Columbia Balanced Fund (CBALX) 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 CBALX. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to CBALX
CBALX charges 0.67% annually. There are 286 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 | CBALX vs FRGAX | |
| PGIM 60/40 Allocation Fund | 0.03% | — | Sep 2017 | CBALX vs PALDX | |
| Vanguard Balanced Index Fund Institutional Shares | 0.04% | 64.10B | Dec 2000 | CBALX vs VBAIX | |
| TIAA-CREF Lifestyle Aggressive Growth Fund | 0.04% | — | Dec 2011 | CBALX vs TSAIX | |
| Vanguard Tax-Managed Balanced Fund Admiral Shares | 0.05% | 12.30B | Sep 1994 | CBALX vs VTMFX |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to CBALX
CBALX has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 51. There are 359 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 | CBALX vs STDAX | |
| Thornburg Investment Income Builder Fund Class I | 97 | — | Dec 2002 | CBALX vs TIBIX | |
| Nuveen Flexible Income Fund | 96 | — | Dec 2009 | CBALX vs NWQIX | |
| Pioneer Balanced ESG Fund | 94 | — | Dec 1991 | CBALX vs AYBLX | |
| Victory Pioneer Balanced Fund Class A | 94 | — | Dec 1991 | CBALX vs AOBLX |
Top Performing CBALX Alternatives (YTD)
CBALX is at 6.67% YTD. There are 273 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 | CBALX vs EKBAX | |
| Greenspring Fund | 20.03% | — | Jun 1983 | CBALX vs GRSPX | |
| MH Elite Small Cap Fund of Funds Fund | 19.67% | — | Aug 1998 | CBALX vs MHELX | |
| ICON Equity Income Fund | 17.57% | — | May 2004 | CBALX vs IOEZX | |
| Thornburg Investment Income Builder Fund Class I | 16.15% | — | Dec 2002 | CBALX vs TIBIX |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to CBALX
CBALX has 8.80% 1-year volatility. There are 293 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 | CBALX vs STDAX | |
| SEI Asset Allocation Trust Conservative Strategy F... | 2.83% | — | Nov 2003 | CBALX vs SICIX | |
| SEI Institutional Managed Trust Multi-Asset Capita... | 2.86% | — | Apr 2012 | CBALX vs SCLAX | |
| Ave Maria Bond Fund | 2.99% | — | Apr 2003 | CBALX vs AVEFX | |
| American Funds College 2027 Fund | 3.09% | — | Sep 2012 | CBALX vs CSTAX |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to CBALX
CBALX has a 1-year max drawdown of -6.63%. There are 308 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 | CBALX vs STDAX | |
| SEI Institutional Managed Trust Multi-Asset Capita... | -2.32% | — | Apr 2012 | CBALX vs SCLAX | |
| DFA Global Allocation 25/75 Portfolio | -2.64% | — | Dec 2003 | CBALX vs DGTSX | |
| SEI Asset Allocation Trust Conservative Strategy F... | -2.65% | — | Nov 2003 | CBALX vs SICIX | |
| American Funds College 2027 Fund | -2.72% | — | Sep 2012 | CBALX vs CSTAX |
Other Mutual Funds from Columbia
The 10 most viewed Columbia mutual funds shown here include SLMCX, GSFTX, CDDYX and span 7 categories.
| Symbol | Name | Category | Risk / Return Rank | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia Seligman Technology and Information Fund | Technology Equities | 95 | 52.83% | — | Jun 1983 | CBALX vs SLMCX | |
| Columbia Dividend Income Fund | Large Cap Value Equities | 85 | 11.61% | — | Mar 1998 | CBALX vs GSFTX | |
| Columbia Dividend Income Fund Institutional 3 Clas... | Large Cap Value Equities, Dividend | 86 | 11.70% | — | Nov 2012 | CBALX vs CDDYX | |
| Columbia Dividend Income Fund Class A | Large Cap Value Equities | 85 | 11.48% | — | Nov 2002 | CBALX vs LBSAX | |
| Columbia Seligman Global Technology Fund | Technology Equities | 94 | 51.82% | — | May 1994 | CBALX vs SHGTX | |
| Columbia Global Technology Growth Fund Class A | Technology Equities, Large Cap Growth Equities | 62 | 26.44% | — | Nov 2000 | CBALX vs CTCAX | |
| Columbia Global Technology Growth Fund | Technology Equities | 63 | 26.61% | — | Nov 2000 | CBALX vs CMTFX | |
| Columbia Contrarian Core Fund | Large Cap Blend Equities | 46 | 10.38% | — | Dec 1992 | CBALX vs SMGIX | |
| Columbia Overseas Value Fund | Foreign Large Cap Equities | 42 | 6.61% | — | Mar 2008 | CBALX vs COSZX | |
| Columbia Thermostat Fund | Tactical Allocation | 61 | 3.32% | — | Sep 2002 | CBALX vs COTZX |
Often Compared With CBALX
Investors most often compare CBALX with ABALX, JANBX, PGEOX. These 20 comparison targets span 13 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
Compare CBALX with Any Fund or Stock
Compare CBALX with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair CBALX with funds that move differently
Columbia Balanced Fund alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to CBALX.
Explore CBALX Diversifiers