7 Best Charles Schwab Mutual Funds Of 2024

Every diversified investment portfolioneeds exposure to the overall U.S. stock market, and the Schwab S&P 500 Index Fund delivers, at a very low cost. That 0.02% expense ratio is tough to beat, and the fund’s outperformance shows the benefit of putting more of your investment dollars into the market and fewer into management fees.

As the name implies, this top Schwab mutual fund mirrors the performance of the most popular measure of the U.S. stock market, the S&P 500 index. This large-cap blend, passively managed index fund outperformed the category average during the prior one, three-, five-, 10- and 15-year periods.

Roughly 13% of SWPPX’s portfolio is in its top two holdings, Apple (AAPL) and Microsoft (MSFT). That’s similar to the index itself. Fund weightings by industries and individual stocks are also nearly identical to the S&P 500’s. On the other hand, if you’re concerned about a lack of small caps among your holdings, then consider adding a small-cap equity fund to your portfolio. Our list includes one (see SFSNX below).

Amid the Federal Reserve Bank’s anti-inflation campaign of lifting interest rates, bond yields climbed. That still makes the Schwab U.S. Aggregate Bond Index Fund a more attractive bet, especially for investors focused on income.

SWAGX is a passively managed, intermediate-term, diversified bond fund. The nearly seven year old fund’s average annual return matches its Morningstar category’s over the past five years. With bonds climbing back to their historical yields, a fund like SWAGX is worth considering for all but the most aggressive portfolios.

The SWAGX portfolio’s average effective duration is about six years. Don’t confuse “duration” with “maturity.” Average effective duration shows the expected price decline of a bond or bond fund when interest rates rise by 1%. SWAGX shareholders can expect the fund to fall in value by about 6% for each 1% rise in interest rates.

This one Schwab fund offers exposure to U.S. government, agency, mortgage-backed and corporate bonds. There’s also a smattering of cash, foreign and other investment company bonds. If you want to add balance to a stock-fund-heavy portfolio, SWAGX is a sound, low-priced bond mutual fund to consider.

Are you in a higher tax bracket? If so, you might benefit from income that’s exempt from federal tax. And that’s what you’d get from the Schwab Tax-Free Bond Fund.

Unlike the majority of mutual funds on this list, SWNTX is actively managed. Its managers buy and sell bonds throughout the year, aiming to preserve capital and provide the best investment-grade municipal bond  returns.

SWNTX’s dividend yield is 3.36%. For married joint filers in the 24% federal income tax bracket, that tax-free yield is equivalent to a taxable bond yield of 4.21%. The fund has an average effective duration of about six years.

Schwab Fundamental US Small Company Index Fund would boost your portfolio’s diversification  by adding a fund that focuses on smaller public companies. The fund’s most prominent sectors—industrials, consumer discretionary and financial services—are additional diversifiers for any portfolio that favors popular growth-style holdings.

SFSNX has outperformed its Morningstar small-cap blend peer group’s average annual total return over the past one, three, five, 10 and 15 years.

Schwab MarketTrack Balanced Portfolio is an asset allocation fund, holding stocks, bonds and real estate investment trusts (REITs). Most of its equity allocation is in U.S. stocks, with a smaller portion in international stocks. SWBGX is ideal for the minimalist investor who wants their entire portfolio to consist of just one fund.

The fund typically has 50% to 70% of its shareholders’ money at work in stocks. It’s a fund-of-funds that currently owns 13 Schwab funds, which helps keep costs down. Still, SWBGX’s expense ratio is higher than many passively managed index funds’ due to the inclusion of international funds and funds that consider so-called fundamental factors in portfolio construction to avoid overweighting large, popular stocks.

We like this fund for diversifying your 401(k), if it’s offered there. SWBGX is also worth considering by cautious shareholders who want to control risk while seeking capital preservation and growth.

Schwab International Index Fund is a low-cost, diversified, passively managed index portfolio. It’s an ideal pick for the international equity portion of your portfolio.

And SWISX’s 3.07% dividend yield tops the S&P 500’s 1.29%, represented by SWPPX, which hugs that index.

SWISX includes a well-diversified selection of about 800 international stocks—the top ten holdings make up only about 15% of the portfolio. The fund invests in the largest companies in 21 developed markets in Europe, Australasia and the Far East.

Typically, you won’t find a money market mutual fundon a best fund list. But this market moment is different. With the 100 biggest money market fund interest payments averaging above 5%, it makes sense to keep cash you need within the next several years in a high-yielding portfolio like Schwab Value Advantage Money Fund Investor Shares.

This Schwab money market fund invests in high-quality, short-term debt issued by the U.S. and foreign countries. The fund is actively managed to maintain sound credit ratings and high yields.

Don’t let the higher expense ratio worry you. Returns are net of the expense ratio. Should interest rates continue to increase, so will the yield offered by this fund. But remember, when market interest rates decline, so will the yield from SWVXX.