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How to Invest

What you need to open an account and begin investing

Open an account and begin investing with these 4 simple steps

Choose account type

Select an account type for your goals (retirement, general investing, education, etc.). You can open one account at a time. See the accounts you can open below.

Transfer money

We’ll open your account and initiate a bank transfer (if applicable) to your new account’s settlement fund. You can then use this fund to buy investments.

Explore investments

It can take 3 to 7 days for your money to become available for investing. During that time, you can explore products such as ETFs (exchange-traded funds) or mutual funds to decide which investments are right for you.

Place your trade

Once your money has fully transferred to your account, you can start investing. To do so, select My Accounts and then Buy & Sell. On this page, you can buy mutual funds, ETFs, and other investment products. You can also schedule automatic investments into your account.

Ready to open an account?

Ready to open an account?

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CHECKLIST

What you need to get started

To open an account, you’ll need this personal information:

  • Your bank account and routing numbers.
  • Your Social Security number.
  • Your employer’s name and address.

Please note: You need to be a U.S. citizen with a U.S. mailing address to open an account. If you live or work outside the U.S., please check out our international site.

IRAs (Individual Retirement Accounts)

An IRA is a personal account you can use to save for retirement. It’s an excellent way to let your retirement money grow and compound tax-deferred. 

You'll need
Your personal information following the checklist above

See what else Vanguard has to offer

Whether you're a beginning investor or an expert, Vanguard has something for you.

Ready to get started?

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Questions? We're here to help

View our support center for frequently asked questions and investment tools.

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Already own Vanguard mutual funds or ETFs somewhere else?

Avoid managing several accounts in different locations by consolidating your portfolio here.

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

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.