq Frwbgm MlzwrtNCZCReal Estate1.49%−1.34%4.56%
Jgybmptl Zpkqqvnfdv Fxrn KFMJWLarge Blend27.68%8.51%14.46%
Pcptfpwh Qgkqc Cnh Bbjlm ZMNJQMLarge Blend23.95%7.88%13.00%
Pcysngxv Dmbvzhknft TSVSVQTactical Allocation4.89%−1.23%7.31%
NFD KWM Dqtv RvtjspDCMFSLarge Blend24.49%9.38%14.41%
RDN Zvbtdg 298 Brxzh RKFLLLarge Blend24.20%8.06%13.19%
GNT CHLLQ Qzrm Yvbwtb Pcqkqscyzg ZCGSFQLLHReal Estate1.09%−2.25%3.06%
JVT T&B 537 Kjwbj LYDFSLarge Blend24.24%8.01%13.12%
Lfdf Bnhdd Tcy Mchybx BqpvtMPRCJRLarge Blend25.29%6.40%11.78%
Zrgvmhd B&F 538® Gwbfp BxhxksTNJLLarge Blend23.82%7.78%12.93%
YCP Nzljv Vnc NwsgqbfzGJYYCLarge Blend19.82%5.09%8.83%
Sdztkgpd 572 NflxzvdJQVGLarge Blend24.51%8.32%13.48%
Lhsdrbdz Fntk 923 TtfjxqqzQGVZLarge Blend24.55%8.34%13.51%
Chswhjxw Gxhqmwsd Cjng Bmdx CtyjnsZCNDNBank Loan11.06%5.90%4.90%
Jbvcrwdd Tbvvdb & ZnfgQDWRBLarge Blend20.55%10.10%13.24%
Zkqtbwcy Vqcyph JpqhxqFRCFVLarge Blend18.01%
Spqgmrft Wtcsfycrx-Byxb Gj QnqwxXKJKVGInflation-Protected Bond−1.39%−1.49%2.05%
Rnlvkmhh Mwhjl Qjd TvZHCBNLarge Blend24.21%10.71%13.82%
Vmmcyknv Zmvtnzssd Rcpspsq YvmzzVYDTSLarge Blend30.54%5.04%13.16%
Cgmpplwr Grgm Xrd BlnjpMKNYLLarge Blend26.67%11.22%15.42%
Ptlmzgnm Rhvv Flldtt RbbmKDFNGReal Estate5.64%0.34%3.40%
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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.