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At Vanguard, you’re more than just an investor—you’re an owner. And we’re on a mission to give our clients the best chance for investment success. We're built to help you build savings momentum. That’s the Value of Ownership.
Our mission
You’re an owner
Vanguard is different by design. Since our beginning in 1975, Vanguard has been a different kind of investment firm. At Vanguard, you’re not just an investor, you’re an owner.* We’re owned by the people who own our funds, which is what makes us unique in the industry.
The typical fund management company is owned by third parties, either public or private stockholders, not by the funds it serves. These fund management companies have to charge fund investors fees that are high enough to generate profits for the companies’ owners. The Vanguard funds are different because they own the management company known as Vanguard—a unique arrangement that eliminates conflicting loyalties. Because our investors are our owners, we can consistently seek to lower the cost of investing, so our investors keep more of their potential return.
You can trust that we’re your partner, focusing on your long-term success instead of quarterly results. We’re driven to keep costs low, so more of your money can help you build the life—and retirement—you want.
Our 4 investing principles
At Vanguard, we believe that you can increase your chances of investment success by following these 4 principles:
- Think about your goals. Having a goal in mind can help when it comes to picking the right investments. This could be anything from buying a home to saving for retirement.
- Stay balanced. Investing in the right mix of stocks and bonds could have a bigger impact on your returns than anything else you do. Stocks have the potential for high returns over the long-term but are considered to be a riskier investment type. Bonds are historically a more conservative investment, and subsequently often offer lower potential returns.
- Keep costs low. By keeping your costs low, you keep more of your returns. The average Vanguard fund expense ratio is 83% less than the industry average.**
- Be disciplined. During periods of market uncertainty, discipline can help you remain committed to a long-term investment strategy.
*Vanguard is owned by its funds, which are owned by Vanguard’s fund shareholder clients.
**Vanguard average mutual fund expense ratio: 0.08%. Industry average mutual fund expense ratio: 0.47%. All averages are asset weighted. Industry averages exclude Vanguard. Sources: Vanguard and Morningstar, Inc., as of December 31, 2022.
There is no guarantee that any particular asset allocation or mix of funds will meet your investment objectives or provide you with a given level of income.
At Vanguard, we’ve been providing expert financial advice for nearly 3 decades. If your retirement plan is with us, check out our advice and money management services. We can help you plan for—and reach—all your financial goals.