• Mutual funds are available with a wide range of investment objectives. Funds can be broadly divided into stock and bond funds, then subdivided into their strategy inside these classes. These top-performing mutual funds are selected from the major fund categories and use the five-year annual returns through May 2010 as reported by Yahoo Finance.
  
  

Stock Funds - Large Company Growth

• The Reynolds Blue Chip Growth Fund was the best performing large-company growth stock fund for both three-year and five-year periods. The fund had an average annual return of 13.24 percent over the last five years. The fund is no-load with an annual expense ratio of 2 percent. The minimum initial investment is $1,000.
  
  Reynolds Funds
  800-773-9665
  reynoldsfunds.com
  
  

Stock Funds - Large Company Value

• The Yacktman Focused fund was the top-performing large-company value stock fund. The fund had the best results for the last three years. The fund's average annual return for the last five years was 10 percent. Yacktman Focused is no-load with an expense ratio of 1.25 percent. The minimum initial investment is $2,500.
  
  Yacktman Funds
  800-457-6033
  yacktman.com
  
  

Stock Fund - Small Company Growth

• The Birmiwal Oasis Fund was the best-performing small-company growth fund for the five years preceding May 2010. The fund's average annual return was 21.17 percent for the five-year period. The fund is no-load with an annual expense ratio of 2.57 percent. The minimum initial investment amount is $1,000.
  
  Birmiwal Oasis Fund
  800-417-5525
  birmiwal.com
  
  

Stock Fund - Small Company Value

• The Heartland Value Plus was the best performing fund in the small-company value-stock category. For the five year period the fund had an average annual return of 10.92 percent. The fund is no-load with an annual expense ratio of 1.21 percent. The minimum investment for new investors is $1,000.
  
  Heartland Funds
  800-432-7856
  heartlandfunds.com
  
  

International Stock Funds

• The top-performing international stock fund was the T. Rowe Price Latin America Fund. The five-year average annual return for the fund was 27.53 percent. The T. Rowe Price Latin America Fund is a no-load fund and has an annual expense ratio of 1.29 percent. The minimum investment in the fund for new investors is $2,500.
  
  T. Rowe Price
  800-638-5660
  individual.troweprice.com/public/Retail
  
  

High Yield Bond Fund

• High-yield bond funds own non-investment grade or "junk" bonds. The top-performing high-yield bond fund for the last five years was the Aegis High Yield fund. The five-year average annual return for the fund was 10.36 percent. Aegis High Yield is no-load with an expense ratio of 1.2 percent. The minimum initial investment in the fund is $10,000.
  
  Aegis Funds
  800-528-3780
  aegisfunds.com
  
  

Government Bond Fund

• The Putnam U.S. Government Income Fund, class A shares, was the top performing government fund for the five-year period. It also ranks highly in three-year performance. The fund's average annual return for the last five years was 7.39 percent. The A shares of the Putnam U.S. Government Income fund have a maximum sales charge of 4 percent and annual expenses of 0.98 percent. The minimum starting investment in the fund is $500.
  
  Putnam Investments
  800-225-1581
  putnam.com/individual/
  
  

Municipal Bond Fund

• The top-performing national municipal bond fund was the Legg Mason Western Asset Managed Municipals fund, class A shares. The fund had a five-year average return of 5.41 percent per year. The fund has a maximum sales load of 4.25 percent and the annual expense ratio is 0.64 percent. New investors must invest at least $1,000.
  
  Legg Mason Global Asset Management
  800-822-5544
  leggmason.com/individualinvestors/
  
  

Specialty Stock Fund

• The USAA Precious Metals and Minerals fund was the top-performing specialty stock fund. The fund had an average annual return of 31.78 percent over the last five years. The USAA Precious Metals and Minerals is no-load and has an annual expense ratio of 1.30 percent. The minimum initial investment in the fund is $3,000.
  
  USAA Investments
  800-531-8181
  usaa.com
  
  

Hybrid Funds

• Hybrid funds use asset allocation to balance stocks and bonds in the same fund. The top-performing hybrid fund was Waddell & Reed Asset Strategy, class A. This fund had a five-year average annual return of 15.41 percent per year. The fund has a maximum sales charge of 5.75 percent and annual expenses of 1.20 percent. The minimum investment for new investors is $500.
  
  Waddell & Reed
  888-923-3355
  waddell.com