A young woman and her grandmother sit together at a table holding hands.

Why investors choose Vanguard

Since 1975, Vanguard has provided support for all investors and commitment to our clients, offering low cost, long-term investment products. 

At Vanguard, investing means ownership as well.*

Vanguard is different by design. We’re owned by the people who own our funds, which makes us unique in the industry. This means you can trust that we're your partner, focusing on your long-term success instead of quarterly results. That’s the Value of Ownership.

Our mission: To take a stand for all investors, to treat them fairly, and to give them the best chance for investment success.

Value of Ownership

Vanguard is owned by its funds, which in turn, are owned by their shareholders. With no other parties to answer to and no conflicting loyalties, Vanguard makes decisions, including the decision to keep investing costs as low as possible, with clients’ interests in mind.

With a typical fund management company

The typical fund management company is owned by third parties, either public or private stockholders, not by the funds it serves. The fund management companies have to charge fund investors fees that are high enough to generate profits of the companies’ owners.

Note: This hypothetical illustration depicts the potential impact of Vanguard's ownership structure. All other factors being equal, Vanguard's ownership structure may allow investors to keep more of their investment returns. The proportions shown do not represent any specific company's actual distribution of returns or percentage of operating expenses.

$9.9T

Assets under management as of October 31, 2024

50M+

Clients worldwide as of October 31, 2024

426

Number of funds as of October 31, 2024

17

Global offices as of October 31, 2024

Serving investors for nearly five decades

John C. Bogle sought to create a new, better way to manage a mutual fund company. The result was an enterprise based on a simple but revolutionary idea: investor ownership. In short, Vanguard is a company owned by the investor and for the investor.

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Why investors choose us

“Being a part of the military and the Space Force is about being part of something bigger than just myself. In the same way, being a part of Vanguard also makes me feel like I'm part of something bigger.”

- Alfred M., personal investor

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Read transcript

When I was a kid, I would go to the backyard and look up at the stars. I dreamed that I would be able to make an impact and to protect the folks that I love. I'm a lieutenant colonel in the United States Space Force.

Originally, I had planned to be a pilot, but once I got to flight training, I learned my body wasn't designed to be able to do flight. As a Space Force commander, I get to interact with all avenues of the mission to get things done, so I get to take care of the people, make sure that they're prepared, make sure that they're sharp so that they're able to develop into future Air Force master sergeants and officers, to do what they need to do.

Being a part of the military and the Space Force is about being part of something bigger than just myself. In the same way, being a part of Vanguard also makes me feel like I'm part of something bigger. Being a part owner of Vanguard is important because I know this company is sharing my values as well as my objectives.

I can sleep at night knowing that we’re going in the right direction. It's hard to have ownership without pride. I am going to take as good a care as I can to be able to make it last, not just for the next good time, but for a lifetime.

With Vanguard, ownership can last for a lifetime for both me and my children. It's incredibly important for me to help them achieve their dreams. I get to choose exactly what the best method is for me to invest for the future for my family. When my sons look up at the stars and dream like I did, I want them to see endless possibilities. There's nothing that they can't accomplish if they put their mind to it.

 

Disclosures:

All investing is subject to risk, including the possible loss of the money you invest.

Visit vanguard.com to obtain a fund prospectus, or, if available, a summary prospectus, which contains investment objectives, risks, charges, expenses, and other information; read and consider carefully before investing. 

The experiences of these Vanguard clients may not be representative of the experience of other Vanguard clients and are not a guarantee of future investment performance or success.

Vanguard is investor-owned, meaning the fund shareholders own the funds, which in turn own Vanguard. 

©2022 The Vanguard Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Vanguard Marketing Corporation, Distributor.

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Vanguard's investment philosophy

See our 4 investing principles designed to help guide investors and give them the best chance for investment success.

If investors know what they’re saving for, they can plan accordingly. Having a clearly defined goal helps investors select the right account type and make smart investment choices.

We recommend having a well-diversified portfolio that includes a variety of assets such as stocks, bonds, and cash equivalents. All investments come with risks, so investors should consider their risk tolerance and choose investments that balance risk and potential reward.

Studies show that investments with lower costs tend to perform better than those with higher costs.1 Spending less on fees means keeping more of the investment's returns. While investors can't control the markets, they can control the amount they pay in fees.

Staying disciplined means remaining committed to a long-term investment plan, even when the markets get unpredictable. Investing can stir up strong emotions, but by sticking to their goals, investors can stay on track for the long run.

