Small business retirement

Enhance your retirement plan with Vanguard funds

What is the Vanguard Retirement Investment Program?

Our investment-only service opens the door for you to offer Vanguard funds.

How the service works

With the Vanguard Retirement Investment Program (VRIP), you’ll have one pooled account where you can add more than 100 Vanguard funds and other investments to your existing plan (if the plan allows). Your current third-party administrator or trustee will continue to manage recordkeeping and other day-to-day activities for your plan.

The program can be used to enhance any employer-sponsored retirement plan. You must already have a plan document in place before you enroll.

You can also contribute to and manage your investments completely online. 

Who should invest

  • Small-business owners who already offer a retirement investment program.
  • Employers looking for a simple, cost-effective way to supplement an existing retirement plan.
  • Employers who have or are forming a retirement plan that permits investment-only accounts at different providers.

With the VRIP, you can add more than 100 Vanguard mutual funds, including many from our low-cost Admiral™ share class. You can also add Vanguard ETFs®, mutual funds and ETFs (exchange-traded funds) from other companies, individual stocks, CDs (certificates of deposit), and bonds.

What are Admiral shares?

Browse Vanguard’s complete mutual fund lineup

Browse Vanguard’s complete ETF lineup

  • Vanguard sets up one account (a "pooled" account) for each fund your plan holds. The investment assets of all participants will be combined in each account. Your plan administrator keeps track of the contributions.
  • Participants can view account balances, perform transactions, take advantage of planning tools, and learn about investing on our website. 
  • We offer several ways for plan trustees and authorized representatives to move money between Vanguard accounts, including recurring, scheduled, and on-demand transactions 
  • Trustees or their agents may request withdrawals online, by phone, or by mail.

  • There are no fees to set up or maintain the VRIP.
  • The average Vanguard mutual fund expense ratio is 83% less than the industry average.*
  • Some Vanguard funds have purchase or redemption fees. View each fund's profile for fees and minimums.
  • The minimum initial investment is the minimum balance required for each Vanguard fund you choose—$3,000 for most funds.
  • View our commission & fee schedules


Ready to get started?

If you're new to Vanguard, give us a call.

800-992-7188

Are you a Vanguard client looking for a small-business plan? Set up your new plan today.

Get started


Ready to get started?

If you're new to Vanguard, give us a call.

800-992-7188

Are you a Vanguard client looking for a small-business plan? Set up your new plan today.

Get started

Move your plan to Vanguard

Consider moving the small-business plan you hold elsewhere to Vanguard. You can enjoy high-quality, low-cost funds and reliable service for your portfolio.

Learn how to transfer your plan

*Vanguard average mutual fund expense ratio: 0.10%. Industry average mutual fund expense ratio: 0.60%. All averages are asset-weighted. Industry averages exclude Vanguard. Sources: Vanguard and Morningstar, Inc., as of December 31, 2020.

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