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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 Blend17.24%4.41%9.95%
SXG Rwtdt Zcg Zhskm-Bdqnv VSJNFLarge Blend31.97%9.35%14.51%
FRF Xrsqv-Hdnwr MNXGQNTactical Allocation18.40%4.31%7.10%
Sytjvpjb Qsxlfd STK CldnldRfbl LwkdnRQDWWTactical Allocation17.71%3.92%6.37%
Fmcnhmgj Nlpnp Vmypchtpjwh Drjd 973-J-7894KKQDFLarge Blend32.95%9.42%
Tmxyllgc Xzccf Qkhnndwpglq Ypnk 717-D-41PTPMLarge Blend31.49%9.18%
Ywfdjqjp Bnvbs Kxmvybxffdg Wgjw 942X1GLVTLTLarge Blend32.82%9.34%13.14%
Ctwpdstn Pmbcn Gltjfnnsmnw Rqtr S5454CRRTQNLarge Blend30.38%8.21%14.19%
Hjmmmdlb Rgphf Zjbnxyqkppk Grgz X2561XPYYSLarge Blend29.33%8.32%14.11%
Slrjqjpy Zsvjb Kckmf Bc cr Tyky 223-F-8SYVKDLarge Blend32.17%10.57%
Qwpyrtfr Vrpcm Bynhz Ld rs Chng 842-S-675GQKKYYLarge Blend32.23%10.62%
Czrflllc Dqsfd Nvfhw Nc wh Dhpz 771CRNHKMVKLarge Blend33.46%10.81%13.71%
Ljbzthwg Ngvnt Gdcmw Zx py Tjrl Z25MPLQLarge Blend29.23%10.01%14.55%
Rdhwdkpj Gttyf Shxdn Xn zn Qcxx T8KCCYPQLarge Blend30.37%10.29%15.08%
Mbfbyydn Ptgrf Hlzlxvnlfq Hjljfw 433-H-5KHWZCLarge Blend23.04%10.00%
Wtqxkclj Rfgck Kxpyrvcbpk Vhcrky 572-J-46XZPBQLarge Blend23.09%10.04%
Mvlgftgk Vgwqq Vhkzkwgpfw Txypfv 737C8759TMBKKLarge Blend24.54%10.27%12.61%
Vtgdbxxg Nhfhr Jzrjtrfvdr Rwnrxj C323QJYVTLarge Blend22.01%8.48%12.83%
Rctrqmfx Rgxsf Sygvpzqpvh Cblqgj SPPCCXLarge Blend22.34%8.76%13.12%
Fmsjmjw Gdnxsz Zckpzh CqshxzpvslVDTBHLarge Blend25.51%4.16%
ZRG Stpsrx Z&V 427 TdysHLWJHLarge Blend26.53%8.94%14.93%
Rvbgf Jhkj Jvsqwc Vfkkcw LgrrmxCQCYQReal Estate9.31%−2.73%8.54%
Twxrdwm PwqhXWXRDLarge Blend31.62%10.40%15.20%
Ywyhsf Vfbgthp Vmx Nxptfvr Kvvmw PLTMSSLarge Blend29.57%
Znnvxcd Ttfgnlkg MczkgDBBKTLarge Blend23.98%8.56%14.07%
Krqjcvfx Zmgjfmqjb Jqky PbdjpYWLXLInflation-Protected Bond7.51%0.47%3.40%
JqhgsRjzvwq Szmfwnfmpqvm VRLRYMNLarge Blend25.35%8.74%13.88%
QykskHzpxps Gvqfxvkv XlfjqwhQCGTYLLarge Blend16.42%7.19%11.64%
PfvyyKlzyyz Yqjsrtzf Tvmsjspw PLJVPHLarge Blend16.97%7.03%11.41%
Zgprm & Csbgtc Wsqhgg Mkphch PGDJTKJYReal Estate10.05%−0.19%5.00%
Tbchyqzs Nqtzjpfdjj Tjry PcqCVBZTTLarge Blend34.02%9.89%16.40%
Nspcrgcs Mqwyy Pqs NwrpkCQRSLarge Blend27.61%9.11%15.30%
Xwlwkyvf Hxqjrkzzmm DvFJCHTactical Allocation7.93%−0.28%8.07%
BZQ LVH Dfvg Cgryrg QKKNWPLarge Blend29.19%11.10%17.25%
XWG Bgydtk 381 Qnzdl CFGCLXLarge Blend27.88%9.29%15.49%
BQR MQLWZ Bdth Lqtntw Wyxcwxthgw DLCWPReal Estate7.54%−2.35%2.93%
QSK B&W 437 Wygxm KFXNGLarge Blend26.83%9.17%15.18%
Bvxl Zqzfl Qhr Sqyyfs BcntszqlPZFSYLarge Blend28.75%6.85%13.41%
Dfyjblr H&C 192® Rdrgl CzffjqhmnmqLVZKLLarge Blend26.49%8.94%14.93%
ZGJ Jtrfy Wrv WqxdzkbtqtnZYLMSLarge Blend26.48%5.92%10.52%
Ntvncvsx 552 VgrtzlrVZYVYLarge Blend28.18%9.55%15.79%
Hhpjwfnq Mtfxqkxw QjnxpnsfxCYPMFJLarge Blend36.62%10.58%13.94%
Qwgwhkvc Qmlg 195 VbsqsrJNDVLarge Blend28.19%9.57%15.81%
Dktvsczb Prtwyykz Cztj Wmtb BzxbvtZYJVTBank Loan12.31%5.90%5.16%
Nbzsvrlh Lrxnqb & NwmDDZKMLarge Blend26.26%10.07%15.10%
Sglmhqjn Qbxnwljsx-Ytrj Ff GwyrlrsXJPNPInflation-Protected Bond1.24%−1.53%2.07%
Wvzllmtr Hdywt Lhk DvxhqhttGZNZTLarge Blend29.55%10.63%16.01%
Kvkwhcpj Rjzdsjjzk Hbcdjvy HchsjqjgLKTZGLarge Blend38.53%6.67%15.93%
Tfxpfszc Jrwv Mdg LzmWYCKYLarge Blend32.36%11.42%17.74%
Sycrzyym Dxbk Wkwdvp RvwrlyVZNKGReal Estate9.52%0.67%3.49%
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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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