BFFAX Alternatives & Similar Mutual Funds

American Funds The Bond Fund of America Class F-3 (BFFAX) belongs to the Intermediate Core Bond category. Below you'll find alternative mutual funds from the same category, ranked by key criteria, plus funds that investors commonly compare with BFFAX. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.

Cheapest Alternatives to BFFAX

BFFAX charges 0.20% annually. There are 15 mutual funds in the Intermediate Core Bond category with lower expense ratios, going as low as 0.02%.

Symbol	Name	Expense Ratio	AUM	Inception
FMBPX	Federated Hermes Mortgage Strategy Portfolio	0.02%	—	Dec 2007	BFFAX vs FMBPX
SSAFX	State Street Aggregate Bond Index Portfolio	0.02%	—	Sep 2014	BFFAX vs SSAFX
QDIBX	Fisher Investments Institutional Group Fixed Incom...	0.03%	—	Dec 2019	BFFAX vs QDIBX
QDVBX	Fisher Investments Institutional Group ESG Fixed I...	0.04%	—	Dec 2019	BFFAX vs QDVBX
WFBIX	iShares U.S. Aggregate Bond Index Fund	0.05%	—	Jul 1993	BFFAX vs WFBIX

Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to BFFAX

BFFAX has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 22. There are 37 mutual funds in the Intermediate Core Bond category with higher risk-adjusted ranks, going as high as 50.

Symbol	Name	Risk / Return Rank	AUM	Inception
PCGTX	PACE Mortgage-Backed Securities Fixed Income Inves...	50	—	Aug 1995	BFFAX vs PCGTX
LSSAX	Loomis Sayles Securitized Asset Fund	50	—	Mar 2006	BFFAX vs LSSAX
DFXIX	DFA Diversified Fixed Income Portfolio	42	—	Aug 2016	BFFAX vs DFXIX
MCDWX	Manning & Napier Credit Series	41	—	Apr 2020	BFFAX vs MCDWX
STWTX	Hartford Schroders Tax-Aware Bond Fund	40	—	Oct 2011	BFFAX vs STWTX

Top Performing BFFAX Alternatives (YTD)

BFFAX is at 0.24% YTD. There are 54 mutual funds in the Intermediate Core Bond category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 3.02%.

Symbol	Name	YTD Return	AUM	Inception
PCGTX	PACE Mortgage-Backed Securities Fixed Income Inves...	3.02%	—	Aug 1995	BFFAX vs PCGTX
LSSAX	Loomis Sayles Securitized Asset Fund	1.24%	—	Mar 2006	BFFAX vs LSSAX
FSMOX	Fidelity SAI Investment Grade Securitized Fund	0.98%	—	May 2023	BFFAX vs FSMOX
DFXIX	DFA Diversified Fixed Income Portfolio	0.94%	—	Aug 2016	BFFAX vs DFXIX
STWTX	Hartford Schroders Tax-Aware Bond Fund	0.87%	—	Oct 2011	BFFAX vs STWTX

Lowest Volatility Alternatives to BFFAX

BFFAX has 3.97% 1-year volatility. There are 49 mutual funds in the Intermediate Core Bond category with lower 1-year volatility, going as low as 2.47%.

Symbol	Name	Volatility 1Y	AUM	Inception
FEDUX	Fidelity Education Income Fund	2.47%	—	Mar 2021	BFFAX vs FEDUX
BIMIX	Baird Intermediate Bond Fund Class Institutional	2.49%	—	Sep 2000	BFFAX vs BIMIX
BIMSX	Baird Intermediate Bond Fund	2.53%	—	Sep 2000	BFFAX vs BIMSX
DFXIX	DFA Diversified Fixed Income Portfolio	2.61%	—	Aug 2016	BFFAX vs DFXIX
JIBEX	Johnson Institutional Intermediate Bond Fund	2.73%	—	Aug 2000	BFFAX vs JIBEX

Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to BFFAX

BFFAX has a 1-year max drawdown of -3.08%. There are 71 mutual funds in the Intermediate Core Bond category with shallower 1-year drawdowns, going as shallow as -1.69%.

Symbol	Name	Max Drawdown 1Y	AUM	Inception
DFXIX	DFA Diversified Fixed Income Portfolio	-1.69%	—	Aug 2016	BFFAX vs DFXIX
FEDUX	Fidelity Education Income Fund	-1.72%	—	Mar 2021	BFFAX vs FEDUX
BIMSX	Baird Intermediate Bond Fund	-1.87%	—	Sep 2000	BFFAX vs BIMSX
BIMIX	Baird Intermediate Bond Fund Class Institutional	-2.07%	—	Sep 2000	BFFAX vs BIMIX
CRAIX	CCM Community Impact Bond Fund	-2.15%	—	Aug 1999	BFFAX vs CRAIX

Other Mutual Funds from American Funds

The 10 most viewed American Funds mutual funds shown here include ABALX, AIVSX, RGAGX and span 6 categories.

