Northern Short Bond Fund (BSBAX) belongs to the Short-Term Bond category. Below you'll find alternative mutual funds from the same category, ranked by key criteria, plus funds that investors commonly compare with BSBAX. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to BSBAX
BSBAX charges 0.40% annually. There are 24 mutual funds in the Short-Term Bond category with lower expense ratios, going as low as 0.02%.
| Symbol | Name | Expense Ratio | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vanguard Institutional Intermediate-Term Bond Fund | 0.02% | — | Jun 2015 | BSBAX vs VIITX | |
| Vanguard Institutional Short-Term Bond Fund | 0.02% | — | Jun 2015 | BSBAX vs VISTX | |
| Schwab Short-Term Bond Index Fund | 0.06% | — | Feb 2017 | BSBAX vs SWSBX | |
| TIAA-CREF Short-Term Bond Index Fund | 0.09% | — | Aug 2015 | BSBAX vs TNSHX | |
| Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund | 0.15% | — | Mar 1994 | BSBAX vs VBISX |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to BSBAX
BSBAX has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 77. There are 48 mutual funds in the Short-Term Bond category with higher risk-adjusted ranks, going as high as 99.
| Symbol | Name | Risk / Return Rank | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diamond Hill Short Duration Securitized Bond Fund ... | 99 | — | Jul 2016 | BSBAX vs DHEIX | |
| GuidepathConservative Income Fund | 99 | — | Apr 2018 | BSBAX vs GPICX | |
| DFA Short-Duration Real Return Portfolio | 99 | — | Nov 2013 | BSBAX vs DFAIX | |
| Diamond Hill Short Duration Securitized Bond Fund | 99 | — | Jul 2016 | BSBAX vs DHEAX | |
| DoubleLine Low Duration Bond Fund | 97 | — | Sep 2011 | BSBAX vs DBLSX |
Top Performing BSBAX Alternatives (YTD)
BSBAX is at 0.57% YTD. There are 95 mutual funds in the Short-Term Bond category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 9.75%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GuidePath Absolute Return Allocation Fund | 9.75% | — | Apr 2011 | BSBAX vs GPARX | |
| Leader Short Term High Yield Bond Fund | 3.76% | — | Jul 2005 | BSBAX vs LCCMX | |
| DFA Short-Duration Real Return Portfolio | 2.57% | — | Nov 2013 | BSBAX vs DFAIX | |
| Holbrook Income Fund | 2.12% | — | Jul 2016 | BSBAX vs HOBEX | |
| BlackRock Allocation Target Shares Series A Portfo... | 1.98% | — | Sep 2015 | BSBAX vs BATAX |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to BSBAX
BSBAX has 1.69% 1-year volatility. There are 27 mutual funds in the Short-Term Bond category with lower 1-year volatility, going as low as 0.83%.
| Symbol | Name | Volatility 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GuidepathConservative Income Fund | 0.83% | — | Apr 2018 | BSBAX vs GPICX | |
| Diamond Hill Short Duration Securitized Bond Fund ... | 1.06% | — | Jul 2016 | BSBAX vs DHEIX | |
| DFA Short-Term Extended Quality Portfolio | 1.08% | — | Mar 2009 | BSBAX vs DFEQX | |
| DFA Short-Duration Real Return Portfolio | 1.10% | — | Nov 2013 | BSBAX vs DFAIX | |
| Diamond Hill Short Duration Securitized Bond Fund | 1.11% | — | Jul 2016 | BSBAX vs DHEAX |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to BSBAX
BSBAX has a 1-year max drawdown of -1.19%. There are 44 mutual funds in the Short-Term Bond category with shallower 1-year drawdowns, going as shallow as -0.25%.
| Symbol | Name | Max Drawdown 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GuidepathConservative Income Fund | -0.25% | — | Apr 2018 | BSBAX vs GPICX | |
| DFA Short-Duration Real Return Portfolio | -0.47% | — | Nov 2013 | BSBAX vs DFAIX | |
| Diamond Hill Short Duration Securitized Bond Fund ... | -0.50% | — | Jul 2016 | BSBAX vs DHEIX | |
| Diamond Hill Short Duration Securitized Bond Fund | -0.50% | — | Jul 2016 | BSBAX vs DHEAX | |
| Holbrook Income Fund | -0.61% | — | Jul 2016 | BSBAX vs HOBEX |
Other Mutual Funds from Northern Funds
The 10 most viewed Northern Funds mutual funds shown here include NOIEX, NOSIX, NHFIX and span 9 categories.
| Symbol | Name | Category | Risk / Return Rank | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Income Equity Fund | Large Cap Value Equities | 81 | 12.30% | — | Mar 1994 | BSBAX vs NOIEX | |
| Northern Stock Index Fund | Large Cap Blend Equities | 74 | 11.32% | — | Oct 1996 | BSBAX vs NOSIX | |
| Northern High Yield Fixed Income Fund | High Yield Bonds | 77 | 1.70% | — | Dec 1998 | BSBAX vs NHFIX | |
| Northern Global Sustainability Index Fund | Global Equities | 55 | 10.02% | — | Mar 2008 | BSBAX vs NSRIX | |
| Northern International Equity Index Fund | Foreign Large Cap Equities | 30 | 9.50% | — | Mar 2005 | BSBAX vs NOINX | |
| Northern Small Cap Value Fund | Small Cap Value Equities | 65 | 16.32% | — | Mar 1994 | BSBAX vs NOSGX | |
| Northern Small Cap Core Fund | Small Cap Blend Equities | 65 | 17.25% | — | Sep 1999 | BSBAX vs NSGRX | |
| Northern Large Cap Core Fund | Large Cap Blend Equities | 82 | 10.47% | — | Dec 2005 | BSBAX vs NOLCX | |
| Northern Bond Index Fund | Intermediate Core Bond | 16 | -0.07% | — | Feb 2007 | BSBAX vs NOBOX | |
| Northern Mid Cap Index Fund | Mid Cap Blend Equities | 46 | 14.52% | — | Mar 2005 | BSBAX vs NOMIX |
Often Compared With BSBAX
Investors most often compare BSBAX with NOCBX, NSIDX, SNSAX. These 3 comparison targets span 3 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
| Symbol | Name | Category | Risk / Return Rank | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Core Bond Fund | Intermediate Core Bond | 17 | -0.13% | — | Mar 2001 | BSBAX vs NOCBX | |
| Northern Small Cap Index Fund | Small Cap Blend Equities | 64 | 18.81% | — | Sep 1999 | BSBAX vs NSIDX | |
| SEI Asset Allocation Trust Defensive Strategy Fund | Short-Term Bond | 89 | 1.86% | — | Nov 2003 | BSBAX vs SNSAX |
Compare BSBAX with Any Fund or Stock
Compare BSBAX with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair BSBAX with funds that move differently
Northern Short Bond Fund alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to BSBAX.
Explore BSBAX Diversifiers