Investing at Vanguard

It doesn't matter if you're opening your first account or you've been investing for years. You'll find everything you need to meet your goals here at Vanguard.

Our mission

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

At Vanguard, we think four simple principles can improve your chances of investment success.

  • Having a goal in mind can help when it comes to picking the right investments. This could be anything from saving for retirement, to buying a home. Your investment plan. 
  • Are you looking for short-term security or long-term gains? How much growth do you need to reach your goal? Answering questions like these can keep you focused on building a portfolio that’s right for you and your needs.

  • Investing in the right mix of stocks and bonds could have a bigger impact on your returns than anything else you do.
  • It’s all about finding the right level of risk and reward. Stocks typically give you a higher return over the long-term but are riskier. Whereas bonds are more stable but offer lower potential returns.

  • Making money from investments isn’t about predicting the future because the future is unpredictable. Instead, you should focus on the one thing you can control – costs.
  • By keeping your costs low, you keep more of your returns. Those savings can really add up, especially in the long term.

  • Sometimes our emotions can lead us to make simple mistakes when investing. Like buying the latest hot investment when prices are high then panic-selling when prices drop – the opposite of what common sense says we should do.
  • The most successful investors are often those with discipline. Those who invest for the long term and don’t tinker with their portfolios too much.

Our goal is helping you reach yours:

We believe that advice and advocacy can help you achieve better outcomes, whether you partner with our financial advisors or use our robo-advisor.

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A track record of strong fund performance

Our funds are crafted with you in mind to help you reach your goals of investment success. Over the last 10 years we have had a history of strong performance.1

Vanguard is a leader in low-cost investing

Lower investment costs keep more of your money working for you. See how we keep your costs down, so you have a better chance of investing success.

Commission-free stocks & ETFs

Costs & fees

Vanguard's low fees can help you save * -

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Average investment firm -

*As of December 31, 2023, Vanguard's average mutual fund and ETF expense ratio is 0.08%. Industry average mutual fund and ETF expense ratio: 0.44%. All averages are asset-weighted. Industry averages exclude Vanguard. Sources: Vanguard and Morningstar, Inc., as of December 31, 2023. This is a hypothetical calculation that does not represent any particular investment and does not account for inflation. Results shown are not guaranteed. There may be other material differences between investment products that must be considered prior to investing.

Investing should be easy

Choose from a wide range of investments for your brokerage account, such as mutual funds, ETFs, stocks and more—all for a low cost.

Choosing the right account for your financial goal is key. Whether you need a Vanguard Brokerage Account for general investing or retirement, or need a 529 Plan to save for future education expenses, or another type of account, we've got options that can help you reach your goal.

An account for every goal

We offer several account types to choose from. If you're not sure which account suits your needs, visit our Accounts overview page.

See all account types

Access more than 160 no-transaction-fee mutual funds from Vanguard and enjoy commission-free trading when you buy or sell ETFs or Vanguard mutual funds online.

Review our complete commission & fee schedules

Your portfolio, your way

In your Vanguard account you can invest in mutual funds, ETFs, stocks, bonds, and more. See all the types of products you can choose from to build your portfolio.

Explore our investment products

Need to roll over an old employer-sponsored plan to an employer-sponsored plan held at Vanguard, or a Vanguard IRA®? We can help!

401(k) & 403(b) rollovers

There are several ways to roll over an employer-sponsored plan held at another institution to Vanguard. See which one is right for you.

Learn more about rollovers

See all your investments in one place! Enjoy the benefits of consolidation by transferring your assets to Vanguard.

Account transfers

Get an overview of how transfers work at Vanguard.

Explore account transfers

Start your investment journey

Our financial education tools can help you plan for long-term investment success.

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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.

1For the 10-year period ended September 30, 2024, 6 of 6 Vanguard money market funds, 82 of 98 Vanguard bond funds, 21 of 23 Vanguard balanced funds, and 168 of 189 Vanguard stock funds—for a total of 277 of 316 Vanguard funds—outperformed their Lipper peer-group averages. Results will vary for other time periods. Only mutual funds and ETFs (exchange-traded funds) with a minimum 10-year history were included in the comparison. Source: Lipper, a Thomson Reuters Company. Note that the competitive performance data shown represent past performance, which is not a guarantee of future results, and that all investments are subject to risks. For the most recent performance, visit our website at http://www.vanguard.com/performance.

You must buy and sell Vanguard ETF Shares through Vanguard Brokerage Services (we offer them commission-free online) or through another broker (who may charge commissions). See the Vanguard Brokerage Services Commission and Fee Schedules for limits. Vanguard ETF Shares are not redeemable directly with the issuing Fund other than in very large aggregations worth millions of dollars. ETFs are subject to market volatility. When buying or selling an ETF, you will pay or receive the current market price, which may be more or less than net asset value.

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's advice services are provided by Vanguard Advisers, Inc. ("VAI"), a registered investment advisor, or by Vanguard National Trust Company ("VNTC"), a federally chartered, limited-purpose trust company.

The services provided to clients will vary based upon the service selected, including management, fees, eligibility, and access to an advisor. Find VAI's Form CRS and each program's advisory brochure here for an overview.

VAI and VNTC are subsidiaries of The Vanguard Group, Inc., and affiliates of Vanguard Marketing Corporation. Neither VAI, VNTC, nor its affiliates guarantee profits or protection from losses.