401(k)s

The 100 Most Popular Mutual Funds for 401(k) Retirement Savings

These mutual funds have the most assets under management in 401(k) workplace retirement plans.

October 7, 2021

Close up of a 401(k) statement. The statement is surrounded by a cup of coffee, a pie chart of personal finances, a calculator and a pen with a soft focus on a graph in the background.This im

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There's no denying the importance and popularity of 401(k)s for retirement savers. Americans have $7.3 trillion invested in these tax-deferred workplace savings accounts, according to the Investment Company Institute, and there are roughly 60 million active 401(k) participants.

BrightScope, a financial-information company that rates retirement-savings plans, compiled for Kiplinger this list of the 100 most popular mutual funds in 401(k) plans based on funds' 401(k) assets under management.

The 25 Best Low-Fee Mutual Funds You Can Buy

Here is the list of the top 100 mutual funds for your 401(k) retirement savings. All figures are as of Oct. 7, 2021.

Rank	Fund Name	Symbol	Fund Type	Annualized Total Return 1-yr	Annualized Total Return 3-yr	Annualized Total Return 5-yr	Annualized Total Return 10-yr	Expense ratio
1	Vanguard Institutional Index	VINIX	Large Blend	31.74	16.85	17.24	16.41	0.04
2	Fidelity 500 Index	FXAIX	Large Blend	31.75	16.86	17.26	16.43	0.02
3	American Funds EuroPacific Growth	AEPGX	EAFE	21.58	13.81	11.57	9.92	0.82
4	Vanguard Total Bond Market Index	VBTLX	Short/Intermediate Government Bonds	-0.76	5.71	3.04	3.02	0.05
5	Vanguard 500 Index	VFIAX	Large Blend	31.73	16.84	17.23	16.40	0.04
6	Fidelity Contrafund	FCNTX	Large-Growth U.S. Equities	25.93	19.64	20.84	17.77	0.86
7	Vanguard PRIMECAP	VPMCX	Large Blend	30.70	14.35	17.37	17.48	0.38
8	Dodge & Cox Stock	DODGX	Large-Value U.S. Equities	52.39	13.76	15.57	15.95	0.52
9	Vanguard Mid Capitalization Index	VIMAX	Mid Cap U.S. Equities	35.29	16.06	15.06	15.30	0.05
10	Vanguard Wellington	VWELX	Moderate Allocation	21.16	12.44	11.72	11.40	0.24
11	Vanguard Target Retirement 2030	VTHRX	Moderate Allocation	18.09	11.14	10.58	10.56	0.14
12	Vanguard Target Retirement 2025	VTTVX	Conservative Allocation	15.79	10.48	9.75	9.82	0.13
13	Vanguard Total International Stock Index	VTIAX	EAFE	22.23	9.05	8.88	7.59	0.11
14	Vanguard Small Cap Index	VSMAX	Small Cap U.S. Equities	39.63	13.51	14.30	14.92	0.05
15	Vanguard Target Retirement 2035	VTTHX	Moderate Allocation	20.39	11.74	11.38	11.30	0.14
16	Vanguard Total Stock Market Index	VTSAX	Large Blend	32.91	17.02	17.23	16.37	0.04
17	American Funds Growth Fund of America	AGTHX	Large-Growth U.S. Equities	30.86	20.14	19.91	17.88	0.64
18	PIMCO Total Return	PTTAX	Short/Intermediate Government Bonds	0.03	5.84	3.43	3.60	0.81
19	Vanguard Target Retirement 2040	VFORX	Moderate Allocation	22.71	12.33	12.18	11.84	0.14
20	T. Rowe Price Blue Chip Growth	TRBCX	Large-Growth U.S. Equities	23.26	20.69	22.49	19.76	0.68
21	MetWest Total Return Bond	MWTRX	Short/Intermediate Government Bonds	-0.07	6.25	3.35	3.99	0.67
22	Vanguard Extended Market Index	VEXAX	Mid-Growth U.S. Equities	38.24	17.13	16.69	15.96	0.06
23	Vanguard Target Retirement 2020	VTWNX	Conservative Allocation	13.28	9.58	8.72	8.95	0.13
24	Fidelity Freedom 2030	FFFEX	Moderate Allocation	20.58	11.81	11.39	10.52	0.67
25	Vanguard Target Retirement 2045	VTIVX	Aggressive Allocation	25.08	12.99	12.75	12.14	0.15
