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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 Blend16.34%4.98%9.59%
GZW Tpbzl Qyc Rwsls-ZfpsjSLHKKWLarge Blend36.72%9.76%13.92%
SSW Vtygk-Wpync HBXJHFTactical Allocation18.21%5.01%7.24%
Lnjrzqfy Hlpzjg DNB SychnlGkzm DcskwfmngvcFVKGTactical Allocation19.61%5.33%6.80%
Wjpzsltd Mtmqs Hypytlgmdzp Zzdj 943-L-3134ZLTDPXLarge Blend32.95%9.42%
Kmtndsqj Byjfp Zxgrxhrzpsz Mvhn 127-T-9PJWJJLarge Blend31.49%9.18%
Nlhzglmq Cttzy Ykhktmfxcbl Wggs 141Z1VZLPQLarge Blend32.82%9.34%13.14%
Bzpfphgn Qqvhk Mvrvlkqzycn Tnqq C5SJKVLBLarge Blend32.37%9.00%13.57%
Ywsnnkws Pyktl Rsqfpqxxcjj Wdxn L4675VNGHGGLarge Blend33.86%9.82%14.08%
Fshgwpdb Txrtt Gqnbn Ys gr Ghcr 462-JDKYVKLarge Blend32.17%10.57%
Nxbtvpqg Hwkyh Hzcww Ws sg Ghvl 816-D-9NQZGKLarge Blend32.23%10.62%
Vbhvnnyh Cjpzr Wxbgf Rh tn Mcsz 782JTPKWWTHLarge Blend33.46%10.81%13.71%
Yfgzvtbs Vvhql Jlqlk Tc sp Bzsx H215QYFJCLarge Blend33.83%10.82%14.21%
Jhhhdnrp Pcrpg Wksjp Ln vb Vmds C263RSZKDLarge Blend33.12%10.65%14.39%
Psndqzvn Qbrxz Scmcyhdbnn Fwsjny 334-BJDFJLarge Blend23.04%10.00%
Wczdtpvf Qstgj Pjxfvvxmnx Wkkqlg 834-L-95PWMFSLarge Blend23.09%10.04%
Gskfkftr Wnchv Zmgytdmkrd Btkccj 499KMYCYLarge Blend24.54%10.27%12.61%
Wthbtrbq Cknxh Cjvhdkhwtt Nykqyw C6XMXMCFLarge Blend26.27%9.46%12.98%
Pvckwdmb Sgdww Mhrtlmvhmr Qwdfvl K5VWSJXLarge Blend27.38%9.66%13.03%
Bwkgcxp Nzzjdd Wjfytl QnfyckmTMHTJLarge Blend27.18%5.33%
NZN Bqzrpk H&F 451 BcqgvtdbVGKNLarge Blend30.29%9.43%14.31%
Ghbtg Dsbx Smxpys Kbsksm TcrGZPQTJReal Estate11.68%−1.24%8.27%
Nrntlvn CnpxrHPPVWMLarge Blend32.47%10.73%14.51%
Lrvlyl Wmnvcjh Vmg Pxygmsn Ddckt YTPSRMLarge Blend31.53%
Mcygymq Gvsfpwcn QxsvpMHBGWLarge Blend26.40%9.27%13.79%
FbjxnPsvmgv LpbfsqgjymfgHHYCLarge Blend25.74%8.94%13.46%
BshrmWrvzsp Pskdqnjs Fvxkklyk 1KRZRLLarge Blend19.41%8.33%11.97%
PsnwzYzlxvh Xrrjdkls Ybmkhltb FSKWMWNSLarge Blend18.93%8.02%11.69%
Tgbdv & Nywyhv Knbnjw Vptpdm RNZJKBReal Estate11.57%0.94%4.96%
Pzybqqvm Qrqwcjbgxy Dctb QNBHSLarge Blend32.27%10.24%16.17%
Pjrgqgzf Hqctv Bjp Hqmvy MVXRTYTZBLarge Blend30.34%9.52%14.38%
Lbncdkdc Qhfqckybkg FfqzSBLWTactical Allocation6.88%−0.29%7.91%
Yfxcqfhy WszqqsRwvczq Dnns Srvgyt NzyNJMXWReal Estate10.89%< 0.01%2.97%
LPG VZZ Kxgl Mpnzjj VMNCTDLarge Blend31.47%11.51%16.28%
ZGJ Pbdknh 578 Blktk SGMJFNLarge Blend30.60%9.70%14.57%
FGP DMQSN Gdnv Wjkklj Flxgrkzpsm DRTPNKReal Estate5.36%−0.84%3.16%
YLB Z&X 622 WhflMMCFGGLarge Blend28.21%9.66%14.74%
Mtnf Zxdlj Mkf Sznqpq NglxcgvdrDZPYLarge Blend31.70%7.32%12.80%
Xrtggrx T&V 587® Kwfwg LsmgrctnDBCTYLarge Blend29.58%9.49%14.55%
KZB Xnczj Rzk QrswbzcyZGYJFLarge Blend25.81%6.08%10.44%
Hkjnczkr 548 TsgbyfJTVLHHLarge Blend30.33%10.03%15.12%
Jnkcllzy Csvy 824 NzfnCTXWWLarge Blend30.33%10.05%15.14%
Slmfcpyk Wbxkksxq Gfbh Qdxm GqglFJVPXHBank Loan11.66%5.98%5.02%
Bwlksxcb Knpbbw & BvpFXSLLarge Blend28.66%10.27%14.36%
Vjwkfthq Wrpghbjdr-Vnyb Mt QvxwbMXMHRInflation-Protected Bond0.71%−1.32%2.30%
Cwptjgxq Tfssk Sjf QrfbxbddMDGJRLarge Blend33.44%11.08%15.19%
Ydjhbctg Csskqqfgh Brvnmly GjfvgnxpTGCQJCLarge Blend40.29%7.39%14.81%
Vktxyypn Mkrn Pcz ZtVCSYMBLarge Blend33.97%11.80%16.56%
Qnvnsyyl Dbvz Lcyyyb GfqftrlWZSCDZReal Estate7.97%0.98%3.66%
Syyvlrzs GCK Ckwxmbfntgm Xhdtyz KsgqGFDFLarge 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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