Vanguard Financials Index Fund Admiral Shares (VFAIX) belongs to the Financials Equities category. Below you'll find alternative mutual funds from the same category, ranked by key criteria, plus funds that investors commonly compare with VFAIX. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to VFAIX
VFAIX charges 0.09% annually. No mutual funds in the Financials Equities category have lower expense ratios; the lowest-cost alternatives shown here go as low as 0.62%.
| Symbol | Name | Expense Ratio | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fidelity Select Insurance Portfolio | 0.62% | — | Dec 1985 | VFAIX vs FSPCX | |
| Fidelity Advisor Financial Services Fund Class Z | 0.64% | — | Oct 2018 | VFAIX vs FIKBX | |
| Fidelity Select Financial Services Portfolio | 0.73% | — | Dec 1981 | VFAIX vs FIDSX | |
| Fidelity Select Banking Portfolio | 0.73% | — | Jun 1986 | VFAIX vs FSRBX | |
| Fidelity Select Brokerage & Invmt Mgmt Portfolio | 0.75% | — | Jul 1985 | VFAIX vs FSLBX |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to VFAIX
VFAIX has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 16. There are 19 mutual funds in the Financials Equities category with higher risk-adjusted ranks, going as high as 88.
| Symbol | Name | Risk / Return Rank | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gabelli Global Financial Services Fund | 88 | — | Oct 2018 | VFAIX vs GFSIX | |
| Gabelli Global Financial Services Fund Class AAA | 87 | — | Oct 2018 | VFAIX vs GAFSX | |
| RMB Mendon Financial Services Fund | 83 | — | Jun 1999 | VFAIX vs RMBKX | |
| John Hancock Regional Bank Fund | 54 | — | Jan 1992 | VFAIX vs FRBAX | |
| Hennessy Small Cap Financial Fund | 52 | — | Jan 1997 | VFAIX vs HSFNX |
Top Performing VFAIX Alternatives (YTD)
VFAIX is at 5.34% YTD. There are 21 mutual funds in the Financials Equities category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 20.53%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Hancock Financial Opportunities Fund | 20.53% | — | Aug 1994 | VFAIX vs BTO | |
| RMB Mendon Financial Services Fund | 20.20% | — | Jun 1999 | VFAIX vs RMBKX | |
| John Hancock Regional Bank Fund | 19.44% | — | Jan 1992 | VFAIX vs FRBAX | |
| Fidelity Select Banking Portfolio | 15.93% | — | Jun 1986 | VFAIX vs FSRBX | |
| Hennessy Small Cap Financial Fund | 15.65% | — | Jan 1997 | VFAIX vs HSFNX |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to VFAIX
VFAIX has 15.04% 1-year volatility. There are 7 mutual funds in the Financials Equities category with lower 1-year volatility, going as low as 7.43%.
| Symbol | Name | Volatility 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flaherty & Crumrine Total Return Fund Inc | 7.43% | — | Aug 2003 | VFAIX vs FLC | |
| Saratoga Financial Service Fund | 9.20% | — | Aug 2000 | VFAIX vs SFPAX | |
| Gabelli Global Financial Services Fund | 12.54% | — | Oct 2018 | VFAIX vs GFSIX | |
| Gabelli Global Financial Services Fund Class AAA | 12.59% | — | Oct 2018 | VFAIX vs GAFSX | |
| ICON Consumer Select Fund | 14.27% | — | Jul 1997 | VFAIX vs ICFSX |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to VFAIX
VFAIX has a 1-year max drawdown of -14.72%. There are 19 mutual funds in the Financials Equities category with shallower 1-year drawdowns, going as shallow as -4.86%.
| Symbol | Name | Max Drawdown 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saratoga Financial Service Fund | -4.86% | — | Aug 2000 | VFAIX vs SFPAX | |
| Flaherty & Crumrine Total Return Fund Inc | -8.34% | — | Aug 2003 | VFAIX vs FLC | |
| Gabelli Global Financial Services Fund | -9.42% | — | Oct 2018 | VFAIX vs GFSIX | |
| Gabelli Global Financial Services Fund Class AAA | -9.47% | — | Oct 2018 | VFAIX vs GAFSX | |
| RMB Mendon Financial Services Fund | -9.48% | — | Jun 1999 | VFAIX vs RMBKX |
Other Mutual Funds from Vanguard
The 10 most viewed Vanguard mutual funds shown here include VTSAX, VFIAX, VTIAX and span 8 categories. AUM among these funds goes as high as $2T.
Often Compared With VFAIX
Investors most often compare VFAIX with FXAIX, SWPPX, VFFSX. These 20 comparison targets span 10 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
Compare VFAIX with Any Fund or Stock
Compare VFAIX with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair VFAIX with funds that move differently
Vanguard Financials Index Fund Admiral Shares alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to VFAIX.
Explore VFAIX Diversifiers