VALIC Financial Advisors Inc., based in Houston, TX, is a subsidiary of Corebridge Financial Inc. It offers planning, pension consulting and portfolio management services. With $23.2 billion in assets under management and a team of 1,276 professionals spread across 51 states, VALIC serves more than 359,447 clients, primarily consisting of individuals.

It offers a diverse range of mutual funds that focus on tax-qualified retirement plans, supplemental tax-deferred investments and after-tax investments. These mutual funds are managed by an experienced team that emphasizes tax efficiency and transparency, making VALIC mutual funds a reliable option for managing wealth.

Also, mutual funds, in general, diversify portfolios without several commission charges that are mainly associated with stock purchases and trim transaction costs (read more: Mutual Funds: Advantages, Disadvantages, and How They Make Investors Money).

We have, thus, chosen three VALIC mutual funds that investors should buy now for the long term. These funds have a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy), positive three-year and five-year annualized returns, minimum initial investments within $5000 and expense ratios considerably lower than the category average. So, these funds have provided a comparatively stronger performance and carry a lower fee.

VALIC Company I Asset Allocation (VCAAX Quick QuoteVCAAX - Free Report) fund invests in equity securities, focusing on common stocks of large and medium-sized U.S. companies listed on the S&P 500 Index. VCAAX advisors also invest in investment-grade, fixed-income securities.

Jeffrey A. Geller has been the lead manager of VCAAX since Jun 11, 2021. Most of the fund’s holdings were in companies like Microsoft Corp (5.8%), Apple Inc. (3.3%) and Amazon.com, Inc.  (2.6%) as of Nov 30, 2023.

VCAAX’s 3-year and 5-year annualized returns are 6% and 7.4%, respectively. Its net expense ratio is 0.66%. VCAAX has a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank #1.

To see how this fund performed compared to its category, and other 1 and 2 Ranked Mutual Funds, please click here.

VALIC Company I Growth (VCULX Quick QuoteVCULX - Free Report) fund invests in common stocks of companies selected on factors like robust earnings, strong sales and revenue growth, and the potential for capital appreciation. VCULX advisors also invest in securities of foreign companies.

Timothy Campion has been the lead manager of VCULX since Sep 30, 2019. Most of the fund’s holdings were in companies like Apple Inc. (9.9%), Microsoft Corp (9.5%) and Amazon.com, Inc. (7.2%) as of Nov 30, 2023.

VCULX 3-year and 5-year annualized returns are 8.3% and 15.8%, respectively. Its net expense ratio is 0.63%. VCULX has a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank #1.

VALIC Company I Systematic Value (VBCVX Quick QuoteVBCVX - Free Report) fund primarily invests in equity securities of U.S. large- and mid-cap companies, selected on their inclusion on the Russell 1000 Value Index, which identifies companies with value characteristics such as lower price-to-book ratios and lower expected growth values.

Thomas S. Simon has been the lead manager of VBCVX since Oct 1, 2019. Most of the fund’s holdings were in companies like Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (4.4%), JPMorgan Chase & Co. (3.3%) and Johnson & Johnson (2.9%) as of Nov 30, 2023.

VBCVX’s 3-year and 5-year annualized returns are 10.9% and 8.8%, respectively. Its net expense ratio is 0.49%. VBCVX has a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank #1.

Want key mutual fund info delivered straight to your inbox?

Zacks' free Fund Newsletter will brief you on top news and analysis, as well as top-performing mutual funds, each week. Get it free >>