The Kiplinger 25 is a list of our favorite no-load mutual funds. We favor funds run by seasoned managers who take a long view and have proved themselves able to weather many a storm. And we prefer low to below-average fees.
In the tables below, you can see for each of the 25 funds, expense ratios and one-year, and annualized five- and ten-year total returns (the fund's rate of return over a given period of time, including interest, capital gains, dividends and distributions).
The Kiplinger 25 Funds
Fund name |
Symbol |
One-year return |
Five-year annualized return |
10-year annualized return |
Yield |
Expense ratio |
Dean Mid Cap Value |
DALCX |
19.6 |
10.3 |
10.6 |
0.9 |
0.85 |
Dodge & Cox Stock |
DODGX |
13.5 |
8.9 |
12.8 |
1.2 |
0.51 |
Fidelity Blue Chip Growth |
FBGRX |
45.1 |
16.4 |
21.7 |
0.0 |
0.61 |
Marsico Midcap Growth Focus |
MXXIX |
29.7 |
11.8 |
16.3 |
0.0 |
1.31 |
Oberweis Small-Cap Opportunities |
OBSOX |
58.2 |
160 |
18.6 |
0.0 |
1.25 |
T. Rowe Price Dividend Growth |
PRDGX |
17.2 |
9.9 |
12.8 |
0.9 |
0.64 |
T. Rowe Price Small-Cap Value |
PRSVX |
33.3 |
6.3 |
10.7 |
0.7 |
0.79 |
PRIMECAP Odyssey Growth |
POGRX |
66.2 |
15.9 |
17.1 |
0.4 |
0.66 |
Vanguard Equity Income |
VEIPX |
23.7 |
11.1 |
11.9 |
2.1 |
0.26 |
Vanguard Strategic Equity |
VSEQX |
35.7 |
11.9 |
13.3 |
1.0 |
0.17 |
Fund name |
Symbol |
One-year return |
Five-year annualized return |
10-year annualized return |
Yield |
Expense ratio |
Baron Emerging Markets |
BEXFX |
40.9 |
3.7 |
8.4 |
1.5 |
1.38 |
Brown Capital Mgmt Intl Sm Co |
BCSVX |
-19.4 |
-3.8 |
7.6 |
0.4 |
1.31 |
Fidelity International Growth |
FIGFX |
15.2 |
5.6 |
9.4 |
0.6 |
0.84 |
Janus Henderson Global Equity Income |
HFQTX |
26.3 |
10.5 |
8.5 |
6.2 |
0.94 |
Fund name |
Symbol |
One-year return |
Five-year annualized return |
10-year annualized return |
Yield |
Expense ratio |
Fidelity Select Health Care |
FSPHX |
19.5 |
2.5 |
9.5 |
0.5 |
0.62 |
T. Rowe Price Global Technology |
PRGTX |
76.6 |
11.0 |
19.4 |
0.0 |
0.93 |
Vanguard Wellington |
VWELX |
21.3 |
8.9 |
10.3 |
2.0 |
0.24 |
Fund name |
Symbol |
One-year return |
Five-year annualized return |
10-year annualized return |
Yield |
Expense ratio |
Baird Aggregate Bond |
BAGSX |
5.0 |
0.2 |
1.8 |
4.0 |
0.55 |
Dodge & Cox Income |
DODIX |
6.2 |
1.4 |
3.0 |
4.3 |
0.41 |
Fidelity Interm Muni Income |
FLTMX |
5.7 |
1.2 |
2.1 |
3.1 |
0.37 |
Fidelity Strategic Income |
FADMX |
10.1 |
3.4 |
4.5 |
4.4 |
0.64 |
T. Rowe Price Floating Rate |
PRFRX |
5.7 |
6.0 |
5.0 |
6.3 |
0.76 |
Vanguard Emerging Markets Bond |
VEMBX |
13.4 |
4.2 |
6.9 |
5.5 |
0.50 |
Vanguard High-Yield Corporate |
VWEHX |
7.0 |
4.1 |
5.2 |
6.0 |
0.22 |
Vanguard Short-Term Investment-Grade |
VFSTX |
4.7 |
2.3 |
2.6 |
4.5 |
0.20 |
Indexes |
One-year return |
Five-year annualized return |
10-year annualized return |
Yield |
S&P 500 INDEX |
29.8 |
14.1 |
15.6 |
1.1 |
RUSSELL 2000 INDEX* |
43.1 |
6.6 |
11.2 |
1.1 |
MSCI EAFE INDEX† |
22.8 |
8.8 |
9.3 |
2.7 |
MSCI EMERGING MARKETS INDEX |
54.3 |
7.5 |
10.7 |
2.1 |
BLOOMBERG U.S. AGGREGATE BOND INDEX# |
5.1 |
0.2 |
1.7 |
4.7 |
As of May 31, 2026. *Small-company U.S. stocks. †Foreign stocks. #High-grade U.S. bonds. N/A = Fund not in existence for the entire period.
SOURCES: Fund companies, FTSE Russell, Morningstar Inc., MSCI, S&P Dow Jones Indices. Yields listed for bond funds are SEC yields, which are net of fees; stock fund yields are the yield for the past 12 months.
