Find a Mutual Fund
U.S. News has ranked more than 4,500 mutual funds to help you make clear and confident financial decisions.
Mutual Funds Rankings
The U.S. News Best Mutual Fund rankings combine expert analyst opinions and fund-level data to rank over 4,500 mutual funds. Rankings reflect a variety of popular fund rating systems which track funds' historical and current performance, risk and other metrics to help investors understand each fund's overall strategy and quality. To learn more about how the funds are ranked, see the methodology.
Popular Rankings
Popular Fund Families
- iShares
- Fidelity Investments
- Vanguard
- T. Rowe Price
- Charles Schwab
- Principal Funds
- AllianceBernstein
- American Century Investments
- American Funds
- Ariel Investments
- BlackRock
- Cohen & Steers
- Columbia
- Dimensional Fund Advisors
- Dodge & Cox
- Eaton Vance
- Federated Investors
- Franklin Templeton Investments
- Great-West Funds
- Guggenheim Investments
- GuideStone Funds
- Hartford Funds
- Invesco
- JPMorgan
- Jackson National
- Janus Henderson
- John Hancock
- Legg Mason
- Loomis, Sayles & Co.
- Lord Abbett and Co.
- MassMutual
- Natixis Global Asset Management
- Neuberger Berman
- Nuveen
- PIMCO
- ProShares
- Putnam
- SPDR State Street Global Advisors
- TIAA
- Transamerica
- USAA
- VALIC Company
- Voya
- Waddell & Reed Financial
- Wells Fargo Funds
- iShares
- Fidelity Investments
- Vanguard
- T. Rowe Price
- Charles Schwab
- Principal Funds
- AllianceBernstein
- American Century Investments
- American Funds
- Ariel Investments
- BlackRock
- Cohen & Steers
- Columbia
- Dimensional Fund Advisors
- Dodge & Cox
- Eaton Vance
- Federated Investors
- Franklin Templeton Investments
- Great-West Funds
- Guggenheim Investments
- GuideStone Funds
- Hartford Funds
- Invesco
- JPMorgan
- Jackson National
- Janus Henderson
- John Hancock
- Legg Mason
- Loomis, Sayles & Co.
- Lord Abbett and Co.
- MassMutual
- Natixis Global Asset Management
- Neuberger Berman
- Nuveen
- PIMCO
- ProShares
- Putnam
- SPDR State Street Global Advisors
- TIAA
- Transamerica
- USAA
- VALIC Company
- Voya
- Waddell & Reed Financial
- Wells Fargo Funds
What is a Mutual Fund?
Mutual funds continue to be among the most popular investing tools for both individual and professional investors who seek to beat the market or simply access a broad swath of investments rather than purchase stocks or bonds individually. Unlike stocks or exchange-traded funds, mutual funds trade just once per day, and many investors own them as part of a defined contribution retirement plan such as a 401(k) or an individual retirement account, known as an IRA. The price of a mutual fund share is known as the fund's net asset value, or NAV.
There are currently more than 9,000 mutual funds that hold more than $16 trillion in assets. In part because of increased competition for those assets from lower-cost ETFs, mutual fund expenses continue to decline. Expense ratios averaged 0.63 percent in 2016 compared with 1.04 percent in 1996, according to the Investment Company Institute, though some funds levy additional management fees or sales charges that buyers should be aware of before purchasing.
While some mutual funds are index funds, which aim to track the performance of a specific market index, most are actively managed, meaning fund managers follow an investment strategy to buy and sell a variety of securities in an attempt to beat the market. There are funds that focus on nearly every part of the market, and buyers can invest in a variety of assets including equities, bonds, real estate and commodities.
Mutual funds continue to be among the most popular investing tools for both individual and professional investors who seek to beat the market or simply access a broad swath of investments rather than purchase stocks or bonds individually. Unlike stocks or exchange-traded funds, mutual funds trade just once per day, and many investors own them as part of a defined contribution retirement plan such as a 401(k) or an individual retirement account, known as an IRA. The price of a mutual fund share is known as the fund's net asset value, or NAV.
There are currently more than 9,000 mutual funds that hold more than $16 trillion in assets. In part because of increased competition for those assets from lower-cost ETFs, mutual fund expenses continue to decline. Expense ratios averaged 0.63 percent in 2016 compared with 1.04 percent in 1996, according to the Investment Company Institute, though some funds levy additional management fees or sales charges that buyers should be aware of before purchasing.
While some mutual funds are index funds, which aim to track the performance of a specific market index, most are actively managed, meaning fund managers follow an investment strategy to buy and sell a variety of securities in an attempt to beat the market. There are funds that focus on nearly every part of the market, and buyers can invest in a variety of assets including equities, bonds, real estate and commodities.
Mutual funds continue to be among the most popular investing tools for both individual and professional investors who seek to beat the market or simply access a broad swath of investments rather than purchase stocks or bonds individually. Unlike stocks or exchange-traded funds, mutual funds trade just once per day, and many investors own them as part of a defined contribution retirement plan such as a 401(k) or an individual retirement account, known as an IRA. The price of a mutual fund share is known as the fund's net asset value, or NAV.
