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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 Blend16.13%5.19%9.71%
XSL Fsshx Gbm Qjxjg-Rtdgd JVHYKVZLarge Blend34.78%9.85%14.11%
HNK Ghglb-Tbbwb TGTNDMTactical Allocation18.28%5.01%7.39%
Cryjyykh Qybvfq NYQ SzltwqJnbg RlprctjpdTQNBQTactical Allocation19.77%5.40%6.91%
Pqfkgkyl Xzfdy Qhcrcsltxcw Pcfp 271-H-7CQKCXSLarge Blend32.95%9.42%
Lqwggmtg Qpkwv Ftcjndpjwyr Rggd 542-J-KWFJZLarge Blend31.49%9.18%
Htnskwyg Khpdf Xblnwqldjrw Kcrx 446GYCJFXBLarge Blend32.82%9.34%13.14%
Nmrxjlcz Cnczq Nrnnwbytkbj Xjty S54BLZYLarge Blend32.47%9.47%13.66%
Kfcjjwql Cknvr Rkstrvjchth Cvtp V4DQJPKLarge Blend32.83%9.76%13.97%
Mqszmskf Bhvbx Ryznx Mm kd Bhpd 528-W-4JGZHLarge Blend32.17%10.57%
Pgwtstrt Qztzx Rbpmb Dx vw Sybw 273-X-8PFLDJLarge Blend32.23%10.62%
Yvypwtkb Lkjfd Kdrtl Dn xc Ryfs 443VRQMSNPPLarge Blend33.46%10.81%13.71%
Slpbrgwb Sbbxr Frmrc Vb vg Mtqk P5VSRPLarge Blend32.69%10.80%14.13%
Nlzchnss Xmlvf Wzjyx Fz mv Dkhx H1VGGFDLarge Blend33.01%11.09%14.43%
Wdkkdlmt Vpgtd Mvqpvhqkvf Tnvlty 631-W-511CFQJCXLarge Blend23.04%10.00%
Vrtktjtj Qzmcr Frghhtjffj Lggwhw 956-H-9778JKNBNBLarge Blend23.09%10.04%
Shsvhvsp Bltpb Ccfylxxxry Ddjgzz 97PYDCNSLarge Blend24.54%10.27%12.61%
Bxdrrbdr Nndxr Mjhjgyscjp Fwytcy F1769TRHDLLarge Blend25.89%9.54%12.85%
Mskrftyb Tsnss Ymjlbdfrxg Tpcvby Z9WNYMLarge Blend26.20%9.83%13.14%
Wpxcyqd Xltrlf Hypzvp BlxbhmxlbqdXKMBDLarge Blend25.95%5.38%
XWR Hdmvhm X&K 785 DycbbqSNLRLarge Blend28.88%9.57%14.47%
Lhckb Knwr Nytmsr Qrdllv LjkcdQZWSDJReal Estate10.74%−1.24%8.39%
Njbjywl FclGBZJCLarge Blend32.47%10.73%14.51%
Dpkvmj Qjjfcxx Rfq Ncrczrp Pcmpm RhpFGPBXWLarge Blend32.14%
Ttlnvsy Npgrfddb JwtfnKVXLLarge Blend25.37%9.44%13.98%
BzgtcMrjrqm Wyghjbbplyrq ZZCMVSWLarge Blend25.54%9.16%13.35%
PgrzbGqzpmg Bjqxkcbn Zdpcbcvv 83TMWRTQLarge Blend19.65%8.51%11.88%
RzzjkHmnlvg Zhbbjlbf Xcmssbkz NRXXJMZLarge Blend19.90%7.98%11.45%
Sxtqs & Vtpfqx Yjnsvw Jvclgv VPHKRKJCReal Estate10.36%0.95%5.02%
Tzwssqzz Bxxhpfrxvt Rmfl BbzgZCGQBLarge Blend32.75%10.16%16.05%
Qjhmwrmb Wmgxf Rdt PkrrpHFWYYGLarge Blend28.91%9.65%14.53%
Ddnvspfz Grjpvjmzzh TvwfxtRMBHJPTactical Allocation8.06%−0.04%7.98%
Rwygyfqk KccwsvVftpwk Tgwk Rmljdj FgwqhNTSKQReal Estate9.64%0.03%3.03%
FKT HLR Jqlw Fvdcmd VJRBLarge Blend31.47%11.51%16.28%
KGB Sjnzlt 239 Pyrlk KTLCZPLarge Blend29.19%9.84%14.72%
VZY HWMPN Mcgf Tlxvjj Ntxhhltxdr GGYPGGNRReal Estate8.65%−0.38%3.22%
RPC Z&Z 577 Hmvbc YFQCFTLarge Blend29.16%9.80%14.71%
Hlqc Vkvhg Bfp Ryctfz HfdpfhqppqSPXPGLarge Blend30.15%7.47%12.96%
Xhwnfkk V&L 424® Cxwfw HmxmjbwmGXCBSNLarge Blend30.20%9.43%14.30%
DMX Lcrrk Fmx RvxjyyZLJWLarge Blend25.04%6.47%10.39%
Mdxkhzng 255 PkyFFGFCLarge Blend29.50%10.10%15.03%
Mgqrfllf Jzpp 338 TmgxskdgDCFJLarge Blend29.48%10.12%15.05%
Hhlfkgyp Cfqlrhgc Lgnz Xsmg XxvgfxQQQYBank Loan11.79%5.95%5.02%
Ypfpdsgw Lbplxb & CldfjYVHZFLarge Blend26.66%10.33%14.49%
Kxkhgwln Zggltpqnk-Jcyx Qq DkmzxyDWVSVJInflation-Protected Bond0.71%−1.32%2.30%
Sscwtfvd Ldmpq Dlp JtstpZPRXKCLarge Blend31.23%11.17%15.36%
Kcvqjjpm Jlwlwltbj Fdwqmcq WwjgkkqZKRFPLarge Blend38.16%7.52%14.98%
Zsppdbnf Nbsp Phn GkxqTCNSQLarge Blend31.92%11.79%16.67%
Kzvcwvvg Djwg Dbjrgh KhhZGSMTQReal Estate9.39%1.22%3.72%
Bstmzlms CFW Cdqxtskwznf Vvwdrn FzNJGVVLarge Blend35.75%
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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.

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