investor.vanguard.comVanguard: Helping you reach your investing goals | Vanguard

Should investors prepare for the potential of a U.S. debt default? A long-term perspective is critical More from Greg Davis Reach your savings potential The Vanguard Cash Plus Account, with access to a competitive APY, can help you navigate the future with confidence. Change how you save You deserve investing advice from a true partner Vanguard advisory services are here to help at every step—from your first investment through retirement. Compare services Vanguard is ready to support you Expand your knowledge with our investor education and resources. Learn more Pause Play Previous (1) (2) (3) Next Pause Play Previous (1) (2) (3) Next Our number one goal is to help you reach yours Securely access your account or create a new one using the appropriate link. Log In Open an account Sign up for online account access Sign up for online account access Guiding you on your journey Explore professional advice We offer expert help at the low cost you’d expect from Vanguard. Compare advice options Is advice right for you? Use our free guide to help see which advice option may be best for your financial journey. Answer 3 questions Do it on your own Ready to plan your financial future? We have what you need to be a successful DIY investor. Invest on your own You’re in good company. Our unique, investor-owned structure keeps us focused on your needs first. 1 Your goals are always our goals. See why we’re different Vanguard is made up of more than 50 million investors, all with unique stories and individual goals. Play Video The world of investing can seem vast and overwhelming if you haven’t been a part of it before. But if you take things one step at a time, you can make a plan that’ll get you started on the right path toward your financial goals. First, it’s important to decide what those goals are. Maybe you want to save for retirement. Or college. Or scuba diving in Fiji. Or maybe you just want to save more in general. Once you have those goalposts in mind, that’s what will determine the kind of account you should open. Think IRAs for retirement, 529s for college savings, and individual or joint accounts for general savings. Once you’ve settled on an account type for your journey, it’s time to pack your bags—in other words, you’ll need to choose what kinds of investments to hold in your account to give your money the best chance to grow over time. There are three kinds of assets you can invest in: stocks, bonds, and cash. You can—and should—mix and match them. That’s called diversification, and it’s important for managing risk. First, let’s talk about stocks. When you buy a stock, you own a piece of a company and its profits. Stocks have high growth potential, but with that comes high risk, so you’ll want to balance stock purchases out with less risky ones, like … Bonds. Bonds are loans where you’re the creditor. You lend money to the bond issuer in exchange for repayment with interest by a certain date. We consider them moderate-risk investments. And finally, there’s cash. Cash in your portfolio can preserve the value of your money when you’re saving for short-term goals. It carries the least risk when it comes to losing money, but there’s also not much potential for growth. We think the best portfolios strike a balance between risk and reward. Now that you know about the different kinds of investments, you can get moving on those goals you set. And you can start asking yourself questions like: When do I want to retire? How soon do I want to be face-to-face with those sea turtles in Fiji? That will help you decide on a timeline for investing—and what your approach will be. Still have questions about getting started with investing? We’re here to help. Visit us on the web at vanguard.com/gettingstarted . View transcript Know exactly what you’re looking for? Explore our great ETF & mutual fund options. Shop our products You’re not alone Vanguard investors just like you have lots of experiences to share. Manage debt Save more Plan your legacy Retire I’m taking control of my debt, and my life. Play Video View transcript Planning helps me save—for the big and little things. Play Video View transcript We want to give our grandchildren the gift of financial security. Play Video View transcript My future is worth planning for. Play Video View transcript You’re not alone Vanguard investors just like you have lots of experiences to share. I’m taking control of my debt, and my life. Play Video View transcript Planning helps me save—for the big and little things. Play Video View transcript We want to give our grandchildren the gift of financial security. Play Video View transcript My future is worth planning for. Play Video View transcript Pause Play Previous Manage debt Save more Plan your legacy Retire Next Once my debt is behind me, the rest of my life can finally come into focus. Today my daughter told me she wants to buy a robot unicorn. I told her we can save up for that. We want to pass down our love, our laughter, and our legacy. Family time means everything to me. My life won’t get smaller when I retire, but it will get a lot more beautiful. A track record of strong fund performance Money market Bond Balanced Stock Our funds are crafted with you in mind to help you reach your goals of investment success. Over the last 10 years we have had a history of strong performance. 2 A track record of strong fund performance Pause Play Previous Money market Bond Balanced Stock Next Our funds are crafted with you in mind to help you reach your goals of investment success. Over the last 10 years we have had a history of strong performance. 2 Explore our resources to learn how to grow your wealth and reach your goals. Perspectives New to investing and need a hand? See all perspectives Popular in perspectives Getting started with investing Turn your goal into an investment plan Market volatility and you Tools Use our tools to help you build a plan to meet your investing goals. See all tools Popular in tools Retirement income calculator Retirement expenses worksheet College savings planner 1 Vanguard is investor-owned. As an investor-owner, you own the funds that own Vanguard. 2 For the ten-year period ended September 30, 2023, 6 of 6 Vanguard money market funds, 85 of 97 bond funds, 20 of 23 balanced funds, and 168 of 184 stock funds, or 279 of 310 Vanguard funds outperformed their peer group averages. Results will vary for other time periods. Only funds with a minimum ten-year history were included in the comparison. Source: Lipper, a Thomson Reuters Company. Note that the competitive performance data shown represent past performance, which is not a guarantee of future results, and that all investments are subject to risks. For the most recent performance, visit our website at http://www.vanguard.com/performance . All investing is subject to risk, including the possible loss of the money you invest. Advice services are provided by Vanguard Advisers, Inc., a registered investment advisor, or by Vanguard National Trust Company, a federally chartered, limited-purpose trust company. The services provided to clients who elect to receive ongoing advice will vary based upon the amount of assets in a portfolio. Please review the Form CRS and Vanguard Personal Advisor Services Brochure (PDF) for important details about the service, including its asset-based service levels and fee breakpoints. For more information about Vanguard funds or ETFs, visit vanguard.com to obtain a prospectus or, if available, a summary prospectus. Investment objectives, risks, charges, expenses, and other important information about a fund are contained in the prospectus; read and consider it carefully before investing. Research our firm with FINRA’s BrokerCheck. Investment Adviser Form Client Relationship Summary (Form CRS) (PDF) Broker-Dealer Form Client Relationship Summary (Form CRS)...