Open your account now
Retirement may still be far away, but you can get a little closer to it right now.
Step 1: Choose your retirement account

If you're not sure what to choose, most people choose a Roth IRA. Contributions aren't tax-deductible, but you can withdraw them at any time without penalty, and withdrawals in retirement are tax-free as long as you meet the requirements.
Step 2: Select your investments

Don't want to spend time hand-picking investments? A Target Retirement Fund that's aligned with your expected year of retirement will give you an appropriate balance of risk and return.
Step 3: Open your account
It's quick and easy to open an account online. Here's what you should know:
- If you hold mutual funds in your IRA or taxable account, the minimum investment for each fund can be as low as $1,000.*
- The minimum investment to buy an ETF in an IRA or taxable account is the cost of a single share of the ETF (which can vary throughout the trading day).
- We'll waive the $20 annual account service fee if you register for online access and sign up for electronic delivery of account documents.
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There are no other fees to open an account, and no fees or commissions to buy and sell Vanguard ETFs® and most of our mutual funds.
See which funds charge purchase & redemption fees - To move money into your account through electronic transfer, you'll need your bank routing and account numbers, which you can find on your checks.
Let Vanguard Digital Advisor® be your guide

Vanguard's robo-advisor makes staying on track to your retirement goal simple—through automated, personalized investing.
We're here to help
Talk with one of our investment specialists.
Call 888-387-5539
Monday through Friday
8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Eastern time
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REFERENCE CONTENT
Roth IRA
A type of IRA that allows you to make after-tax contributions (so you don't get an immediate tax deduction) and then withdraw money in retirement tax-free as long as you meet the requirements.
Contributions
The yearly, monthly, or weekly amounts you save in your account.
Tax-deductible
Contributions you can subtract from your income on your tax return, resulting in a lower tax bill.
Tax-free withdrawals
Money you can take out of your account without owing any federal income tax, even if some of it has never been taxed.
Target-date fund
A mutual fund intended for retirement savers that automatically rebalances and adjusts its asset mix as investors get closer to retirement. For example, a 20-year-old might invest in a target-date fund for people planning to retire around 2060. Target-date funds are professionally managed and typically diversified across asset classes and market segments.
Risk
Usually refers to investment risk, which is a measure of how likely it is that you could lose money in an investment. However, there are other types of risk when it comes to investing.
Returns
The profit you get from investing money. Over time, this profit is based mainly on the amount of risk associated with the investment. So, for example, less-risky investments like certificates of deposit (CDs) or savings accounts generally earn a low rate of return, and higher-risk investments like stocks generally earn a higher rate of return.
Mutual fund
A type of investment that pools shareholder money and invests it in a variety of securities. Each investor owns shares of the fund and can buy or sell these shares at any time. Mutual funds are typically more diversified, low-cost, and convenient than investing in individual securities, and they're professionally managed.
IRA (individual retirement account)
A type of account created by the IRS that offers tax benefits when you use it to save for retirement.
Taxable accounts
Accounts that don't receive special tax treatment, so all interest, dividends, and capital gains are subject to taxation in the year they're received.
ETF (exchange-traded fund)
A type of investment with characteristics of both mutual funds and individual stocks. ETFs are professionally managed and typically diversified, like mutual funds, but they can be bought and sold at any point during the trading day using straightforward or sophisticated strategies.
Vanguard funds with purchase & redemption fees
Purchase fees are charged generally by funds that routinely face higher transaction costs when buying securities for the portfolio.
Redemption fees are charged generally by funds that want to discourage market-timing.
Neither is considered a sales charge or "load" because both are paid directly to the fund to offset higher transaction costs.
There are currently just 5 Vanguard funds (each with multiple share classes) that charge one or both of these fees. Each has a corresponding exchange-traded fund (ETF) share class that excludes these fees and can be bought and sold in your Vanguard Brokerage Account commission-free.
Intermediate-Term Corporate Bond Index Fund—Admiral Shares™ (VICSX)
0.25%
None
Intermediate-Term Corporate Bond Index Fund—Institutional Shares (VICBX)
0.25%
None
Long-Term Corporate Bond Index Fund—Admiral Shares (VLTCX)
1.00%
None
Long-Term Corporate Bond Index Fund—Institutional Shares (VLCIX)
1.00%
None
Tax-Exempt Bond Index Fund—Investor Shares (VTEBX)
0.25%
None
Tax-Exempt Bond Index Fund—Admiral Shares (VTEAX)
0.25%
None
Emerging Markets Government Bond Index Fund—Investor Shares (VGOVX)
0.75%
None
Emerging Markets Government Bond Index Fund—Admiral Shares (VGAVX)
0.75%
None
Emerging Markets Government Bond Index Fund—Institutional Shares (VGIVX)
0.75%
None
Global ex-U.S. Real Estate Index Fund—Investor Shares (VGXRX)
0.25%
0.25%
Global ex-U.S. Real Estate Index Fund—Admiral Shares (VGRLX)
0.25%
0.25%
Global ex-U.S. Real Estate Index Fund—Institutional Shares (VGRNX)
0.25%
0.25%
International Dividend Appreciation Index Fund—Admiral Shares™ (VIAAX)
0.25%
0.25%
International Dividend Appreciation Index Fund—Investor Shares (VIAIX)
0.25%
0.25%
International High Dividend Yield Index Fund—Admiral Shares™ (VIHAX)
0.25%
0.25%
International High Dividend Yield Index Fund—Investor Shares (VIHIX)
0.25%
0.25%
You must buy and sell Vanguard ETF Shares through a broker like Vanguard Brokerage Services (we offer them commission-free) or through another broker (you may incur commissions). See the Vanguard Brokerage Services commission and fee schedules for limits. Vanguard ETF Shares aren't redeemable directly with the issuing fund other than in very large aggregations worth millions of dollars. Like stocks, ETFs are subject to market volatility. When buying or selling an ETF, you'll pay or receive the current market price, which may be more or less than net asset value.