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7 American Funds deemed “Thrilling” by Morningstar
Target date funds have a lot in common. But the American Funds Target Date Series takes a distinctive approach that has delivered uncommon investment outcomes and helped thousands of participants come closer to achieving their financial dreams.
Our Series has outpaced its peers over the long haul.
Retirement takes a lifetime to earn. Our Series focuses on building and preserving wealth over the long term.
(with absolute rank and number of funds in category indicated)
Source: Capital Group, using Morningstar data as of June 30, 2024. Percentile rankings are calculated by Morningstar and reflect relative performance versus peers. A lower number is better: First percentile indicates a fund’s performance was in the top 1% of its peer group.
All funds began on February 1, 2007, except for 2055 (February 1, 2010), 2060 (March 27, 2015) and 2065 (March 27, 2020). Rankings are based on the funds’ average annual total returns (Class R-6 shares at net asset value) within the applicable Morningstar categories and don’t reflect the effects of sales charges, account fees or taxes. Past results are not predictive of results in future periods. Category averages include all share classes for the funds in the category. While American Funds Class R-6 shares don’t include fees for advisor compensation and service provider payments, the share classes represented in the Morningstar category have varying fee structures and can include these and other fees and charges, resulting in higher expenses and lower returns.
For a list of each fund’s Morningstar category, please see the “Morningstar categories” section. Categories include active, passive and hybrid target date funds, as well as those that are managed both “to” and “through” retirement. Approximately one-third of the funds within the 2000–2010 category have a target date of 2005. In an effort to manage the risk of investors outliving their savings while managing volatility, our approach to allocating between stocks and bonds puts more emphasis on stocks (particularly on dividend-paying stocks) than some other target date funds. Investment results assume all distributions are reinvested and reflect applicable fees and expenses. When applicable, results reflect expense reimbursements, without which they would have been lower.
On a risk-adjusted basis, our Series’ results have been particularly strong thanks to a history of dampening exposure to market swings.
(with absolute rank and number of funds in category indicated)
**Sharpe ratio uses standard deviation (a measure of volatility) and returns to determine the reward per unit of risk. The higher the ratio, the better the portfolio’s historical risk-adjusted performance.
Source: Capital Group, using Morningstar data as of June 30, 2024. Percentile rankings are calculated by Morningstar and reflect relative performance versus peers. A lower number is better: First percentile indicates a fund’s performance was in the top 1% of its peer group.
All funds began on February 1, 2007, except for 2055 (February 1, 2010), 2060 (March 27, 2015) and 2065 (March 27, 2020). Rankings are based on the funds’ average annual total returns (Class R-6 shares at net asset value) within the applicable Morningstar categories and don’t reflect the effects of sales charges, account fees or taxes. Past results are not predictive of results in future periods. Category averages include all share classes for the funds in the category. While American Funds R-6 shares don’t include fees for advisor compensation and service provider payments, the share classes represented in the Morningstar category have varying fee structures and can include these and other fees and charges, resulting in higher expenses and lower returns.
For a list of each fund’s Morningstar category, please see the “Morningstar categories” section. Categories include active, passive and hybrid target date funds, as well as those that are managed both “to” and “through” retirement. Approximately one-third of the funds within the 2000–2010 category have a target date of 2005. In an effort to manage the risk of investors outliving their savings while managing volatility, our approach to allocating between stocks and bonds puts more emphasis on stocks (particularly on dividend-paying stocks) than some other target date funds. Investment results assume all distributions are reinvested and reflect applicable fees and expenses. When applicable, results reflect expense reimbursements, without which they would have been lower.
American Funds was the DC plan provider selected most often as “a company I trust” and “easy for advisors to do business with.”†
Our Series adapts to changing participant needs by adjusting both its stock/bond mix and the types of assets held through each stage of life.
Our Series adapts to changing participant needs by adjusting both its stock/bond mix and the types of assets held through each stage of life.
Early career
(roughly 45 to 20 years before retirement)
Seek to grow wealth and manage risk with predominantly growth-oriented equities and a prudent allocation to defensive bonds.
American Funds Target Date Retirement Series glide path approximation
Mid-career
(roughly 20 years before retirement to 5 years after retirement)
Begin to balance growth and income via diversified fixed income and dividend-paying equities.
