Registry rank 2813 · Portfolio as of 2026-03-31

Empower S&P Small Cap 600 Index Fund

MXERX (Empower S&P Small Cap 600 Index Fund) · MXISX (Empower S&P Small Cap 600 Index Fund) · MXNSX (Empower S&P Small Cap 600 Index Fund)

The verdict

What the numbers say

This fund holds essentially the same portfolio as Vanguard Tax-Managed Small-Cap Fund but charges $210 a year per $100,000 instead of $30 — about $8,902 more over 20 years.

1.4%: 9th percentile of 154 available values · source as of 2026-03-31vs the S&P SmallCap 600 · fund as of 2026-03-31 · measured against the filed holdings of iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF (IJR), as of 2026-03-31
1.4%S&P SmallCap 600® Index · benchmark match · fund as of 2026-03-31 · measured against the filed holdings of iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF (IJR), as of 2026-03-31 · declared source as of 2025-12-31
0.21%: 18th percentile of 153 available values · source as of 2025-12-31SEC expense filing · as of 2025-12-31
MXERX fee per active unitSee the dollar comparison in the verdict aboveexpense as of 2025-12-31; fund as of 2026-03-31; proxy as of 2026-03-31
Computed from SEC filings · fund portfolio as of 2026-03-31.
Data provenance

Run 363649da-fcfb-4007-87ef-de06de7710ca; method closet-index@2.0.0; fund accession 0001193125-26-232065; comparison periods and expense-filing links appear with their figures. Machine capture time: 2026-07-29T14:22:09.616Z.

Computed rule checks

0 warnings · 2 checks clear · 1 unavailable

Check clear

· Rule 1

The fund’s filed benchmark and its closest approved index control point to the same comparison.

Methodology rule · visual rules si-visual-explainers@1.0.0

Check clear

· Rule 2

The existing same-index active-share and fee rule does not issue a closet-index warning. This is not a rating.

Methodology rule · visual rules si-visual-explainers@1.0.0

Unavailable

· Rule 3

No complete licensed window and filed headline fee are available together for this check.

Computed on licensed market-return history · filed fee as of 2025-12-31

Methodology rule · visual rules si-visual-explainers@1.0.0

Filed fees in dollars

SEC-convention illustration

Computed from SEC filings

Assumptions for each dollar figure: $100,000 starting amount · 5.0% annual return · annual compounding · fees deducted annually · 0.01% computed index-control baseline. Methodology.

Illustrated difference between each class’s filed expense ratio and the computed index-control baseline. Lowest-cost classes are omitted rather than compared with themselves. Computed from SEC filings.
Share class and filing10 years20 years30 years
MXERX0.21% · SEC expense filing · as of 2025-12-31$3,074$9,909$23,960
MXISX0.56% · SEC expense filing · as of 2025-12-31$8,327$26,408$62,827
MXNSX0.81% · SEC expense filing · as of 2025-12-31$11,983$37,566$88,366

Real trailing windows

Computed on licensed market-return history

Trailing windows use iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF (IJR) adjusted-close total-return history through 2026-07-29 and the same filed index-control fee baseline as the convention table. Methodology.

Dollar fee drag over actual trailing proxy-return windows. Lowest-cost classes are omitted rather than compared with themselves. Each result below is computed on licensed market-return history.
Share class and filing10 years20 years30 years
MXERXFiled fee as of 2025-12-31$4,941Computed on licensed market-return history
2016-07-29 to 2026-07-29 · proxy return 10.68% annualized
$22,789Computed on licensed market-return history
2006-07-31 to 2026-07-29 · proxy return 9.70% annualized
Proxy history begins 2000 — no full 30-year window
MXISXFiled fee as of 2025-12-31$13,395Computed on licensed market-return history
2016-07-29 to 2026-07-29 · proxy return 10.68% annualized
$60,815Computed on licensed market-return history
2006-07-31 to 2026-07-29 · proxy return 9.70% annualized
Proxy history begins 2000 — no full 30-year window
MXNSXFiled fee as of 2025-12-31$19,288Computed on licensed market-return history
2016-07-29 to 2026-07-29 · proxy return 10.68% annualized
$86,593Computed on licensed market-return history
2006-07-31 to 2026-07-29 · proxy return 9.70% annualized
Proxy history begins 2000 — no full 30-year window

Index-control tracking difference

Annualized fund NAV return minus the matched proxy return. Positive means the fund NAV return was higher over that window.

Derived annualized percentages only. Each result below is computed on licensed market-return history.
Fund NAV class10 years20 years30 years
MXERXno exact shared fund NAV/proxy anchors for a full 10-year windowno exact shared fund NAV/proxy anchors for a full 20-year windowno exact shared fund NAV/proxy anchors for a full 30-year window
MXISXno exact shared fund NAV/proxy anchors for a full 10-year windowno exact shared fund NAV/proxy anchors for a full 20-year windowno exact shared fund NAV/proxy anchors for a full 30-year window
MXNSXno exact shared fund NAV/proxy anchors for a full 10-year windowno exact shared fund NAV/proxy anchors for a full 20-year windowno exact shared fund NAV/proxy anchors for a full 30-year window

These figures are illustrations, not predictions or personalized advice. Returns and fees can differ. Read the research disclaimer.

Change the illustration

Return mode

Computed from SEC filings

Assumptions for the dollar figures below: $100,000 starting amount; 5.0% annual return; 20 years; annual compounding; fees deducted annually; 0.01% computed index-control baseline. MXERX SEC expense filing, as of 2025-12-31. Methodology.

SEC-convention illustration for MXERX; expense ratio filed as of 2025-12-31.
ResultAmount
Ending value at baseline$264,825
Ending value at filed expense ratio$254,916
Difference attributed to fee drag$9,909

This is an illustration, not a prediction or personalized advice. Returns and fees can differ. Read the research disclaimer.

Largest active differences vs the S&P SmallCap 600

The bars are labeled and repeated in the table; color is not the only signal. Linked company names open Buy Like Buffett’s company record; Sensible Investor does not score stocks.

HoldingFundS&P SmallCap 600Difference
Jackson Financial Inc0.49%0.20%+0.29%
OneSpaWorld Holdings Ltd.0.15%0.06%+0.09%
Bread Financial Holdings Inc0.22%0.14%+0.08%
The Western Union Company0.18%0.11%+0.07%
Lumen Technologies Inc0.43%0.36%+0.07%
Warrior Met Coal Inc0.32%0.25%+0.07%
Lincoln National Corp.0.39%0.34%+0.06%
CUSHMAN & WAKEFIELD LTD0.19%0.13%+0.05%
Radian Group Inc.0.29%0.24%+0.05%
Moelis & Co.0.27%0.22%+0.05%

Source and verification

SEC N-PORT filing · filed 2026-05-20 · period 2026-03-31

SEC expense filing · period 2025-12-31

Immutable verification record · Active-share method

Cite these figures

Each snippet includes the figure’s source-event date and immutable verification URL.

Best-fit active share

Sensible Investor, “Empower S&P Small Cap 600 Index Fund — best-fit active share,” 1.4% versus the S&P SmallCap 600, fund portfolio as of 2026-03-31; measured against the filed holdings of iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF (IJR), as of 2026-03-31. https://sensible-investor.com/registry/mxerx/as-of/363649da-fcfb-4007-87ef-de06de7710ca

MXERX filed expense ratio

Sensible Investor, “Empower S&P Small Cap 600 Index Fund — filed expense ratio,” 0.21% for MXERX, as of 2025-12-31. https://sensible-investor.com/registry/mxerx/as-of/363649da-fcfb-4007-87ef-de06de7710ca