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Community impact

Our responsibility as long-term investors extends to the local communities we serve.

Learn more about our philanthropy

Long-term strategy

See how Vanguard advocates for your interests.

Learn about investment stewardship

Our investing approach

See why our clients place their trust in Vanguard.

Learn more about our governance

Accolades

At Vanguard, our standards of success are based on helping investors achieve financial security, being an employer of choice, and being a force for positive change in our communities.

View more information about these and other accolades
2024

Nerd Wallet

Best Robo-Advisor for Low-Cost Investing Awarded by NerdWallet, January 2024. Based on data as of October 2023.2

2023

Morningstar

“High” rating in the Parent Pillar assessment4

2022

Human Rights Campaign Foundation

Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality

2023

Refinitiv Lipper

Received by 10 Vanguard funds3

 

2023

Civic 50 Greater Philadelphia

Making an impact in the community

2021

Forbes

One of the World's Best Employers

Accolades

At Vanguard, our standards of success are based on helping investors achieve financial security, being an employer of choice, and being a force for positive change in our communities.

View more information about these and other accolades
2024

Nerd Wallet

Best Robo-Advisor for Low-Cost Investing Awarded by NerdWallet, January 2024. Based on data as of October 2023.2

2023

Morningstar

“High” rating in the Parent Pillar assessment4

2022

Human Rights Campaign Foundation

Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality

2023

Refinitiv Lipper

Received by 10 Vanguard funds3

2023

Civic 50 Greater Philadelphia

Making an impact in the community

2021

Forbes

One of the World's Best Employers

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*Vanguard is owned by its funds, which are owned by Vanguard’s fund shareholder clients. Our retail direct investment advisory strategies, in turn, are built on core investments in the Vanguard funds.

1Source: Wallick, Daniel W., Brian R. Wimmer, and James J. Balsamo, 2015. Shopping for Alpha: You Get What You Don’t Pay For. Valley Forge, Pa.: The Vanguard Group.

2Vanguard Digital Advisor received the top rating for "Best Robo-Advisor for Low-Cost Investing" for 2024 among 14 other robo-advisors selected by NerdWallet. NerdWallet evaluated each provider across the following weighted criteria as of October 1, 2023, to determine the winner for low costs: management fees (50%), expense ratios on investments (40%), and account fees (10%). NerdWallet also selected Vanguard Digital Advisor for the 2021 award based on November 16, 2020, data; the 2022 award based on October 1, 2021, data; and the 2023 award based on October 1, 2022, data. Additional details about NerdWallet's methodology are available on their website. Current fees may vary for Digital Advisor and the other robo-advisors considered. Although Vanguard compensates NerdWallet for marketing services, NerdWallet's opinions and evaluations are independent and unrelated to the selection of Digital Advisor for this award. ©2017-2024 and TM, NerdWallet, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

310 Vanguard funds received 12 Refinitiv Lipper Fund Awards. The awards honor mutual funds and firms that have the best risk-adjusted performance over 3-,5-, and 10-year horizons (February 2023). Based on the Lipper Leader for Consistent Return rating, which is a risk-adjusted performance measure calculated over 3, 5, and 10-year periods. The fund with the highest Lipper Leader for Consistent Return (Effective Return) value in each eligible classification wins the Refinitiv Lipper Fund Award. If the funds are eligible for Lipper Fund Awards, are in the Lipper database and meet all criteria as per methodology, they will be considered. The merit of the winners is based entirely on objective, quantitative criteria. Proprietary methodology is the foundation of the Award qualification. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

4Vanguard was one of a handful of fund companies to continue to receive Morningstar's “High” rating in its 2023 Parent Pillar assessment. The Parent Rating represents Morningstar's assessment of the stewardship quality of a firm. The model considers data points such as manager retention, fees, and the firm's historical performance. Morningstar highlighted Vanguard's advice offer, growth, product development, and strategic shifts in international markets in assigning the rating. 

For more information about Vanguard funds, visit vanguard.com to obtain a prospectus or, if available, a summary prospectus. Investment objectives, risks, charges, expenses, and other important information about a fund are contained in the prospectus; read and consider it carefully before investing.

All investing is subject to risk, including the possible loss of the money you invest.

Diversification does not ensure a profit or protect against a loss.

Vanguard Digital Advisor is provided by Vanguard Advisers, Inc. ("VAI"), a federally registered investment advisor.