7 best BlackRock index funds to buy in 2025

Our investment experts have compared and reviewed many of the best index funds by BlackRock today and you can find out which ones rank top on this page. Read on to learn which BlackRock index funds you may want to consider buying in 2023. 

What are the 7 top BlackRock index funds to buy?

1. BlackRock Total Return (MPHQX)
2. iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV)
3. BlackRock Strategic Income Opportunities (BSIIX)
4. BlackRock Technology Opportunities (BGSIX)
5. LifePath Dynamic Retirement Fund (LILAX)
6. iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF (IEFA)
7. BlackRock High Yield Bond (BRHYX)

The best BlackRock index funds, compared

1. BlackRock Total Return (MPHQX)

Key details

• Date created: 07 December, 2001
• Expense ratio: 0.68%
• 5-year return: 8.17%
• Minimum investment amount: $2,500
• Dividend yield: 2.00%
• Risk level: Moderate

The BlackRock Total Return is a mutual fund for investors seeking income and growth. It invests in diverse assets, including stocks, bonds, and cash. With a history dating back to 1988, the fund has established a strong performance track record. It has received a 4-star rating from Morningstar and achieved an 8.17% return over 5 years.

MPHQX  allocates its investments across assets such as U.S. and international stocks, bonds, and cash. It’s an actively managed fund, meaning a team of analysts identify investment opportunities. It tracks the performance of the Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index, which is a benchmark for the U.S. bond market.

2. iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV)

Key details

• Date created: March 15, 2000
• Expense ratio: 0.03%
• 5-year return: 12.13%
• Minimum investment amount: $100
• Dividend yield: 1.25%
• Risk level: Moderate

The iShares Core S&P ETF is an exchange traded fund that tracks the performance of the S&P 500 index. This makes it one of the best BlackRock funds for investing in the U.S. stock market. IVV is a passively managed ETF, which means it does not rely on human decision-making; instead, it invests in all of the stocks that comprise the S&P 500. 

IVV rebalances its holdings every quarter to maintain its tracking of the S&P 500 index. With a low expense ratio of just 0.03%, the iShares Core S&P ETF is one of the best BlackRock funds for gaining exposure to the S&P 500 index and the wider U.S. economy while keeping costs low. Over the past five years, IVV has delivered a strong track record, with an average return of 12.13%.

3. BlackRock Strategic Income Opportunities (BSIIX)

Key details

• Date created: June 1, 2000
• Expense ratio: 0.60%
• 5-year return: 7.95%
• Minimum investment amount: $2,500
• Dividend yield: 4.03%
• Risk level: Moderate

The best BlackRock investment fund for income seekers is the BlackRock Strategic Income Opportunities. It’s a mutual fund that specialises in several fixed-income securities. This means it invests in high-yield bonds, investment-grade bonds, and mortgage-backed securities. The fund’s main objective is to generate a total return of income and growth. 

BSIIX has been running for over two decades, has a 4-star rating from Morningstar, and a five-year return of nearly 8%. It is an actively managed fund where its fund managers use various strategies to identify opportunities for both income and growth. While it does not track a specific index, it aligns closely with the Bloomberg Barclays US High Yield Bond Index. 

4. BlackRock Technology Opportunities (BGSIX)

Key details

• Date created: May 15, 2000
• Expense ratio: 0.92%
• 5-year return: 13.45%
• Minimum investment amount: $2,500
• Dividend yield: 0.00%
• Risk level: High

As its name suggests, BlackRock Technology Opportunities invests in the technology industry. It’s a mutual fund that invests in various tech stocks from large, mid, and small-cap companies. It tracks the performance of the MSCI All Country World Information Technology, a leading indicator of the global tech market. 

BGSIX is an actively managed fund, which means a team of expert analysts picks the stocks it invests in. It focuses on companies at the forefront of developing innovative technologies or disrupting traditional industries through technological advancements. Given its high-risk level, the fund is best suited for investors with a long time horizon and comfortable with some volatility. 

5. LifePath Dynamic Retirement Fund (LILAX)

Key details

• Date created: January 1, 2009
• Expense ratio: 0.70%
• 5-year return: 7.47%
• Minimum investment amount: $2,500
• Dividend yield: 0.00%
• Risk level: Moderate

The LifePath Dynamic Retirement Fund is a target date fund offered by BlackRock. Target date funds are aimed at assisting investors in achieving their retirement goals. LILAX works by investing in various assets, including stocks, bonds, and cash. As the target date approaches, its allocation slowly becomes more conservative. 

The fund’s main objective is to give investors a diversified portfolio offering income and growth opportunities. The fund tracks the MSCI All Country World Index and is a top choice for investors seeking a hands-off investment approach leaving decisions to an experienced fund manager.  

6. iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF (IEFA)

Key details

• Date created: October 18, 2012
• Expense ratio: 0.07%
• 5-year return: 10.18%
• Minimum investment amount: $100
• Dividend yield: 2.26%
• Risk level: Moderate

iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF is an exchange traded fund that invests in non-U.S. developed markets. It includes a range of stocks from Europe, Asia, and the Pacific region. It’s a passively managed ETF, which means it invests in all of the companies that comprise the MSCI EAFE index and seeks to replicate its performance. 