26	Fidelity Growth Company	FDGRX	Large-Growth U.S. Equities	31.80	30.09	29.11	22.72	0.83
27	T. Rowe Price Retirement 2030	TRRCX	Moderate Allocation	22.57	12.84	11.91	11.75	0.58
28	Fidelity Freedom 2025	FFTWX	Conservative Allocation	18.15	11.07	10.18	9.70	0.63
29	Vanguard Target Retirement 2050	VFIFX	Aggressive Allocation	25.31	13.06	12.80	12.16	0.15
30	Harbor Capital Appreciation	HCAIX	Large-Growth U.S. Equities	24.11	24.87	24.24	19.44	1.03
31	American Funds American Balanced	ABALX	Moderate Allocation	17.94	10.91	10.67	11.16	0.58
32	Fidelity Freedom 2040	FFFFX	Moderate Allocation	28.46	13.81	13.34	11.91	0.75
33	Fidelity Freedom 2035	FFTHX	Moderate Allocation	25.22	13.00	12.75	11.57	0.72
34	Fidelity US Bond Index	FXNAX	Short/Intermediate Government Bonds	-0.79	5.69	3.00	3.02	0.03
35	Vanguard Windsor II	VWNFX	Large-Value U.S. Equities	41.38	15.39	14.95	14.52	0.34
36	Vanguard International Growth	VWIGX	EAFE	20.30	22.64	19.21	14.09	0.44
37	Fidelity Freedom 2020	FFFDX	Conservative Allocation	16.16	10.37	9.43	8.79	0.59
38	Fidelity Extended Market Index	FSMAX	Mid-Growth U.S. Equities	38.14	17.09	16.69	15.91	0.04
39	American Funds 2030 Target Date Retirement	AAETX	Moderate Allocation	18.10	11.46	10.94	11.39	0.69
40	Dodge & Cox Income	DODIX	Short/Intermediate Government Bonds	1.63	6.39	4.22	4.32	0.42
41	T. Rowe Price Retirement 2040	TRRDX	Moderate Allocation	27.16	14.37	13.45	12.85	0.60
42	Dodge & Cox International Stock	DODFX	EAFE	33.27	6.73	7.14	7.52	0.63
43	Vanguard Growth Index	VIGAX	Large-Growth U.S. Equities	29.81	24.11	22.48	19.00	0.05
44	MFS Value	MEIAX	Large-Value U.S. Equities	31.28	11.65	11.73	13.49	0.83
45	T. Rowe Price Retirement 2025	TRRHX	Conservative Allocation	19.91	11.94	10.94	10.91	0.55
46	T. Rowe Price Large Cap Growth I	TRLGX	Large-Growth U.S. Equities	32.31	23.20	25.06	20.88	0.56
47	Vanguard Developed Markets Index	VTMGX	EAFE	24.44	8.78	9.13	8.26	0.07
48	T. Rowe Price Growth Stock	PRGFX	Large-Growth U.S. Equities	29.06	22.00	22.21	19.36	0.64
49	T. Rowe Price Retirement 2020	TRRBX	Conservative Allocation	17.57	11.01	9.92	10.00	0.53
50	T. Rowe Price Mid-Cap Growth	RPMGX	Mid-Growth U.S. Equities	26.81	17.12	17.40	16.77	0.73
51	American Funds 2025 Target Date Retirement	AADTX	Conservative Allocation	15.37	10.44	9.55	10.33	0.67
52	Vanguard Equity-Income	VEIPX	Large-Value U.S. Equities	31.99	11.11	12.25	13.61	0.28
53	T. Rowe Price Retirement 2035	TRRJX	Moderate Allocation	25.02	13.66	12.73	12.37	0.59
54	American Funds Washington Mutual	AWSHX	Large Blend	29.75	12.75	14.25	14.20	0.58
55	American Funds 2035 Target Date Retirement	AAFTX	Moderate Allocation	22.01	13.11	12.60	12.31	0.70
56	American Funds New Perspective	ANWPX	World Equity	29.22	19.71	18.05	15.15	0.76
57	Fidelity Freedom 2045	FFFGX	Aggressive Allocation	28.41	13.81	13.34	12.01	0.75
58	American Funds 2040 Target Date Retirement	AAGTX	Moderate Allocation	24.09	13.89	13.31	12.75	0.71
59	Fidelity Balanced	FBALX	Moderate Allocation	24.17	15.53	13.99	12.40	0.52
60	Vanguard Value Index	VVIAX	Large-Value U.S. Equities	33.90	10.43	12.57	13.98	0.05
61	Fidelity Freedom 2050	FFFHX	Aggressive Allocation	28.45	13.81	13.34	12.08	0.75
62	Fidelity International Index	FSPSX	EAFE	23.15	8.26	8.78	7.99	0.04
63	Fidelity Blue Chip Growth	FBGRX	Large-Growth U.S. Equities	34.14	29.43	27.56	21.96	0.79
64	PGIM Total Return Bond	PDBAX	Short/Intermediate Government Bonds	0.52	6.19	3.76	4.26	0.76
65	Vanguard Target Retirement 2055	VFFVX	Aggressive Allocation	25.28	13.05	12.79	12.14	0.15