American Funds Target Date Retirement Series glide path approximation
In retirement
(Roughly 5 to 30 years after retirement)
Seek to preserve wealth and deliver sustainable income with less-volatile dividend-paying equities and higher quality bonds.
American Funds Target Date Retirement Series glide path approximation
Target allocations are as of December 31, 2023, and are subject to the oversight committee's discretion. Over the course of the year the Series will be implementing changes such as increasing exposure to New World Fund, decreasing American Funds Global Balanced Fund and adding an allocation to American Funds Emerging Markets Bond Fund. For allocations to the underlying funds as of June 30, 2024, visit capitalgroup.com. New target allocations will be reached by December 31, 2024. The investment advisor anticipates assets will be invested within a range that deviates no more than 10% above or below the allocations shown in the prospectus. Underlying funds may be added or removed during the year.
Target allocations are as of December 31, 2023, and are subject to the oversight committee's discretion. Over the course of the year the Series will be implementing changes such as increasing exposure to New World Fund, decreasing American Funds Global Balanced Fund and adding an allocation to American Funds Emerging Markets Bond Fund. For allocations to the underlying funds as of June 30, 2024, visit capitalgroup.com. New target allocations will be reached by December 31, 2024. The investment advisor anticipates assets will be invested within a range that deviates no more than 10% above or below the allocations shown in the prospectus. Underlying funds may be added or removed during the year.
Our funds have delivered peer-beating results and held up well in down markets.
We encourage a focus not just on expenses but on value delivered to participants.
Our glide path is different. While our Series changes the mix between stocks and bonds, it also changes the types of assets held. This is designed to better align with participant needs over time.
Our Target Date Solutions Committee, which oversees the Series, brings a diversity of experience and draws on the fundamental research and quantitative resources of the global Capital Group team.
Years of experience as of December 31, 2023.
Global research offices
Capital Group has a distinctive, long-term global investment approach that relies on fundamental research. Privately held since its founding in 1931 and with more than $2.7 trillion under management, the firm has more than 471 investment professionals worldwide.*
Global research offices
Global research offices:
Los Angeles |
Geneva |
San Francisco |
Mumbai† |
New York |
Hong Kong |
Washington, D.C. |
Tokyo |
Toronto |
Singapore |
London |
|
†Mumbai is a macro-research office only.
Our team is ready to help you help participants.
Important investment disclosures
*Source: Kephart, Jason. “American Funds Target Date Retirement Series®,” Morningstar Target-Date Fund Series Report, January 29, 2024.
†Source: Escalent, Cogent Syndicated. Retirement Plan Advisor Trends, October 2023. Methodology: 503 respondents participated in a web survey conducted September 8–14, 2023. The respondents consisted of financial advisors managing defined contribution plans. In Ownership of Core Brand Attributes — Tier 1, across the most vital attributes, American Funds was selected most often in response to the question “Which — if any — of these DC plan providers are described by this statement: ‘Is a company I trust?’ and ‘Easy for advisors to do business with’?”
Morningstar categories
American Funds Target Date 2010 |
Morningstar Target Date 2000–2010 |
American Funds Target Date 2015 |
Morningstar Target Date 2015 |
American Funds Target Date 2020 |
Morningstar Target Date 2020 |
American Funds Target Date 2025 |
Morningstar Target Date 2025 |
American Funds Target Date 2030 |
Morningstar Target Date 2030 |
American Funds Target Date 2035 |
Morningstar Target Date 2035 |
American Funds Target Date 2040 |
Morningstar Target Date 2040 |
American Funds Target Date 2045 |
Morningstar Target Date 2045 |
American Funds Target Date 2050 |
Morningstar Target Date 2050 |
American Funds Target Date 2055 |
Morningstar Target Date 2055 |
American Funds Target Date 2060 |
Morningstar Target Date 2060 |
American Funds Target Date 2065 |
Morningstar Target Date 2065+ |
Index definitions
The S&P Target Date Series comprises 12 multi-asset class indexes, each corresponding to a particular target retirement date. Each index provides varying levels of exposure to equities and fixed income. Each target date allocation is created and retired according to a predetermined schedule related to the respective target date.
For quarterly updates of fund allocations, click here.