It can sometimes seem like there’s an endless number of mutual funds for you to invest in. But not all of them are a right fit for your portfolio—and some aren’t worthy investments at all. A popular feature from Morningstar’s FundInvestor newsletter greatly shrinks the list and can help you home in on the winners. Russ Kinnel is the newsletter editor and senior principal of ratings for Morningstar Research Services. And he’s here to brag about his thrilling funds list.

On this episode:

Let’s begin with the idea behind the thrilling funds list. How did this get started, and what’s the mission?

You start with thousands of fund share classes. How do you narrow the list to a few dozen, and what are you looking for?

Thirty-three funds met your high standards and made the cut, and they’re all repeats. Did that surprise you?

What kept some funds off this year’s list?

A select group of these standouts are making big bets. Let’s start with the only thrilling fund from the diversified emerging-markets category.

A trio of foreign large growth funds from Fidelity are focusing heavily on financials and industrials. What’s their story, and what makes each of these unique?

Can you describe the funds that are wagering big time on the tech sector?

The healthcare sector has struggled this year. But some funds from Vanguard, Fidelity, and Dodge & Cox appear ready to benefit from a rebound, right? Talk about those funds.