You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
Want to add more newsletters?
Delivered daily
Kiplinger Today
Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and much more delivered daily. Smart money moves start here.
Sent five days a week
Kiplinger A Step Ahead
Get practical help to make better financial decisions in your everyday life, from spending to savings on top deals.
Delivered daily
Kiplinger Closing Bell
Get today's biggest financial and investing headlines delivered to your inbox every day the U.S. stock market is open.
Sent twice a week
Kiplinger Adviser Intel
Financial pros across the country share best practices and fresh tactics to preserve and grow your wealth.
Delivered weekly
Kiplinger Tax Tips
Trim your federal and state tax bills with practical tax-planning and tax-cutting strategies.
Sent twice a week
Kiplinger Retirement Tips
Your twice-a-week guide to planning and enjoying a financially secure and richly rewarding retirement
Sent bimonthly.
Kiplinger Adviser Angle
Insights for advisers, wealth managers and other financial professionals.
Sent twice a week
Kiplinger Investing Weekly
Your twice-a-week roundup of promising stocks, funds, companies and industries you should consider, ones you should avoid, and why.
Sent weekly for six weeks
Kiplinger Invest for Retirement
Your step-by-step six-part series on how to invest for retirement, from devising a successful strategy to exactly which investments to choose.
When it comes to mutual funds, bigger isn't necessarily better. Funds that grow too large can lose much of their flexibility. Yet investors' money continues to pour into the behemoths of the fund world, so we decided to take a hard look at the 20 biggest no-load stock funds to determine which of them are still attractive, and which have lost their sparkle.
Over a two-month period, our Fund Watch team rolled out detailed profiles of each fund listed among the "Big 20." Follow the links below to read their discussion of the funds' investing strategies and key statistics. (Also see The Best of the Behemoths, which appeared in the February issue of Kiplinger's Personal Finance.)
The funds are listed in order of size, from largest to smallest, as of January 31, 2007. Compare the funds' performance and other statistics by viewing our table of key numbers.
From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance
Become a smarter, better informed investor. Subscribe from just $107.88 $24.99, plus get up to 4 Special Issues
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
1. Vanguard 500
The nation's largest no-load fund tracks the S&P 500 and charges ultralow fees.
2. Vanguard Total Stock Market Index
This index fund gives you broad exposure to small-, midsize- and large-company stocks.
Manager Will Danoff has an excellent record identifying underestimated companies. His success has attracted a lot of investor money.
The fund managers' discipline has led to impressive performance.
This low-risk, low-fee fund has had the same manager -- and has returned 12% annualized -- since its launch 20 years ago.
6. Fidelity Diversified International
Assets have swelled to $46 billion, but the manager says the fund's growth isn't the reason for its lagging performance.
Vanguard's oldest fund offers a ready-made mix of stocks and bonds.
Manager Harry Lange aims to mend Fidelity's flagship fund. His first move: steering the fund toward growth stocks.
Veteran manager Joel Tillinghast has produced strong returns investing in stocks priced under $35.
10. Dodge & Cox International Stock
The newest offering from this fund stalwart could help you build up your foreign holdings.
The team of managers identifies well-positioned winners and hangs on for the long term.
The fund isn't a show-stopper, but manager Stephen Petersen produces solid returns by investing in undervalued, dividend-paying stocks.
Manager Steve Wymer invests in a range of stocks but favors fast-growing tech health-care companies.
14. Fidelity Growth & Income
Manager Tim Cohen looks for opportunity in beaten-down stocks. "I like to look for bad news in the newspapers and on Wall Street for potential ideas," he says.
This fund, which invests in both stocks and bonds, has delivered superior returns with relatively low volatility.
16. Fidelity Puritan
This balanced fund invests largely in blue-chip dividend-paying stocks and a mix of bonds.
17. T. Rowe Price Equity Income
Consistent, steady performance makes Brian Roger's fund appealing for retirement savings.
An army of analysts helps the manager of this fund find the right mix of companies.
19. Vanguard Total International Stock Index
Low fees have helped this index fund outpace the average foreign fund.
Large, growing companies are poised to step into the spotlight, but we're not sure this fund will shine.
-
Nasdaq Slides 1.4% on Big Tech Questions: Stock Market TodayPalantir Technologies proves at least one publicly traded company can spend a lot of money on AI and make a lot of money on AI.
-
Should You Do Your Own Taxes This Year or Hire a Pro?Taxes Doing your own taxes isn’t easy, and hiring a tax pro isn’t cheap. Here’s a guide to help you figure out whether to tackle the job on your own or hire a professional.
-
Trump $10B IRS Lawsuit Hits an Already Chaotic 2026 Tax SeasonTax Law A new Trump lawsuit and warnings from a tax-industry watchdog point to an IRS under strain, just as millions of taxpayers begin filing their 2025 returns.
-
Nasdaq Slides 1.4% on Big Tech Questions: Stock Market Today
Palantir Technologies proves at least one publicly traded company can spend a lot of money on AI and make a lot of money on AI.
-
Fed Vibes Lift Stocks, Dow Up 515 Points: Stock Market TodayIncoming economic data, including the January jobs report, has been delayed again by another federal government shutdown.
-
Stocks Close Down as Gold, Silver Spiral: Stock Market TodayA "long-overdue correction" temporarily halted a massive rally in gold and silver, while the Dow took a hit from negative reactions to blue-chip earnings.
-
Nasdaq Drops 172 Points on MSFT AI Spend: Stock Market TodayMicrosoft, Meta Platforms and a mid-cap energy stock have a lot to say about the state of the AI revolution today.
-
S&P 500 Tops 7,000, Fed Pauses Rate Cuts: Stock Market TodayInvestors, traders and speculators will probably have to wait until after Jerome Powell steps down for the next Fed rate cut.
-
S&P 500 Hits New High Before Big Tech Earnings, Fed: Stock Market TodayThe tech-heavy Nasdaq also shone in Tuesday's session, while UnitedHealth dragged on the blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average.
-
Dow Rises 313 Points to Begin a Big Week: Stock Market TodayThe S&P 500 is within 50 points of crossing 7,000 for the first time, and Papa Dow is lurking just below its own new all-time high.
-
Nasdaq Leads Ahead of Big Tech Earnings: Stock Market TodayPresident Donald Trump is making markets move based on personal and political as well as financial and economic priorities.
