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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 are 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.

With Vanguard

Vanguard is owned by its funds, which in turn, are owned by their shareholders. With no other parties to answer to and therefore 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.
Alfred M., Personal Investor

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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.

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.
A photo of the founder of Vanguard, John C. Bogle.
John C. Bogle

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.

Whatever you’re saving for, we can help

Because of Vanguard’s structure, your goals align with our goals. Whether you’re saving for retirement, your family’s education, or a sense of financial security, you can be confident we’re on your side.

Not sure where to start? Try our investor quick start tool to see what’s best for your investment journey.

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The Philosophy of Investing

Learning about financial topics is a great way to gain confidence as you start your investing journey.

Start with a goal. Once you know what you’re saving for, it’s easier to develop a game plan. You can have short- or long-term investing goals like saving for a wedding, a car, a home, or retirement. 

Along with your goal, your portfolio asset allocation and the cost of the investment will influence the type of account you should open and which investments to pick.

Balance is essential. Your investment strategy should align with your portfolio’s objective. Your asset allocation strategy should include a diverse mix of assets with different characteristics, such as stocks, bonds, and cash equivalents. 

Because all investments involve risk, you must manage the balance between risk and potential reward through the choice of portfolio holdings. 

Research suggests that lower-cost investments tend to outperform higher-cost alternatives. The lower the costs of investing, the greater share of an investment’s return you can capture. You can’t control the markets, but you can control the bite of costs and taxes.1

Discipline helps you remain committed. Investing can provoke strong emotions but remaining discipline and having perspective can help you remain committed to a long-term investment program through periods of market uncertainty. 

A track record of strong performance**

At Vanguard, it's all about you and our philosophy of low-cost investing. We keep more of your money working for you.

Learn more about investing at Vanguard

Community Impact

Our responsibility as long-term investors extends to the neighborhoods in which we live and work. Through a combination of strategic, high-impact philanthropy, efforts to address immediate needs, and crew-led volunteer and giving programs, we are committed to strengthening our communities.

Philanthropy and volunteerism

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 the communities in which we operate. Our efforts have not gone unnoticed.

View our accolades

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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.

1 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

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

**For the 10-year period ended December 31, 2022, 6 of 6 Vanguard money market funds, 80 of 90 Vanguard bond funds, 21 of 24 Vanguard balanced funds, and 142 of 184 Vanguard stock funds—for a total of 249 of 304 Vanguard funds—outperformed their Lipper peer-group averages. Results will vary for other time periods. Only mutual funds with a minimum 10-year history were included in the comparison. Source: Lipper, a Thomson Reuters Company. The competitive performance data shown represent past performance, which is not a guarantee of future results.

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.