You have what it takes to be a successful investor. We are here to support you:
making Vanguard the second-largest asset manager in the world (as at 29 February 2024)
By your side, on your side – with low-cost funds and ETFs since 1975
Thanks to our mutual-like ownership structure, we can put our clients first.*
*The Vanguard Group, Inc. is owned by Vanguard's US-domiciled funds and ETFs. Those funds in turn are owned by their investors.
Our founder launched the first index fund for retail investors in 1976, giving them access to passive, cost-efficient investments.
On this basis, he founded Vanguard and defined our mission, which still guides our actions today: We want to give investors the best chance for long-term success.
Some people say investing is complicated. We don't think it has to be. In fact, we think successful investing rests on four simple principles.
Define clear, appropriate investment goals
Build a broadly diversified portfolio
Control and minimize costs
Don't lose sight of your goal
These principles rest on a simple idea: Focus on what you can control for the best chance of investment success.
With the low-cost, broadly diversified Vanguard ETFs, you keep more of your returns. Investing with Vanguard is transparent and straightforward.
ETFs offer a simple, low-cost way to invest in a variety of securities.
You can sell your ETF shares at any time, and you will always know which securities you are investing in.
We are a little different from other asset managers: In the US, Vanguard has cooperative roots and is not listed on the stock exchange, putting the interests of our 50 million customers worldwide are at the heart of everything we do.
We don't chase trends. Rather, we do everything we can to help investors achieve their long-term goals. Investing involves risks.
At Vanguard, we work exclusively in the interests of our clients. Vanguard is not listed on the stock exchange and is not owned by external investors but by our fundholders in the US. And because Vanguard belongs to the Vanguard investors themselves, our interests are closely aligned, enabling us to pass on profits to our clients through cost reductions.
While we cannot replicate this mutual model outside the US, Vanguard clients in Europe still benefit from our corporate structure through low costs and our company values.
ETF stands for ‘exchange-traded fund’. Thus, the difference between ETFs and traditional funds lies in their trading. Like individual shares, ETFs are traded on the stock exchange. Traditional funds, on the other hand, are traded via a fund provider or a bank.
ETFs are often equated with passive index investments, but in fact, both active and passive strategies can be launched as an ETF or a traditional fund. Investing involves risks.
Our philosophy is that investing should be aligned with your goals. So think about your investment horizon and your attitude towards risk. Each fund and ETF is assigned a risk profile based on the securities in its portfolio and its investment strategy, which can help you make a decision. As a general rule, funds and ETFs with greater potential returns also tend to be more volatile, while products with lower volatility offer lower potential returns. Investing involves risks.
Index funds and ETFs that automatically reinvest any returns carry the term "Accumulating" in the fund name, while those that distribute dividends or interest are labeled as “Distributing". Further information on our funds can be found here.
