STATS: GUESS WHO’S IN THE VANGUARD OF LOW-COST STOCK FUNDS?

Agressive Growth

lowest cost

Expense 1-YEAR

Rank FUND Ratio Return

1 Vanguard Horizon Aggressive Growth 0.38 15.88%

2 USAA Aggressive Growth 0.74 3.75%

3 Putnam Voyager Y 0.77 20.75%

4 Value Line Leveraged Growth 0.86 19.27%

5 Arch Small Cap Equity Trust 0.88 13.64%

6 Markman Aggressive Allocation 0.95 14.75%

7 State Street Research Capital S 0.96 -1.51%

8 Dreyfus Premier Aggressive Growth R 0.98 -19.21%

9 Morgan Stanley Inst’l Aggressive Equity A 1.00 30.13%

10 RBB Ni Growth 1.00 9.95%

highest cost

Expense 1-YEAR

Rank FUND Ratio Return

1 American Heritage 5.42 16.44%

2 Stonebridge Aggressive Growth 2.90 -5.12%

3 Style Select Aggressive Growth B 2.55 12.92%

4 Delaware Group Aggressive Growth B 2.50 35.11%

5 Delaware Group Aggressive Growth C 2.50 35.83%

6 Kemper Aggressive Growth B 2.39 24.15%

7 Morgan Stanley Aggressive Equity C 2.32 27.82%

8 Morgan Stanley Aggressive Equity B 2.32 27.86%

9 Security Ultra B 2.31 7.26%

10 John Hancock Special Opportunities B 2.29 -0.31%

AVERAGE 1.60 11.44%

Vanguard Group, known for thriftiness, placed at least one fund in the top 10 of each style and leads in two of them.

EQUITY INCOME

lowest cost

Expense 1-YEAR

Rank FUND Ratio Return

1 Vanguard Preferred Stock 0.39 14.41%

2 Vanguard Equity Income 0.45 26.50%

3 Lindner Dividend Inv 0.60 8.96%

4 Dreyfus Lifetime Income Rest 0.60 11.71%

5 Income Fund of America 0.61 19.35%

6 Fidelity Equity Income-I 0.66 24.69%

7 Fidelity Puritan 0.66 19.34%

8 USAA Income 0.68 21.61%

9 Delaware Group Decatur Income Inst’l 0.69 24.94%

10 Capital Income Builder 0.71 21.29%

highest cost

Expense 1-YEAR

Rank FUND Ratio Return

1 Style Select Value B 2.
55 20.71%

2 Phoenix-Engemann Value 25 C 2.50 15.00%

3 Phoenix-Engemann Value 25 B 2.50 15.00%

4 Parkstone Equity Income C 2.35 18.15%

5 Parkstone Equity Income B 2.35 18.22%

6 Evergreen Income and Growth B 2.25 20.37%

7 Evergreen Income and Growth C 2.25 20.42%

8 US Income 2.18 20.11%

9 MFS Equity Income C 2.15 27.92%

10 MFS Equity Income B 2.15 27.92%

AVERAGE 1.35 21.38%

The second-thriftiest fund in this sector returned 12 percentage points better than top-ranked Vanguard Preferred.

global equity

lowest cost

Expense 1-Year

Rank FUND Ratio Return

1 Maxim Contrarian 0.25 -10.28%

2 Acorn 0.57 18.60%

3 New Perspective 0.79 15.31%

4 USAA Growth and Income 0.83 19.86%

5 Standish International Equity 0.85 5.85%

6 Vanguard Horizon Global Equity 0.85 7.64%

7 Dreyfus Premier Int’l Growth R 0.87 15.91%

8 Templeton Growth Adv 0.87 13.92%

9 Sierra Trust Capital Growth Portfolio A 0.87 13.92%

10 Janus Worldwide Fund 0.90 10.63%

highest cost

Expense 1-YEAR

Rank FUND Ratio Return

1 Alliance Global Small Cap C 3.10 7.72%

2 Security Equity Fund-Global B 3.00 4.80%

3 Eaton Vance Info Age B 2.96 16.14%

4 Eaton Vance Info Age C 2.88 15.24%

5 Eaton Vance Info Age A 2.87 16.54%

6 GT Global Financial Services B 2.82 21.37%

7 ESC Strategic-Global Equity D 2.78 4.42%

8 Evergreen Global Leaders C 2.75 13.91%

9 Evergreen Global Leaders B 2.75 13.98%

10 Alliance Global Small Cap B 3.11 7.73%

AVERAGE 1.86 10.47%

No. 7 GT Global’s expense ratio was almost a full point above average, but its returns more than doubled the mean.