Symbol	Name	Category	Risk / Return Rank	YTD Return	AUM	Inception
ABALX	American Funds American Balanced Fund Class A	Diversified Portfolio	85	9.98%	—	Jul 1975	BFFAX vs ABALX
AIVSX	American Funds Investment Company of America Class...	Large Cap Blend Equities	55	10.91%	—	Jan 1934	BFFAX vs AIVSX
RGAGX	American Funds The Growth Fund of America Class R-...	Large Cap Growth Equities	35	10.24%	—	Dec 1973	BFFAX vs RGAGX
AWSHX	American Funds Washington Mutual Investors Fund Cl...	Large Cap Blend Equities	38	5.89%	—	Jul 1952	BFFAX vs AWSHX
RERGX	American Funds EuroPacific Growth Fund Class R-6	Foreign Large Cap Equities, Large Cap Growth Equities	40	12.33%	—	—	BFFAX vs RERGX
ANCFX	American Funds Fundamental Investors Class A	Large Cap Blend Equities	75	15.14%	—	Jan 1978	BFFAX vs ANCFX
ANWPX	American Funds New Perspective Fund Class A	Large Cap Growth Equities, Global Equities	29	7.38%	—	Mar 1973	BFFAX vs ANWPX
GFFFX	American Funds The Growth Fund of America	Large Cap Growth Equities	34	10.19%	—	Dec 1973	BFFAX vs GFFFX
AMECX	American Funds The Income Fund of America Class A	Diversified Portfolio, Dividend	53	6.34%	—	Dec 1973	BFFAX vs AMECX
AMCPX	American Funds AMCAP Fund Class A	Large Cap Growth Equities	27	6.34%	—	Jan 1967	BFFAX vs AMCPX

Often Compared With BFFAX

Investors most often compare BFFAX with GSLC, AGG, TAUSX. These 20 comparison targets span 10 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.

Symbol	Name	Category	Risk / Return Rank	YTD Return	AUM	Inception
GSLC	Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta U.S. Large Cap Equity ETF	Large Cap Growth Equities	56	8.50%	15.58B	Sep 2015	BFFAX vs GSLC
AGG	iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF	Total Bond Market	36	0.25%	136.46B	Sep 2003	BFFAX vs AGG
TAUSX	John Hancock Investment Grade Bond Fund	Intermediate Core Bond	21	0.20%	—	Dec 1991	BFFAX vs TAUSX
FTBFX	Fidelity Total Bond Fund	Total Bond Market	27	0.57%	—	Oct 2002	BFFAX vs FTBFX
PIMIX	PIMCO Income Fund Institutional Class	Total Bond Market	45	1.00%	—	Mar 2007	BFFAX vs PIMIX
LQD	iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ET...	Corporate Bonds	32	0.46%	29.78B	Jul 2002	BFFAX vs LQD
^GSPC	S&P 500 Index		73	10.35%	—	—	BFFAX vs ^GSPC
JCPB	JPMorgan Core Plus Bond ETF	Intermediate Core-Plus Bond	45	0.58%	12.44B	Jan 2019	BFFAX vs JCPB
TIP	iShares TIPS Bond ETF	Inflation-Protected Bonds	44	1.54%	15.09B	Dec 2003	BFFAX vs TIP
PCMNX	PACE Municipal Fixed Income Investments	Municipal Bonds	70	1.04%	—	Aug 1995	BFFAX vs PCMNX
SCHD	Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF	Dividend	80	19.01%	94.95B	Oct 2011	BFFAX vs SCHD
BCOIX	Baird Core Plus Bond Fund	Intermediate Core-Plus Bond	30	0.44%	—	Sep 2000	BFFAX vs BCOIX
PNIIX	Principal Bond Market Index Fund	Intermediate Core Bond	22	0.47%	—	Dec 2009	BFFAX vs PNIIX
DUTMX	Dupree Taxable Municipal Bond Fund	Intermediate Core Bond	16	0.74%	—	Nov 2010	BFFAX vs DUTMX
PRCIX	T. Rowe Price New Income Fund	Intermediate Core Bond	34	0.13%	—	Aug 1973	BFFAX vs PRCIX
VOO	Vanguard S&P 500 ETF	S&P 500	70	10.91%	1.60T	Sep 2010	BFFAX vs VOO
MWTIX	Metropolitan West Total Return Bond Fund Class I	Total Bond Market	20	0.24%	—	—	BFFAX vs MWTIX
DODIX	Dodge & Cox Income Fund	Total Bond Market	29	0.51%	—	—	BFFAX vs DODIX
PCBIX	Principal MidCap Fund Institutional Class	Mid Cap Growth Equities	1	-7.38%	—	Dec 2000	BFFAX vs PCBIX
NMKBX	North Square McKee Bond Fund	Intermediate Core Bond	25	0.49%	—	Dec 2020	BFFAX vs NMKBX

Compare BFFAX with Any Fund or Stock

Compare BFFAX with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.

Symbol name

Diversifiers

Pair BFFAX with funds that move differently

American Funds The Bond Fund of America Class F-3 alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to BFFAX.

Explore BFFAX Diversifiers

American Funds The Bond Fund of America Class F-3 (BFFAX) Alternatives