66	T. Rowe Price New Horizons	PRNHX	Mid-Growth U.S. Equities	29.64	28.85	27.54	22.56	0.75
67	Vanguard Institutional Total Stock Market Index	VITNX	Large Blend	32.99	17.06	17.25	16.41	0.03
68	Vanguard Balanced Index	VBIAX	Moderate Allocation	18.50	12.87	11.68	11.11	0.07
69	T. Rowe Price Retirement 2045	TRRKX	Aggressive Allocation	28.55	14.81	13.82	13.04	0.62
70	American Funds 2020 Target Date Retirement	AACTX	Conservative Allocation	13.39	9.16	8.18	8.87	0.65
71	iShares S&P 500 Index	BSPAX	Large Blend	31.26	16.49	16.87		0.35
72	T. Rowe Price Retirement 2050	TRRMX	Aggressive Allocation	28.60	14.81	13.83	13.04	0.63
73	Janus Henderson Enterprise	JAENX	Mid-Growth U.S. Equities	30.68	17.13	17.78	16.98	0.91
74	Fidelity Diversified International	FDIVX	EAFE	19.86	13.61	11.27	10.16	1.05
75	American Funds 2045 Target Date Retirement	AAHTX	Aggressive Allocation	24.79	14.13	13.59	12.91	0.72
76	Vanguard Inflation-Protected Securities	VIPSX	TIPS	5.74	7.74	4.29	2.90	0.20
77	Fidelity Low-Priced Stock	FLPSX	Mid-Value U.S. Equities	36.20	12.32	12.48	13.16	0.65
78	Vanguard Explorer	VEXPX	Small-Growth U.S. Equities	37.92	17.56	18.98	16.69	0.41
79	MainStay Winslow Large Cap Growth	MLINX	Large-Growth U.S. Equities	28.36	22.52	22.93	18.24	1.10
80	Invesco Developing Markets	ODMAX	Emerging Markets	12.42	10.45	9.13	6.78	1.22
81	Fidelity Total Market Index	FSKAX	Large Blend	32.90	16.94	17.18	16.33	0.02
82	Vanguard Target Retirement 2015	VTXVX	Conservative Allocation	9.55	8.22	7.26	7.74	0.12
83	American Funds 2050 Target Date Retirement	AALTX	Aggressive Allocation	25.16	14.29	13.76	13.00	0.72
84	Fidelity Puritan	FPURX	Moderate Allocation	20.82	13.86	13.38	12.22	0.52
85	Fidelity Mid Cap Index	FSMDX	Mid Cap U.S. Equities	36.31	15.51	14.84	15.24	0.03
86	JPMorgan Large Cap Growth	OLGAX	Large-Growth U.S. Equities	22.71	25.77	26.56	19.54	0.94
87	Vanguard Real Estate Index	VGSLX	Real Estate	31.01	13.80	9.05	11.61	0.12
88	Vanguard Target Retirement Income	VTINX	Conservative Allocation	8.48	7.95	6.33	6.01	0.12
89	Schwab S&P 500 Index	SWPPX	Large Blend	31.75	16.85	17.23	16.36	0.02
90	American Funds Fundamental Investors	ANCFX	Large Blend	29.11	13.95	14.85	15.03	0.61
91	Vanguard US Growth	VWUSX	Large-Growth U.S. Equities	25.52	26.59	24.44	20.26	0.38
92	JPMorgan Mid Cap Value	JAMCX	Mid-Value U.S. Equities	41.57	9.93	9.87	12.92	1.24
93	JPMorgan SmartRetirement 2030	JSMAX	Moderate Allocation	17.03	9.81	9.52	10.11	0.86
94	Fidelity Small Cap Index	FSSNX	Small Cap U.S. Equities	41.66	12.21	13.76	14.31	0.03
95	JPMorgan SmartRetirement 2025	JNSAX	Conservative Allocation	13.99	8.94	8.38	9.17	0.85
96	Vanguard Wellesley Income	VWINX	Moderate Allocation	11.73	9.36	7.53	8.03	0.22
97	JPMorgan Equity Income	OIEIX	Large-Value U.S. Equities	31.17	11.24	12.68	13.45	0.98
98	Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index	VBIRX	Total Bond Market	0.06	3.64	2.18	1.82	0.07
99	MassMutual Select Mid Cap Growth	MEFZX	Mid-Growth U.S. Equities	35.73	9.72	10.28	12.17	0.71
100	Fidelity Freedom Index 2030	FXIFX	Moderate Allocation	17.32	11.23	11.05	9.89	0.12

* The dollar amounts represent funds' total assets under management held both within 401(k) plans and outside of 401(k)s, according to Morningstar. BrightScope ranked the funds by assets under management held in 401(k)s only, but it did not disclose the precise amounts for proprietary reasons.

Sources: BrightScope, Morningstar