IEFA holds a large number of stocks, over 1,500 and its holdings are adjusted every quarter to ensure alignment with the MSCI EAFE index. With an expense ratio of just 0.07%, IEFA provides investors a cost-effective way to invest in global stock markets. 

7. BlackRock High Yield Bond (BRHYX)

Key details

• Date created: March 1, 1997
• Expense ratio: 0.68%
• 5-year return: 4.74%
• Minimum investment amount: $2,500
• Dividend yield: 4.14%
• Risk level: High

Final spot on our Best BlackRock funds to buy in 2025 list goes to BlackRock High Yield Bond. BRHYX is a mutual fund specialising in high-yield bonds, also known as junk bonds. These bonds are riskier than investment-grade bonds, but the potential payoff is considerably higher. 

The fund focuses on investing in bonds issued by companies with below-investment-grade credit ratings. These types of companies are considered to have a higher likelihood of defaulting on their bond payments than those with investment-grade ratings. BRHYX is a high-risk fund and best suited to investors willing to accept a lot of unpredictability. 

Where to buy the best BlackRock index funds

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Best BlackRock index funds

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What is a BlackRock index fund?

BlackRock is an asset management company that is considered one of the largest investment firms in the world. Headquartered in New York, BlackRock offers different financial services and products, including mutual funds and ETFs. 

BlackRock funds offer a diverse range of investment options and are designed to help investors grow their portfolios. Among the most popular offerings are iShares, a collection of ETFs that provide exposure to different markets and sectors. 

How much do BlackRock index funds cost?

For most passive funds the cost is less than 0.5% per year. Each index fund charges an annual maintenance or management fee, which is referred to as the fund’s ‘expense ratio’ and given as a percentage of your investment. 

For active funds, you may have to pay 0.75% or more. That type of mutual fund is run by active managers, so you’re paying for the time and expertise of the fund managers who decide which stocks to invest in.

In addition, you may have to pay a trading fee when you buy or sell a stake in a mutual fund. Some trading platforms charge a fee each time you make an investment. This varies depending on the brokerage you use; most services don’t charge any commission, others charge a couple of pounds each time.

How to choose the right BlackRock funds for you

Our experts ranked the best index funds based on a range of factors, from the annual running cost to the risk profile of each fund. You should use the same features to pick the mutual funds that suit your expectations and investment goals.

• Annual management fee. Each mutual fund charges an annual fee as a percentage of your investment. Passive funds tend to be cheaper, while active funds are more expensive. When you invest in BlackRock index funds, you’re normally looking to buy and hold for a few years. Small fee differences can add up to a big variation in returns over the long term, so you should favour mutual funds with the lowest maintenance fees.
• Fund size. The more money in an index fund, the more stable its performance is likely to be. Funds with low assets under management (AUM) can rely too heavily on the performance of one or two stocks and lack the diversification investors want. 
• Index fund weighting. Each index fund tracks a stock market index, but there can be big differences in how the fund tracks its benchmark index. Pay close attention to the weighting in particular. An index fund that scales its weighting so that a larger percentage, say 10%, goes into one or two stocks is going to be far more affected by the performance of those companies than one which invests 5% in all stocks equally.
• Risk profile. Each index fund factsheet has to report its risk profile on a scale between 1 and 7, with 7 being the riskiest. This synthetic risk and reward measure (SRRI) is an industry standard that you can use to compare risk across asset management companies. Less risk is better, but many people choose to have a balance of different risk profiles in their portfolio, as the riskier ones can generate higher returns (as well as higher losses).
• Hedging and currency risk. Every index fund is denominated in a particular currency, such as GBP or USD. That means that fluctuations in the strength of that currency can act as a drag or boost on performance. If your fund is in GBP and the pound is weak relative to USD, that means the fund will underperform the same fund denominated in USD. Some index funds hedge their currency risk to avoid this, others don’t.
• Share class. Some funds generate income from dividends. For these types of funds there are two share classes: income and accumulation. The former means that any income is paid out automatically, while accumulation means the money is automatically reinvested. Accumulation is more convenient, while income means you might build up spare cash in your brokerage account. An index fund can be one or the other, while some offer a choice between both.

Are BlackRock index funds a good investment?

Yes, BlackRock index funds are among the most popular and best-performing in the world and can make a good investment. Many different types of funds are available from BlackRock, including mutual funds that offer a hands-off approach to investing and ETFs that allow you to be more actively involved. 

One of the benefits of investing in the best BlackRock index funds is the low expense ratios. Expense ratios measure how much you’ll pay in fees and charges when investing in a fund. With BlackRock, finding funds with extremely low expense ratios is possible, meaning you’ll keep a larger portion of your profits. 

To buy the top-performing BlackRock index funds, you’ll need to use a specific type of broker that allows you to invest in these types of assets. Click the blue button below to visit a selection of our expertly recommended platforms to buy the best BlackRock index funds in 2025. 

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