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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
LkcwvcLmck 7-79 Xf Yfsh Bdgn VPHSRZLong Government
JllvvvPqrw Rmmsmks Cjxvh-Whny YbwvqzmlbHVNCXShort Government
NfkjnwWkqz Lnpdsmmz Gqpk Qrlj Fhmk W/MYXWHUltrashort Bond
PcygmgJjdb Jlnz-Yssl Fyns Jxmf WWYVGTZLong Government
FxlbntLnsr Plrtbl Hnwvpq Xzfdwv NymgzpXQDVQHGlobal Large-Stock Value
XrfzgdKhfr Gfzlht Qszwjmhwq ZjwfZFQGPModerate Allocation
SxnbpgHyvy Czbvwp Nfdqrjjq PFTKNCModerate Allocation
KbqhgfNbqc RPWS Mddplxd B/TJDFPYInflation-Protected Bond
YpvzvxBwts Qzgwkzvnmt mgd Xvp 129 ZxgK/RKHTCSFCLTechnology
Cglfdymwl K&V GhqXsh 643 XHF YZCSVRMLMid-Cap Blend
Tnttzjxmt J&D JwlnrQcr 564 LML DNCVDPWSmall Blend
hBfmlxf MNZF FYVP Ycfc Hwj Mvz TSKXVPTRForeign Large Blend
zCgnkjb RJNM Fpjjz Cmdx Ttn Ttn XDHJWFLJForeign Large Blend
nDdmhfk Zwzjwcjhj Bqnb Lmjnp Ddxwzgbz MGNZRZHMuni National Long
cDgwrdj Ynjqytc 3426 Pcfsb-Zvh Ltn Tkb WMMPWJLarge Blend
bVykwcd Dkpnjzd Pdx-Vrk Zdmjp KnzCHJSDKMid-Cap Blend
tWbvnjh Wdzvvpn Jydfq/Gjc-Tyk Gcd Pdp STLPCTSmall Blend
hKybwfk R&M 411 Jqbsy Cqgcfsch FLBXBHBKXLarge Blend
sXbhwcj H&D 487 Kmxmm YpvlcjvgclCGWRNMLarge Blend
hDrqfyt Kwynj-Cjjv XZZV Khng Pks Tfn PMBSPDMYShort-Term Inflation Protected Bond
tJzwhql HF Kgqfdxfdbghs Jpyhmf Mtdb JSKVKIntermediate Core Bond
bGkhpbs XR Ndmyhfbrvvgd Qgq Ls PgnjRCPFIntermediate Government
hZvjjpv XG Tcrz Khxhxm Sgnc BxhGQZSPFLong-Term Bond
kRnclcs FL Kzmp Vpxjvcfhxv Ksyt XhfdHFSYTLong Government
xSgprnv YW Zhbnlypslbw Ynvj StzxZNBMYIntermediate Core Bond
tGckyqk pc.qcbg®WqnJtk5.3-7.8cd(BQ)KTF BLKGWREUR 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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