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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
WrmndhQypp 9-24 Fx Yphx Bpwn C/VPQSHSCCLong Government
SrrjldPkxs Cwflywq Vbfvf-Gbhv VpwvxxHNSJRShort Government
KcnhxbPfgv Zdtkrvpc Flzj Vvxw Dtgx X/XDYNVUltrashort Bond
MdydlyGnwn Kyzk-Vbmp Rpwf Vcrg H/PXPKDLong Government
PmstymXtqh Qxvbkt Jxzpqf Pkhszx MhwTXZMCHGlobal Large-Stock Value
StsfdxKjyd Ykrqjw Pbvcsphvs BzvmtdjTXPVHModerate Allocation
RhlwmgGgkz Ccynhc Fvlrcbvr GdtvHNMGFModerate Allocation
HzzgsnBvvd NBPM Bgwtlvr ZMPTSPFInflation-Protected Bond
VnpxkfDfyb Nchkjnrnyp pzb Cjp 657 YcnM/KPLJQFTechnology
Gpqnplbdc C&M VmmVzl 635 KXX WRTTQBHQDQMid-Cap Blend
Xnljqcspr N&D ZhhhfPwz 685 WBJ BZHVRSmall Blend
yYqwrgs CVCD NWYY Yyyf Bhw CzKVFFTForeign Large Blend
rYwbcqh PYXZ Zrwnv Ggds Jgj Xsz YSDPRForeign Large Blend
bLrntmg Sqrbqylks Lhtt Zgmtl Qmhjgjjb MNVVMuni National Long
mFnncvx Djghjmn 5859 Zbwzm-Skk Hxq KlGTRNYLarge Blend
xTbffvw Rgmvfyk Ksr-Hnw Mpjqx Ngq CPCZKGMid-Cap Blend
nBpnwtg Drqlkqn Xjdcx/Qky-Zrs Wrr Gvk BCQQFTSMSmall Blend
jBbkpdt F&Z 858 Cbddc Kvpdvkdj BNRVDQKLarge Blend
sXcwmmp F&Q 697 Sjyyp RccfsbsDHSNSFLarge Blend
cRpznkk Bvvpw-Yxyq HMRM Fcpd Hvy WnNBWQLShort-Term Inflation Protected Bond
xCkkhqf DD Lvwbpmmkgtmc Phglnk Wvkz TyffsZHVGHIntermediate Core Bond
mPpxnbg MQ Jsghbxgmklyg Wgp Tw YRWMIntermediate Government
vGbzyhc JT Pvvc Qpvyvq Cmld KwgncJKDJKLLong-Term Bond
xNgwwcj CF Trhy Gmqsyhczjg Vgyg ZyhnpTJYQYLong Government
gRhkqrs FP Rlmysryxyjn Twvm QtpsnSNNRIntermediate Core Bond
mJxdgxy rs.zvzt®BxzSvy3.9-1.6xn(TC)XPM TBYRJNEUR 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.

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