domestic growth

lowest cost

Expense 1-YEAR

Rank FUND Ratio Return

1 Glenmede Equity 0.13 24.57%

2 State Farm Growth 0.13 19.96%

3 IMS Capital Value
0.16 1.60%

4 Vanguard Tax Managed-Cap Appreciation 0.20 21.08%

5 Vanguard Index Growth Portfolio 0.20 30.60%

6 Vanguard Index Extended Market 0.25 20.69%

7 Vanguard Index Total Stock Market 0.25 24.70%

8 Nations LifeGoal Growth A 0.25 10.84%

9 Firstar Equity Index Inst’l 0.36 26.21%

10 ATT Vision U.S. equity Portfolio 0.38 21.30%

highest cost

Expense 1-YEAR

Rank FUND Ratio Return

1 GAMerica Capital A 4.79 36.99%

2 Eaton Vance Growth C 3.52 18.60%

3 Prudential Distressed Sectors C 3.51 31.77%

4 Prudential Distressed Sectors B 3.51 31.77%

5 Eaton Vance Special Equity C 3.51 8.16%

6 Eaton Vance Special Equity B 3.41 8.58%

7 American Heritage Growth 2.81 -9.00%

8 Prudential Distressed Sectors A 2.76 32.63%

9 FMI Focus 2.75 66.87%

10 Kemper Dreman Contrarian C 2.73 21.14%

AVERAGE 1.77 22.60%

Ninth most expensive FMI Focus aimed at return. It gained nearly three times as much as the average growth fund.

growth & INCOME

lowest cost

Expense 1-YEAR

Rank FUND Ratio Return

1 Strategist Equity 0.08 19.30%

2 ASM Index 30 0.18 17.94%

3 Vanguard Index Value Portfolio 0.20 22.39%

4 Vanguard Tax-Managed G&I 0.20 26.88%

5 Nations LifeGoal Inc & Growth Pr A 0.25 8.60%

6 Transamerica Premier Index 0.25 25.38%

7 Vanguard Windsor I 0.31 14.78%

8 Vanguard G&I Port 0.38 28.22%

9 Vista G&I I 0.38 22.33%

10 Vanguard Windsor II 0.39 24.85%

highest cost

Expense 1-YEAR

Rank FUND Ratio Return

1 Fortis G&I H 3.08 18.48%

2 Fortis G&I B 3.08 18.39%

3 Fortis GG&I C 3.08 18.48%

4 Oppenheimer/Quest G&I Val C 2.88 24.91%

5 Oppenheimer/Quest G&I Val B 2.59 24.86%

6 Calamos G&I C 2.50 19.90%

7 UAM IRC Enhanced Index Portfolio 2.50 20.42%

8 Templeton Ame
rican Trust II 2.40 15.77%

9 Fortis G&I A 2.33 19.46%

10 Prudential Jennison G&I C 2.32 17.66%

AVERAGE 1.31 21.10%

Strategist’s strategy wasn’t all that successful. The expense ratio was certainly low, but the return was below average.

SMALL-CAP equity

lowest cost

Expense 1-YEAR

Rank FUND Ratio Return

1 Glenmede Small Cap Adv 0.14 22.73%

2 Vanguard Index Small Cap 0.25 19.50%

3 Benchmark Small Company Index A 0.32 18.85%

4 BT Advisor Small Cap Index Inst’l 0.45 17.04%

5 BT Inst’l Small Cap Index 0.45 18.06%

6 Schwab Small Cap Index Inv 0.49 19.42%

7 California Invest Trust S&P Small Cap Index 0.61 18.40%

8 Vanguard Explorer Fund 0.63 10.32%

9 MassMutual Inst’l Small Cap S 0.63 32.33%

10 Northern Small Cap Fund 0.65 23.83%

highest cost

Expense 1-YEAR

Rank FUND Ratio Return

1 PaineWebber Small Cap C 2.77 21.30%

2 PaineWebber Small Cap B 2.75 21.38%

3 Delaware Group Small Cap Value C 2.70 25.15%

4 Delaware Group Small Cap Value B 2.70 25.08%

5 GT Global America Small Cap Growth B 2.65 14.06%

6 Alliance Quasar B 2.62 11.54%

7 Alliance Qu