Principal Inflation Protection Fund (PIPIX) belongs to the Inflation-Protected Bonds category. Below you'll find alternative mutual funds from the same category, ranked by key criteria, plus funds that investors commonly compare with PIPIX. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to PIPIX
PIPIX charges 0.39% annually. There are 26 mutual funds in the Inflation-Protected Bonds category with lower expense ratios, going as low as 0.02%.
| Symbol | Name | Expense Ratio | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEI Institutional Investments Trust Real Return Fu... | 0.02% | — | Dec 2006 | PIPIX vs RRPAX | |
| Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities... | 0.04% | — | Oct 2012 | PIPIX vs VTSPX | |
| Fidelity SAI Inflation-Protected Bond Index Fund | 0.05% | — | Aug 2024 | PIPIX vs FSPWX | |
| Fidelity SAI 0-5 Year Inflation-Protected Bond Ind... | 0.05% | — | Nov 2025 | PIPIX vs FFNYX | |
| Schwab Treasury Inflation Protected Securities Ind... | 0.05% | — | Mar 2006 | PIPIX vs SWRSX |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to PIPIX
PIPIX has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 21. There are 27 mutual funds in the Inflation-Protected Bonds category with higher risk-adjusted ranks, going as high as 88.
| Symbol | Name | Risk / Return Rank | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allspring Real Return Fund | 88 | — | Feb 2003 | PIPIX vs IPBAX | |
| Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities... | 85 | — | Oct 2012 | PIPIX vs VTSPX | |
| Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities... | 84 | — | Oct 2012 | PIPIX vs VTIPX | |
| Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities... | 84 | 70.50B | Oct 2012 | PIPIX vs VTAPX | |
| Fidelity Series 0-5 Year Inflation-Protected Bond ... | 80 | — | Jan 2022 | PIPIX vs FSTZX |
Top Performing PIPIX Alternatives (YTD)
PIPIX is at 0.78% YTD. There are 23 mutual funds in the Inflation-Protected Bonds category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 12.96%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allspring Real Return Fund | 12.96% | — | Feb 2003 | PIPIX vs IPBAX | |
| SEI Multi-Asset Real Return Fund Class A | 5.53% | — | Jul 2011 | PIPIX vs SEIAX | |
| DFA Global Core Plus Real Return Portfolio | 2.44% | — | May 2021 | PIPIX vs DFAAX | |
| VALIC Company I Inflation Protected Fund | 1.65% | — | Dec 2004 | PIPIX vs VCTPX | |
| VY BlackRock Inflation Protected Bond Portfolio | 1.55% | — | Apr 2007 | PIPIX vs IBRIX |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to PIPIX
PIPIX has 3.38% 1-year volatility. There are 31 mutual funds in the Inflation-Protected Bonds category with lower 1-year volatility, going as low as 1.56%.
| Symbol | Name | Volatility 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities... | 1.56% | — | Oct 2012 | PIPIX vs VTIPX | |
| Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities... | 1.58% | — | Oct 2012 | PIPIX vs VTSPX | |
| Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities... | 1.58% | 70.50B | Oct 2012 | PIPIX vs VTAPX | |
| Eaton Vance Short Duration Inflation-Protected Inc... | 1.63% | — | Mar 2010 | PIPIX vs EARRX | |
| Eaton Vance Short Duration Inflation-Protected Inc... | 1.64% | — | Mar 2010 | PIPIX vs EIRRX |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to PIPIX
PIPIX has a 1-year max drawdown of -1.92%. There are 22 mutual funds in the Inflation-Protected Bonds category with shallower 1-year drawdowns, going as shallow as -0.70%.
| Symbol | Name | Max Drawdown 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fidelity Series 0-5 Year Inflation-Protected Bond ... | -0.70% | — | Jan 2022 | PIPIX vs FSTZX | |
| Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities... | -0.72% | — | Oct 2012 | PIPIX vs VTIPX | |
| Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities... | -0.75% | — | Oct 2012 | PIPIX vs VTSPX | |
| Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities... | -0.75% | 70.50B | Oct 2012 | PIPIX vs VTAPX | |
| American Century Short Duration Inflation Protecti... | -0.82% | 1.19B | May 2005 | PIPIX vs APOIX |
Other Mutual Funds from Principal
The 10 most viewed Principal mutual funds shown here include PCBIX, PLGIX, CMNWX and span 7 categories.
| Symbol | Name | Category | Risk / Return Rank | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Principal MidCap Fund Institutional Class | Mid Cap Growth Equities | 1 | -6.91% | — | Dec 2000 | PIPIX vs PCBIX | |
| Principal LargeCap Growth Fund I | Large Cap Growth Equities | 8 | 1.06% | — | Dec 2000 | PIPIX vs PLGIX | |
| Principal Capital Appreciation Fund | Large Cap Blend Equities | 49 | 8.97% | — | Nov 1986 | PIPIX vs CMNWX | |
| Principal Blue Chip Fund | Large Cap Growth Equities | 3 | -5.15% | — | Jun 2012 | PIPIX vs PBCKX | |
| Principal LifeTime 2055 Fund | Target Retirement Date | 46 | 8.64% | — | Feb 2008 | PIPIX vs LTFIX | |
| Principal Global Multi-Strategy Fund | Multistrategy | 96 | 5.41% | — | Oct 2011 | PIPIX vs PSMIX | |
| Principal SAM Strategic Growth Portfolio | Diversified Portfolio | 58 | 11.18% | — | Jul 1996 | PIPIX vs SACAX | |
| Principal LifeTime 2045 Fund | Target Retirement Date | 46 | 7.81% | — | Feb 2008 | PIPIX vs LTRIX | |
| Principal LifeTime 2040 Fund | Target Retirement Date | 46 | 6.96% | — | Feb 2001 | PIPIX vs PTDIX | |
| Principal SmallCap S&P 600 Index Fund | Small Cap Blend Equities | 66 | 19.34% | — | Dec 2000 | PIPIX vs PSSMX |
Often Compared With PIPIX
Investors most often compare PIPIX with FIPDX, PLTNX, PMDIX. These 6 comparison targets span 5 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
| Symbol | Name | Category | Risk / Return Rank | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fidelity Inflation-Protected Bond Index Fund | Inflation-Protected Bonds | 21 | 0.78% | — | May 2012 | PIPIX vs FIPDX | |
| Principal LifeTime Hybrid 2055 Fund | Target Retirement Date | 66 | 10.60% | — | Sep 2014 | PIPIX vs PLTNX | |
| Principal Small-MidCap Dividend Income Fund | Mid Cap Value Equities | 53 | 17.23% | — | Jun 2011 | PIPIX vs PMDIX | |
| Principal Global Real Estate Securities Fund | REIT | 11 | 8.05% | — | Sep 2007 | PIPIX vs POSIX | |
| Principal Equity Income Fund | Large Cap Value Equities | 71 | 9.62% | — | May 1939 | PIPIX vs PQIAX | |
| Principal LifeTime 2030 Fund | Target Retirement Date | 48 | 5.32% | — | Feb 2001 | PIPIX vs PMTIX |
Compare PIPIX with Any Fund or Stock
Compare PIPIX with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair PIPIX with funds that move differently
Principal Inflation Protection Fund alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to PIPIX.
Explore PIPIX Diversifiers