The Vanguard Group
Vanguard is one of the world’s largest investment management companies. Whether you are an individual investor, institution, or financial professional, you can benefit from the size, stability, and experience that they offer.
Quick Vanguard facts
| Corporate headquarters | Valley Forge, Pennsylvania |
| Founded | May 1, 1975 |
| First fund | Wellington Fund (inception date: July 1, 1929) |
| U.S. offices |
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| International offices |
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| Total assets | Approximately $1.7 trillion in U.S. mutual funds (as of December 31, 2011) |
| Number of funds | Approximately 170 U.S. funds (including variable annuity portfolios), plus additional funds in international markets |
| Chairman and CEO | F. William McNabb III |
| Number of employees (crew) | Approximately 13,000 in U.S. and international locations (as of December 31, 2011) |
| Average expense ratio | 0.20% (expenses as a percentage of 2011 average net assets) |
| Mailing address | P.O. Box 2600, Valley Forge, PA 1948 |
Vanguard Group offers
Every day, individuals, organizations, and financial professionals find the investment products and services they need at Vanguard.
Personal investors
Whether you’re looking for investments, advice, or just more conveniences, Vanguard offers everything you need to help become a successful investor:
- An impressive selection of investments, including Vanguard mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), individual stocks and bonds, and convenient access to non-Vanguard funds.
- Flagship® and Voyager® Services, including reduced costs, expert advice, and additional personal service, for investors with a higher level of assets at Vanguard.
- Advice and financial planning services, including guidance for a specific financial issue, a more comprehensive analysis, or ongoing portfolio management.
- Retirement planning, including assistance in choosing the right accounts, transferring assets, generating sufficient income, or setting up a small business retirement plan.
- College savings options, including 529 plans.
Institutional investors
Whether it’s advisory services for your defined benefit or foundation portfolios, or investments and services for your retirement plan, Vanguard serves the entire institutional community by providing:
- Sound investment management in a wide range of products, from active and index mutual funds to commingled trusts.
- Comprehensive advisory services, from asset allocation to portfolio construction, for pension plans, endowments and foundations, and corporate assets.
- High-quality administrative and recordkeeping services for your defined contribution, defined benefit, or nonqualified plan.
- Customized plan consulting to help you design and refine your retirement plans.
- Innovative participant education, based on behavioral research, to help motivate the most reluctant employees.
- Proprietary research and commentary, providing leading-edge thinking on investments, market trends, and retirement planning issues.
Financial advisors
Vanguard offers product and education support to help you and your clients succeed:
- ETFs and mutual funds that are among the lowest cost in the industry, from a name you and your clients trust.
- Best-in-class fund managers who have consistently delivered long-term investment results.
- Investment education that you can share with your clients.
- Proprietary research and commentary to keep you on top of investment developments, market and economic trends, and the latest research on portfolio strategies and investor behavior.
Vanguard’s unique advantages
It’s important to know exactly what an investment management company stands for and what it can do for you. Three features of particular importance distinguish Vanguard from other firms:
- An unwavering focus on clients. A commitment to integrity, loyalty, and respect, and a promise to champion what’s best for our investors.
- Exceptional value. A dedication to outstanding performance, superior service, and low costs.
- Plain talk. Clear, candid communications and advice that help investors become better informed and more successful.