Fund Spy

What types of funds fared better or worse?

Core bond funds have been steady, but cracks in corporate credit markets are taking a toll.

A look at how the industry's largest active equity mutual funds have fared in the coronavirus bear market.

Stylistic headwinds as well as stock selection have hurt Harding Loevner International Equity and Oakmark International.

We examine the effects of the bear market.

Only a small number of managers have earned our highest rating.

Their sensitivity to equity markets tells much of the story.

It's fine to feel a little freaked out. But avoid changing up your retirement plan investments in haste, without forethought.

The Gold-rated fund continues to prove its worth during volatile markets.

A disciplined process and attractive fees make Baird Aggregate Bond a top choice.

What is the adjusted expense ratio, and why should you care?

Is Vanguard Managed Payout's makeover the end of an era?

Gold-rated Vanguard Health Care benefits from an experienced manager.

Let's make a fund deal.

Here are some interesting strategies from the latest Morningstar Prospects report.

Because our new ratings framework places an even greater emphasis on fees, Vanguard Real Estate Index now earns a Gold rating.

A volatile end to 2018 resulted in an overly conservative positioning going into 2019.

Value funds plus big upgrades are worth a look.

Jensen Quality Growth's managers have demonstrated stock-picking acumen over a long period of time.

The average dollar invested in mutual funds has outgained the average fund. Why? Cheaper U.S. stock funds have crushed.

Vanguard Total World Stock Index offers investors the entire global market in one low-cost package.

These funds may be under your radar.

A simple contrarian investing strategy to consider.

The Fidelity Freedom Funds feature a strong team, a thoughtful approach, and an attractive collection of underlying strategies.

We recently updated our Parent rating, a crucial element in evaluating how well a fund will serve investors in the long run.

Investors' appetite for municipal bonds soared last year, helping push already low muni yields even lower.

The Silver-rated fund applies a disciplined, relative value approach that emphasizes bottom-up stock-picking.

Keep your portfolio's risks in check with this one simple trick.

Active funds tasted success a bit more often in 2019. But most still lagged the indexes.

Pimco Real Return provides worthwhile inflation-protected bond exposure, which can help preserve purchasing power in retirement.

Closing out the decade with a bang.

Vanguard Windsor II's recent manager changes could lead to a shift in investment style.

International equity markets rebounded off 2018’s lows to deliver robust returns.

A very good year for the market.

Vanguard Total International Stock Index earns our top rating of Gold.

Some things stay the same only by changing.

Only 34 funds passed all my tests.

Seasoned leadership and a solid process make newly rated PGIM Jennison Global Opportunities stand out.

The firm is well-provisioned to handle the change.

The problems of pricing private placements in open-end funds.

Newly rated Davis International has low fees and a talented stock-picker at the helm.

Investors are supposed to chase performance, right? They're not.

These 8 events were attention-getters.

Among the largest in the intermediate government category, Vanguard GNMA will soon lose its longtime manager.

Why five strategies new to coverage in 2019 earned Morningstar Medalist ratings.

The Morningstar Factor Profile complements the Morningstar Style Box, incorporating additional factors that further explain funds’ exposures to well-documented sources of long-term returns.

With the advent of our new ratings methodology, November saw far expanded numbers of upgrades and downgrades compared with previous months.

Layers of explicit and implicit costs make HSA expenses tough to evaluate.

How four large-value Morningstar Medalists have fared in the growth-led market.

See the range of ratings generated by different fee levels for each mutual fund.