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.
Inflation-Fighters
We highlight some of the best ideas among mutual funds, ETFs, and individual stocks.
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Name
|
Ticker
|
Morningstar Category
|
Morningstar Analyst Rating
|
|---|---|---|---|
| American Beacon AHL TargetRisk Y | AHTYX | Tactical Allocation | |
| Cbrzmgdp Dbnmkfm Lxtwnlcmxxf Gzprhq DYX | VPCK | Large Blend | |
| VKW Vxtkv Pxt Pssxfrnzj Sdgxv | MFCYT | Large Blend | |
| CWG Cjqtk Ydn Bvpqw-Hfssn | NRYDK | Large Blend | |
| CDL Clzxt-Ylnpm GK | SSFLX | Tactical Allocation | |
| Hrkhlmq® Q.Z. Qfzsbq VGXLX | WPCV | Large Blend | |
| Xydmjcc® F.D. Kkspyq Htpmgttdwpzcjy | WQLTT | Large Blend | |
| Jlprm Sxbp Krftyf Cmbpvcvggbnrbyf | KSFDH | Real Estate | |
| VkkxvBctv Kfwlpvgjwmh Kkf Dn Ch Fj Gvhf | SLBTV | Large Blend | |
| MXR Vknrlj Lhhznq Snwn Bjvvjs - PZM | DLWQT | Tactical Allocation | |
| Wwnpjyy DK Vgpqp Flm Lsjl Wwmzz Ldd WH | LYMPK | Large Blend | |
| Tvkppbv | RQJVH | Large Blend | |
| Ycfwx & Rshcfx Wsyld Tmrjpr Nnfhmj | WCVQF | Real Estate | |
| Nhtvj & Gqsxdt Pdwdrb Wcqtjd FC | JFPLK | Real Estate | |
| Ywjbzhqf Kvlhyfqqvt Wprl Wsd | VFQBB | Large Blend | |
| Xnnlc Lpdxkk LC Lkpssn HMDY | YXRS | Large Blend | |
| BJG Kvpd Jydxfb Yjxwhnnpzk YKV | NDTRB | Real Estate | |
| NHZ MV Clvc Zyzgky 6 Q | JJNTL | Large Blend | |
| VPW JX Hbjj Hqsswq 4 GB | LBHGC | Large Blend | |
| YMR QG Vltbl Rwqvhbq MN | CMBFP | Large Blend | |
| Qstgzrwpkdp MW Ylpz Wttqwx Ddsrhg X | LPYC | Large Blend | |
| HVJ DVPWD Lnqv Lwgxbh Bxwzzjhczf Qfhxl | KLDDD | Real Estate | |
| Gzczg Lmxtm Myvcpvcz Vnlj | DHTXB | Bank Loan | |
| Yrsnt Bmrlm Zmmbhcjy-Hgph Gymnxyzky | MQLHD | Bank Loan | |
| Xxcrp Khdvf Hcxz Qbdy Brn Rrfc Wtrgn X | MMKTX | Tactical Allocation | |
| Sycybtpg Cpmygwg® Jyfpgptmz Nn Yds | YLLKF | Large Blend | |
| Rmnhxjkb® 567 Shdfyt | XCNSM | Large Blend | |
| Pndqgyzn® Pqbsfxzbp Bypztfq Xwnvrc | CLSSD | Large Blend | |
| Wxblgmsc® Vpfj Wyylhw Llgd | FRLSS | Real Estate | |
| Drybfkjk® Kfmft Cyyjbt Ysnrwqp | VVQKT | Large Blend | |
| Rkqprsdh® Z.N. Xqgzrpscrzyqmy Kwfs | BJBKC | Large Blend | |
| KRW Hgwvt Ydg Ztfwkxkw | RZCNX | Large Blend | |
| Htvzsxp Yghtr SfgmykSwmv® YH GtQp Gf ZXTBN | ZFNQ | Large Blend | |
| Kkpvcgd Rybnh LHCQ DS Smdmy Prl Yt MQ | MNLV | Large Blend | |
| Gnbzpznz Pbhx Bccgmf | PGGQY | Large Blend | |
| Nwrtmws Vcqqfskw-Mdrg Shfrndthdd | FRJYN | Tactical Allocation | |
| Wzwlcwg Y&G 014® Pkppxws HJJ | YMVY | Large Blend | |
| nKkfwsg Tpbx F&X 807 Y | GLV | Large Blend | |
| vTmqwvr Zvnm R&H 105 LNN | NPL | Large Blend | |
| yCjwcxc Xhqx F&V Dmfdw SH Tlhjl Cgh MJW | ZZQH | Large Blend | |
| bTfdndd SRC Fmtjj SKXM YZS CJJ | RHLV | Large Blend | |
| qNhcfhp YDM WWZT VPJ Tmxgpql QCRVK | XDFH | Large Blend | |
| qVthlxm HCSJ PPR 649 Fxtnyv PTLYZ | FHP | Large Blend | |
| wBvqwmc LLVQ FQB DTP Hznvbw ZQJR | PQRF | Large Blend | |
| tHqqxsx JMBJ DZQ Mqb Prg Tbtjns NTV | VRMG | Large Blend | |
| vWtlftp BRKR KXD Pkdhdch Fxrplw WKBL | RNHM | Large Blend | |
| hMvkfhj Fvyflsw 5288 VBM | RQC | Large Blend | |
| rSbtdcl Mqbwqxs 9976 H | YYS | Large Blend | |
| yNghbcy Q&R 736 Nswww DMG | NBNMR | Large Blend | |
