Investments in Target Retirement Funds are subject to the risks of their underlying funds. The year in the fund name refers to the approximate year (the "target date") when an investor in the fund would retire and leave the workforce. The fund will gradually shift its emphasis from more aggressive investments to more conservative ones based on its target date. An investment in a Target Retirement Fund is not guaranteed at any time, including on or after the target date.
An investment in a money market fund is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. Although a money market fund seeks to preserve the value of your investment at $1 per share, it is possible to lose money by investing in such a fund.
You must buy and sell Vanguard ETF Shares through a broker, which may incur commissions. Vanguard ETF Shares are not redeemable directly with the issuing fund other than in creation unit aggregations. Like stocks, ETFs are subject to market volatility. When buying or selling an ETF, you will pay or receive the current market price, which may be more or less than net asset value.
For more information about The Vanguard 529 College Savings Plan, call 866-734-4530 or visit vanguard.com to obtain a Program Description, which includes investment objectives, risks, charges, expenses, and other information; read and consider it carefully before investing. Vanguard Marketing Corporation, Distributor and Underwriter.
* Vanguard average expense ratio: 0.19%. Industry average expense ratio: 1.11%. Sources: Vanguard and Lipper Inc. as of December 31, 2012. Expense ratios are averages; individual investors may not experience similar savings by investing in a Vanguard fund. Actual expenses for Vanguard mutual funds range from 0.05% to 0.89%. (Vanguard Market Neutral Fund has an expense ratio of 1.71% and a minimum initial investment of $250,000.) There may be other material differences between products that must be considered before investing.
All investing is subject to risk, including possible loss of principal. Investments in stocks issued by non-U.S. companies are subject to risks including country/regional risk, which is the chance that political upheaval, financial troubles, or natural disasters will adversely affect the value of securities issued by companies in foreign countries or regions; and currency risk, which is the chance that the value of a foreign investment, measured in U.S. dollars, will decrease because of unfavorable changes in currency exchange rates. Bond funds are subject to the risk that an issuer will fail to make payments on time, and that bond prices will decline because of rising interest rates or negative perceptions of an issuer's ability to make payments. Stocks of companies based in emerging markets are subject to national and regional political and economic risks and to the risk of currency fluctuations. These risks are especially high in emerging markets. Diversification does not ensure a profit or protect against a loss.
Managed Payout Funds are not guaranteed to achieve their investment objectives and are subject to loss. Some of their distributions may be treated in part as a return of capital. The dollar amount of a fund's monthly cash distributions could go up or down substantially from one year to the next and over time. It is also possible for a fund to suffer substantial investment losses, and simultaneously experience additional asset reductions, as a result of its distributions to shareholders under its managed distribution policy. An investment in a fund could lose money over short, intermediate, or even long periods of time because each fund allocates its assets worldwide across different asset classes and investments with specific risk and return characteristics. The funds are proportionately subject to the risks associated with their underlying funds, which may invest in stocks (including stocks issued by REITs), bonds, cash, inflation-linked investments, commodity-linked investments, long/short market-neutral investments, and leveraged absolute-return investments.
The Vanguard 529 College Savings Plan is a Nevada Trust administered by the Board of Trustees of the College Savings Plans of Nevada, chaired by State Treasurer Kate Marshall. The Vanguard Group, Inc., serves as the Investment Manager and through its affiliate, Vanguard Marketing Corporation, markets and distributes the Plan. Upromise Investments, Inc., serves as Program Manager and has overall responsibility for the day-to-day operations, including effecting transactions. The Plan's portfolios, although they invest in Vanguard mutual funds, are not mutual funds. Investment returns are not guaranteed and you could lose money by investing in the plan.
Each LifeStrategy Fund invests in up to three broadly diversified Vanguard funds and is subject to the risks associated with those underlying funds.