DFA Short-Duration Real Return Portfolio (DFAIX) 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 DFAIX. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to DFAIX
DFAIX charges 0.22% annually. There are 8 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 Short-Term Bond Fund | 0.02% | — | Jun 2015 | DFAIX vs VISTX | |
| Vanguard Institutional Intermediate-Term Bond Fund | 0.02% | — | Jun 2015 | DFAIX vs VIITX | |
| Schwab Short-Term Bond Index Fund | 0.06% | — | Feb 2017 | DFAIX vs SWSBX | |
| TIAA-CREF Short-Term Bond Index Fund | 0.09% | — | Aug 2015 | DFAIX vs TNSHX | |
| Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund | 0.15% | — | Mar 1994 | DFAIX vs VBISX |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to DFAIX
DFAIX has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 99. There are 2 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 | DFAIX vs DHEIX | |
| GuidepathConservative Income Fund | 99 | — | Apr 2018 | DFAIX vs GPICX | |
| Diamond Hill Short Duration Securitized Bond Fund | 99 | — | Jul 2016 | DFAIX vs DHEAX | |
| DoubleLine Low Duration Bond Fund | 97 | — | Sep 2011 | DFAIX vs DBLSX | |
| BlackRock Allocation Target Shares Series A Portfo... | 97 | — | Sep 2015 | DFAIX vs BATAX |
Top Performing DFAIX Alternatives (YTD)
DFAIX is at 2.57% YTD. There are 2 mutual funds in the Short-Term Bond category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 9.96%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GuidePath Absolute Return Allocation Fund | 9.96% | — | Apr 2011 | DFAIX vs GPARX | |
| Leader Short Term High Yield Bond Fund | 3.89% | — | Jul 2005 | DFAIX vs LCCMX | |
| Holbrook Income Fund | 2.12% | — | Jul 2016 | DFAIX vs HOBEX | |
| BlackRock Allocation Target Shares Series A Portfo... | 1.98% | — | Sep 2015 | DFAIX vs BATAX | |
| SEI Asset Allocation Trust Defensive Strategy Fund | 1.86% | — | Nov 2003 | DFAIX vs SNSAX |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to DFAIX
DFAIX has 1.11% 1-year volatility. There are 3 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 | DFAIX vs GPICX | |
| Diamond Hill Short Duration Securitized Bond Fund ... | 1.05% | — | Jul 2016 | DFAIX vs DHEIX | |
| DFA Short-Term Extended Quality Portfolio | 1.07% | — | Mar 2009 | DFAIX vs DFEQX | |
| Diamond Hill Short Duration Securitized Bond Fund | 1.11% | — | Jul 2016 | DFAIX vs DHEAX | |
| DoubleLine Low Duration Bond Fund Class N | 1.20% | — | Sep 2011 | DFAIX vs DLSNX |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to DFAIX
DFAIX has a 1-year max drawdown of -0.47%. There is 1 mutual fund in the Short-Term Bond category with a shallower 1-year drawdown, going as shallow as -0.25%.
| Symbol | Name | Max Drawdown 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GuidepathConservative Income Fund | -0.25% | — | Apr 2018 | DFAIX vs GPICX | |
| Diamond Hill Short Duration Securitized Bond Fund | -0.50% | — | Jul 2016 | DFAIX vs DHEAX | |
| Diamond Hill Short Duration Securitized Bond Fund ... | -0.50% | — | Jul 2016 | DFAIX vs DHEIX | |
| Holbrook Income Fund | -0.61% | — | Jul 2016 | DFAIX vs HOBEX | |
| Destinations Low Duration Fixed Income Fund | -0.64% | — | Mar 2017 | DFAIX vs DLDFX |
Other Mutual Funds from Dimensional
The 10 most viewed Dimensional mutual funds shown here include DFSVX, DFIVX, DGEIX and span 7 categories.
| Symbol | Name | Category | Risk / Return Rank | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DFA U.S. Small Cap Value Portfolio I | Small Cap Value Equities | 56 | 15.21% | — | Mar 1993 | DFAIX vs DFSVX | |
| DFA International Value Portfolio | Foreign Large Cap Equities | 80 | 12.52% | — | Feb 1994 | DFAIX vs DFIVX | |
| DFA Global Equity Portfolio Institutional Class | Global Equities | 77 | 12.50% | — | Dec 2003 | DFAIX vs DGEIX | |
| DFA U.S. Large Company Portfolio | Large Cap Blend Equities | 77 | 11.55% | — | Sep 1999 | DFAIX vs DFUSX | |
| DFA International Small Cap Value Portfolio | Foreign Small & Mid Cap Equities | 65 | 10.54% | — | Dec 1994 | DFAIX vs DISVX | |
| DFA U.S. Targeted Value Portfolio | Small Cap Value Equities | 50 | 13.48% | — | Feb 2000 | DFAIX vs DFFVX | |
| DFA International Core Equity Portfolio I | Foreign Large Cap Equities, Large Cap Blend Equities | 48 | 10.70% | — | Sep 2005 | DFAIX vs DFIEX | |
| DFA U.S. Small Cap Portfolio | Small Cap Blend Equities | 47 | 13.83% | — | Mar 1992 | DFAIX vs DFSTX | |
| DFA US Core Equity 1 Portfolio I | Large Cap Blend Equities | 78 | 11.79% | — | Sep 2005 | DFAIX vs DFEOX | |
| DFA U.S. Large Cap Value Portfolio | Large Cap Value Equities | 90 | 14.74% | — | Feb 1993 | DFAIX vs DFLVX |
Often Compared With DFAIX
Investors most often compare DFAIX with SLQD, HAWX, SDMZX. These 20 comparison targets span 5 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
Compare DFAIX with Any Fund or Stock
Compare DFAIX with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair DFAIX with funds that move differently
DFA Short-Duration Real Return Portfolio alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to DFAIX.
Explore DFAIX Diversifiers