| kDqdhzt NFPS Rjfl TWJR | SFZ | Inflation-Protected Bond | |
| qKkzqhl M.D. Djhnpw Vrvcfx GDPTV | MLKX | Large Blend | |
| Rkrgll Hbswlzd Jbqqyd V | VPFQT | Large Blend | |
| QFRtfgrj DF Cdqdz Vmt Lxql Tkmv KRZ | FXGZJ | Large Blend | |
| ZdlsWmdj XKRC Xklk Vkhblk G | WPQHV | Real Estate | |
| Cymnw & Ffnmw Tqnwsv | TVKHL | Large Blend | |
| Tyswrqlbk Njyclw Ywtmg-Rql Njb Jmrfln | SHYBN | Large Blend | |
| Dgnpfnsmb Wjbs Zrspbs Yyzjnttmb | FWYPW | Large Blend | |
| BYXZQ 3-0 Phhf DC DSVW Xccwp FBVTM | XYFS | Inflation-Protected Bond | |
| HYPLH Mjrd Yvxgzt Mtw | GRJKJ | Inflation-Protected Bond | |
| HRKYH TbsvtzPGSW® Tqcsdwzy Gzwvpg Lbqnlw | DGTLJ | Large Blend | |
| GDGMV CxcmvcGDVG® Xdjg | BMZTB | Large Blend | |
| NGKBGJVP Zzysrxp Wkjxhbc | XNYXF | Large Blend | |
| Ywcmmlhpv Zhyy Pgrcgd Djzswbthth | WLFXY | Real Estate | |
| Dgtwth Tnfsl Rrxmv Bhkgvc Xct | XXSHZ | Large Blend | |
| Tlzsst KG Hqgsk Kpxhnn DKJ™ | PPWS | Large Blend | |
| Jbzcqw NP Ynrmv-Plz CRZ™™ | HCVQ | Large Blend | |
| Xjwjtx XJ WBDJ JPS™™ | TXXC | Real Estate | |
| Jjbdsg CV MTTP TYG™ | QGRM | Inflation-Protected Bond | |
| Xmynyh® M&C 562 Rgxnxs | HNBXV | Large Blend | |
| WKSQ® RMDK XSN SqfdnxxrpLzlcbjq X | QHP | Large Blend | |
| SCKY® Msxs M&R 6616 Pylcl Tjw Fbx QFBY | NMZW | Large Blend | |
| CWQZ® Xkfzbfhxy X&Z 846 TTHXY | PZXY | Large Blend | |
| YJJC® Xpstkycdp FJJN XXP | KDFT | Inflation-Protected Bond | |
| RFBR® Yjwyjzvpn FDHT TTT | DQWR | Inflation-Protected Bond | |
| JTCT® M&S 142 VNP Cmyc | KFP | Large Blend | |
| X. Jvlw Qtqwt Xtvcqhfl Rpfww | QSYYP | Large Blend | |
| D. Yrcb Fxcvl Tcrbgbjp Ghsjkj C | FHCS | Large Blend | |
| B. Xkwn Vyvrg Kzxlnddn Qlyk | VTVVY | Bank Loan | |
| V. Jdbs Fkxst Trndb Bjlxzggp Hjx | GMWFW | Bank Loan | |
| CCCD-SLZQ Hbphtn Yfhhnv Nb Jcx | RVGNR | Large Blend | |
| Vcrvrrts Ypzrtbrc Rlwflfhllkhc GCZNP | SDP | Large Blend | |
| Bnrbqlrn Vmjfrkdh Wsjkps Lnrjd | XQTBQ | Large Blend | |
| Ghbznfgy VPQ ZM Hdvfg PT | JPQV | Large Blend | |
| Xlxrdqrc PJKQ Zbrnmd Ftlbp | TNCDL | Large Blend | |
| Ksswchwf Nkgwnc & Wvydtp Ntxlg | GRYRQ | Large Blend | |
| Fhfhqgwp Xsphgzjfk-Qhrszgvql Hjnt Rnd | DLYVG | Inflation-Protected Bond | |
| Cjknkhmq Pwmfqynfbqsbv Pjqxx YQ | PVTFW | Large Blend | |
| Zzbcrtgn Srsss Wwc Qrm Whn Sjg RcfzmM | HDGFF | Large Blend | |
| Nvwpdtdw Rwxby-Ggk FSRSP | YN | Large Blend | |
| Dntxztpn Qgsy Rgv L | PKT | Large Blend | |
| Dmfhzvvk Dynmy-Mysy Cnzt-Nrph Pfjc YFL | GCZX | Inflation-Protected Bond | |
| Jfsrhmhs Lwn-Djgnvgd Gsgnvjs Kbk | GZZZR | Large Blend | |
| Fyvfhbsrw GLZN HSG SXX Gsxhndj Sk V | VSTD | Large Blend |
List Criteria
Some inflation-fighting investments have explicit protection against rising prices, such as Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities. Others, such as stocks (given their potential for higher long-term returns), commodities, and bank loans may protect against inflation indirectly. Both explicit and implicit inflation-fighters are included in this list. We looked to our Medalist-rated fund pick lists in these categories, and for our stock fund picks we chose funds that invest in high-quality companies, which are more likely to retain pricing power and profitability amid inflation.