Fidelity Puritan Fund
Figures last verified October 31, 2026
Actively managed ~60% stocks / 40% bonds; Fidelity's oldest balanced fund, slightly more value-aware than FBALX.
Puritan has been running the stocks-plus-bonds play since 1947 — through fourteen recessions, a dozen Fed regimes, and every market fad since nylon stockings. It's the marginally more conservative sibling to FBALX: similar 60/40 frame, a touch less growth-chasing in the equity sleeve, which typically means smaller swings in both directions.
The case for either Fidelity balanced fund over an index alternative rests entirely on management out-earning the ~0.40% fee gap, and Puritan's record makes that argument respectably if not overwhelmingly. The quieter point: funds like this exist mostly so an investor makes one decision instead of five. If that's the actual product — bundled discipline — judge it on whether you'd really rebalance a DIY 60/40 yourself in a crash. Many people honestly wouldn't.
A steadier-handed Fidelity balanced fund with eight decades of history.
FPURX alternatives & comparable funds
If you’re weighing FPURX against the field, these are the funds most investors line it up against — same job, different provider, slightly different terms.
| Fund | Family | Expense Ratio | Minimum |
|---|---|---|---|
| FPURX — Fidelity Puritan Fund | Fidelity | 0.47% | $0 |
| FBALX — Fidelity Balanced Fund | Fidelity | 0.44% | $0 |
| VBIAX — Vanguard Balanced Index Fu… | Vanguard | 0.07% | $3,000 |
| VWELX — Vanguard Wellington Fund I… | Vanguard | 0.24% | $3,000 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the expense ratio of FPURX?
FPURX (Fidelity Puritan Fund) has an expense ratio of 0.47%, which works out to roughly $47 per year for every $10,000 invested. That is moderate — cheap for an actively managed fund, but several times what a comparable index fund charges.
What is the minimum investment for FPURX?
FPURX has no minimum initial investment — you can start with any amount.
What does FPURX invest in?
Actively managed ~60% stocks / 40% bonds; Fidelity's oldest balanced fund, slightly more value-aware than FBALX. It falls in the balanced / allocation category and is an actively managed fund.
What are good alternatives to FPURX?
The funds most often compared with FPURX are FBALX, VBIAX, VWELX — broadly similar exposure from different providers, with small differences in fee, minimum, and portability that usually come down to which brokerage holds your account.
Expense ratio and minimum for FPURX drawn from Fidelity fund documentation; last verified October 31, 2026. Figures change — confirm against the official prospectus before investing. This review is editorial opinion, not investment advice.