There are currently more than 9,000 mutual funds that hold more than $16 trillion in assets. In part because of increased competition for those assets from lower-cost ETFs, mutual fund expenses continue to decline. Expense ratios averaged 0.63 percent in 2016 compared with 1.04 percent in 1996, according to the Investment Company Institute, though some funds levy additional management fees or sales charges that buyers should be aware of before purchasing.
While some mutual funds are index funds, which aim to track the performance of a specific market index, most are actively managed, meaning fund managers follow an investment strategy to buy and sell a variety of securities in an attempt to beat the market. There are funds that focus on nearly every part of the market, and buyers can invest in a variety of assets including equities, bonds, real estate and commodities.
Mutual funds continue to be among the most popular investing tools for both individual and professional investors who seek to beat the market or simply access a broad swath of investments rather than purchase stocks or bonds individually. Unlike stocks or exchange-traded funds, mutual funds trade just once per day, and many investors own them as part of a defined contribution retirement plan such as a 401(k) or an individual retirement account, known as an IRA. The price of a mutual fund share is known as the fund's net asset value, or NAV.
There are currently more than 9,000 mutual funds that hold more than $16 trillion in assets. In part because of increased competition for those assets from lower-cost ETFs, mutual fund expenses continue to decline. Expense ratios averaged 0.63 percent in 2016 compared with 1.04 percent in 1996, according to the Investment Company Institute, though some funds levy additional management fees or sales charges that buyers should be aware of before purchasing.
While some mutual funds are index funds, which aim to track the performance of a specific market index, most are actively managed, meaning fund managers follow an investment strategy to buy and sell a variety of securities in an attempt to beat the market. There are funds that focus on nearly every part of the market, and buyers can invest in a variety of assets including equities, bonds, real estate and commodities.
U.S. Stock Mutual Funds
U.S. News ranks the best stock funds from companies around the United States.
Large Blend
See The Full Large Blend Ranking ListTaxable Bond Mutual Funds
U.S. News ranks taxable bond, which are debt securities with returns that require taxation.
Long-Term Bond
See The Full Long-Term Bond Ranking ListSector Mutual Funds
U.S. News ranks sector funds that invest exclusively in companies of a specific sector.
Financial
See The Full Financial Ranking ListMunicipal Bond Mutual Funds
U.S. News ranks mutual funds that invest primarily in municipal bonds.
High Yield Muni
See The Full High Yield Muni Ranking ListInternational Stock Mutual Funds
U.S. News ranks international funds, or foreign funds, that invest in companies outside of the United States.
Foreign Large Blend
See The Full Foreign Large Blend Ranking ListBalanced Mutual Funds
U.S. News ranks balanced funds, ideal for intermediate-term investors, which perform the duty of balancing stocks and bonds in the portfolio.
World Allocation
See The Full World Allocation Ranking ListAlternative Mutual Funds
U.S. news ranks alternative funds, which employ a variety of strategies outside of traditional investments such as long-only stocks, bonds or cash.
Tactical Allocation
See The Full Tactical Allocation Ranking ListCommodities Mutual Funds
U.S. News ranks commodity funds, which include funds making direct investments in commodities or their producers.
Equity Precious Metals
See The Full Equity Precious Metals Ranking ListU.S. Stock Mutual Funds
U.S. News ranks the best stock funds from companies around the United States.
Large Blend
See The Full Large Blend Ranking ListTaxable Bond Mutual Funds
U.S. News ranks taxable bond, which are debt securities with returns that require taxation.
Long-Term Bond
See The Full Long-Term Bond Ranking ListSector Mutual Funds
U.S. News ranks sector funds that invest exclusively in companies of a specific sector.
Financial
See The Full Financial Ranking ListMunicipal Bond Mutual Funds
U.S. News ranks mutual funds that invest primarily in municipal bonds.
High Yield Muni
See The Full High Yield Muni Ranking ListInternational Stock Mutual Funds
U.S. News ranks international funds, or foreign funds, that invest in companies outside of the United States.
Foreign Large Blend
See The Full Foreign Large Blend Ranking ListBalanced Mutual Funds
U.S. News ranks balanced funds, ideal for intermediate-term investors, which perform the duty of balancing stocks and bonds in the portfolio.
World Allocation
See The Full World Allocation Ranking ListAlternative Mutual Funds
U.S. news ranks alternative funds, which employ a variety of strategies outside of traditional investments such as long-only stocks, bonds or cash.
Tactical Allocation
See The Full Tactical Allocation Ranking ListCommodities Mutual Funds
U.S. News ranks commodity funds, which include funds making direct investments in commodities or their producers.
Equity Precious Metals
See The Full Equity Precious Metals Ranking ListQuotes delayed at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Xignite. Fund data provided by Xignite and Morningstar. See Disclaimer. Contact U.S. News Best Stocks. Use of this website constitutes acceptance of the Investing Terms and Conditions of Use..
Invested.
For Financial Advisors, from U.S. News: Get the Advisor's Guide to Working with Divorced Clients
Top Performing Funds by Total Returns
Mutual Funds Advice
Invested.
For Financial Advisors, from U.S. News: Get the Advisor's Guide to Working with Divorced Clients