American Funds American Balanced Fund (BALFX) belongs to the Diversified Portfolio category. Below you'll find alternative mutual funds from the same category, ranked by key criteria, plus funds that investors commonly compare with BALFX. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to BALFX
BALFX charges 0.62% annually. There are 253 mutual funds in the Diversified Portfolio category with lower expense ratios, going as low as 0.02%.
| Symbol | Name | Expense Ratio | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fidelity 70% Allocation Fund | 0.02% | — | Jan 2022 | BALFX vs FRGAX | |
| PGIM 60/40 Allocation Fund | 0.03% | — | Sep 2017 | BALFX vs PALDX | |
| Vanguard Balanced Index Fund Institutional Shares | 0.04% | 64.10B | Dec 2000 | BALFX vs VBAIX | |
| TIAA-CREF Lifestyle Aggressive Growth Fund | 0.04% | — | Dec 2011 | BALFX vs TSAIX | |
| Vanguard Tax-Managed Balanced Fund Admiral Shares | 0.05% | 12.30B | Sep 1994 | BALFX vs VTMFX |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to BALFX
BALFX has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 79. There are 66 mutual funds in the Diversified Portfolio category with higher risk-adjusted ranks, going as high as 99.
| Symbol | Name | Risk / Return Rank | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEI Asset Allocation Trust Defensive Strategy Allo... | 99 | — | Nov 2003 | BALFX vs STDAX | |
| Thornburg Investment Income Builder Fund Class I | 97 | — | Dec 2002 | BALFX vs TIBIX | |
| Nuveen Flexible Income Fund | 96 | — | Dec 2009 | BALFX vs NWQIX | |
| Pioneer Balanced ESG Fund | 94 | — | Dec 1991 | BALFX vs AYBLX | |
| Victory Pioneer Balanced Fund Class A | 94 | — | Dec 1991 | BALFX vs AOBLX |
Top Performing BALFX Alternatives (YTD)
BALFX is at 9.39% YTD. There are 138 mutual funds in the Diversified Portfolio category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 33.16%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allspring Diversified Capital Builder Fund | 33.16% | — | Jan 1998 | BALFX vs EKBAX | |
| Greenspring Fund | 20.03% | — | Jun 1983 | BALFX vs GRSPX | |
| MH Elite Small Cap Fund of Funds Fund | 19.67% | — | Aug 1998 | BALFX vs MHELX | |
| ICON Equity Income Fund | 17.57% | — | May 2004 | BALFX vs IOEZX | |
| Thornburg Investment Income Builder Fund Class I | 16.15% | — | Dec 2002 | BALFX vs TIBIX |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to BALFX
BALFX has 9.24% 1-year volatility. There are 345 mutual funds in the Diversified Portfolio category with lower 1-year volatility, going as low as 0.86%.
| Symbol | Name | Volatility 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEI Asset Allocation Trust Defensive Strategy Allo... | 0.86% | — | Nov 2003 | BALFX vs STDAX | |
| SEI Asset Allocation Trust Conservative Strategy F... | 2.83% | — | Nov 2003 | BALFX vs SICIX | |
| SEI Institutional Managed Trust Multi-Asset Capita... | 2.86% | — | Apr 2012 | BALFX vs SCLAX | |
| Ave Maria Bond Fund | 2.99% | — | Apr 2003 | BALFX vs AVEFX | |
| American Funds College 2027 Fund | 3.09% | — | Sep 2012 | BALFX vs CSTAX |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to BALFX
BALFX has a 1-year max drawdown of -7.03%. There are 348 mutual funds in the Diversified Portfolio category with shallower 1-year drawdowns, going as shallow as -0.36%.
| Symbol | Name | Max Drawdown 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEI Asset Allocation Trust Defensive Strategy Allo... | -0.36% | — | Nov 2003 | BALFX vs STDAX | |
| SEI Institutional Managed Trust Multi-Asset Capita... | -2.32% | — | Apr 2012 | BALFX vs SCLAX | |
| DFA Global Allocation 25/75 Portfolio | -2.64% | — | Dec 2003 | BALFX vs DGTSX | |
| SEI Asset Allocation Trust Conservative Strategy F... | -2.65% | — | Nov 2003 | BALFX vs SICIX | |
| American Funds College 2027 Fund | -2.72% | — | Sep 2012 | BALFX vs CSTAX |
Other Mutual Funds from American Funds
The 10 most viewed American Funds mutual funds shown here include ABALX, AIVSX, AWSHX and span 7 categories.
Often Compared With BALFX
Investors most often compare BALFX with VBIAX, AOR, VBINX. These 20 comparison targets span 6 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
Compare BALFX with Any Fund or Stock
Compare BALFX with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair BALFX with funds that move differently
American Funds American Balanced Fund alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to BALFX.
Explore BALFX Diversifiers