RPMGX vs VMGIX Fund Comparison

A comparison between RPMGX and VMGIX based on their expense ratio, growth, holdings and how well they match their benchmark performance.

Group Created with Sketch.

Minafi's Take on RPMGX vs VMGIX

Here's an in depth look at the differences between T. Rowe Price Mid-Cap Growth Fund ($RPMGX) and Vanguard Mid-Cap Growth Index Fund Investor Shares ($VMGIX).

To start off, here's a look at the basics of each fund. Keep an eye on the FI Score. That's a custom score from 0 to 100 that we generate based on how good this fund is for the casual investor. Most investors only need a handful of total funds in their portfolio. The higher the score, the more likely this is one of those few. Score alone isn't enough! Keep reading on to see how different (or perhaps similar) these two funds are.

71% FI Score
  • rpmgx
  • Mutual Fund
  • US Stocks
  • Mid-Cap Growth

T. Rowe Price Mid-Cap Growth Fund

Expenses: 0.74% (Better than 1% of similar funds)

This is an OK choice for a Mid-Cap Growth US Stocks fund. See why »

86% FI Score
  • vmgix
  • Mutual Fund
  • US Stocks
  • Mid-Cap Growth

Vanguard Mid-Cap Growth Index Fund Investor Shares

Expenses: 0.19% (Better than 1% of similar funds)

This is an OK choice for a Mid-Cap Growth US Stocks fund. See why »

Both $RPMGX and $VMGIX are categorized as Mutual Funds. Mutual funds are often offered by 401(k) platforms and are essentially the same as ETFs. Mutual funds are generally offered by an investment platform – Fidelity has Fidelity mutual funds, Vanguard has Vanguard mutual funds. Mutual funds are ideal for retirement investing since you can invest any amount. That allows you to invest every last cent and benefit from the market.

The biggest disadvantage of mutual funds is that you're usually limited to the funds on your investment platform. If you're investing on Fidelity, you'll want to pick Fidelity mutual funds (or any ETF). Same with Vanguard. Some platforms offer mutual funds from other platforms, but they may charge a purchse or redemption fee. I'd recommend using the same platform as your funds – or stick to ETFs.

To learn more about the difference between these two, you can read about the difference between ETFs and Mutual Funds.

When evaluating a fund, the first things I look at are:

  • What it invests in
  • How much it charges in fees
  • How large the fund is

Let's look into these criteria one by one and see if either of these funds stands out.

Fund Holdings Comparison

Both of these funds are US Stocks Mid-Cap Growth funds – which means they're likely both investing in about the same investments behind the scenes.

Minafi's FI Score algorithm takes into account the category and market. The more niche a fund is, the lower the score. This doesn't mean it's a worse fund, but it does mean you should stop and make sure this a fund you need to diversify your portfolio.

RPMGX VMGIX
Market Score 10.0 /10 9.6 /10
Category Score 5.0 /10 5.0 /10
Total 15.0 14.6

A score of 10 means this is a solid market and category that almost every investor will want to have investments in. The lower the score, the more specific the investment. These scores are based on when most investors would add these funds to their portfolio. A score of 10 means that this fund (or one like it) belongs in a three-fund portfolio. The lower the score, the farther down in your portfolio a fund would go.

Winner: $RPMGX

Fee Comparison

Fees are one of the biggest killers of portfolio growth. The difference between a 2% fee and a 0.04% fee over 30 years can result in your portfolio having half the total value!

If you're just getting started investing and learning how fees impact your portfolio, I'd encourage you to read through my free investment course (specifically '2.2 - All About Fees') where I go over all the different types of fees you can be charged and how to lower them.

For these two funds, RPMGX has an expense ratio of 0.74% while VMGIX has an expense ratio of 0.19%. In this case, both of these funds have a similar fee.

Winner: $VMGIX (barely)

Fund Size Comparison

Both RPMGX and VMGIX have a similar number of assets under management. RPMGX has 32 Billion in assets under management, while VMGIX has 14 Billion.

Minafi categorizes both of these funds as large funds. Fund size is a good indication of how many other investors trust this fund. A large fund by itself doesn't mean it's a good fund, but it is one thing to consider when figuring out how to choose the right fund.

Winner: tie

Which Should You Choose? RPMGX or VMGIX?

Since both of these funds are US Stocks Mid-Cap Growth funds, you'll most likely only need to invest in one of these funds – not both. Running both of these funds through Minafi's FI Score algorithm, gives RPMGX a score of 71 and VMGIX a score of 86.

Since both of these have a similar FI Score, the difference between these two if minimal. A higher FI Score doesn't mean future growth will be higher, but it does mean that it better fits criteria for a good fund. Neither of these funds has an FI Score above 90 – which is a red flag. I'd look into more funds to find one with a higher FI Score.

Winner: Neither, I'd research more funds if you're looking to invest for retirement.

$RPMGX

T. Rowe Price Mid-Cap Growth Fund

71

Read More
Ratings
Rating Type Rating
Expense Ratio Score 9 /10
Expense Rating 3 /10
Market Score 10 /10
Category Score 5 /10
Overview
Overview Details
Fund Type Mutual Fund
Inception Date Jun-30-1992
Exchange NMFQS
Expense Ratio 0.740%
Net Assets 32 Billion
Yield 0.21%
Holdings
Description Info
Market US Stocks
Category Mid-Cap Growth
Sectors
  • Basic Materials 2.94%
  • Communication Services 2.32%
  • Consumer Cyclical 14.15%
  • Consumer Defensive 5.31%
  • Energy 1.39%
  • Financial Services 7.79%
  • Healthcare 23.47%
  • Industrials 16.99%
  • Real Estate 0.97%
  • Technology 22.82%
  • Utilities 1.84%
Regions
  • Asia Emerging 1.48%
  • Europe Developed 1.05%
  • North America 94.89%
  • United Kingdom 2.59%

$VMGIX

Vanguard Mid-Cap Growth Index Fund Investor Shares

86

Read More
Ratings
Rating Type Rating
Expense Ratio Score 10 /10
Expense Rating 8 /10
Market Score 10 /10
Category Score 5 /10
Overview
Overview Details
Fund Type Mutual Fund
Inception Date Aug-17-2006
Exchange NMFQS
Expense Ratio 0.190%
Net Assets 14 Billion
Yield 0.76%
Holdings
Description Info
Market US Stocks
Category Mid-Cap Growth
Sectors
  • Basic Materials 2.20%
  • Communication Services 5.88%
  • Consumer Cyclical 9.74%
  • Consumer Defensive 3.53%
  • Energy 3.98%
  • Financial Services 6.04%
  • Healthcare 16.16%
  • Industrials 15.87%
  • Real Estate 12.54%
  • Technology 23.87%
  • Utilities 0.19%
Regions
  • North America 100.00%

Adam says: Learn how to confidently invest for retirement!

Join the Minafi Investor Bootcamp to see how.

This 10-course bootcamp starts at only $10 for everything!

Minafi - The intersection of FI, minimalism & mindfulness.

Don't miss out on new posts, courses, interactive articles and more!

Join & Get Your First Course Free

© 2024   Adam Fortuna

Site Map
Triangle Graduation Cap Angle Down Book regular Phone laptop regular fire regular fire regular search regular Acorn duotone Seedling duotone thumbs down duo thumbs up duo