Vanguard
Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities Index Fund
Prospectus
January 31,
2022
Admiral™
Shares
Vanguard Short-Term
Inflation-Protected Securities Index Fund Admiral Shares
(VTAPX)
This prospectus contains financial data for the Fund through the fiscal year ended September 30, 2021.
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is
a
criminal offense.
(Fees paid directly from your investment)
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Sales
Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases |
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Purchase
Fee |
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Sales
Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends |
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Redemption
Fee |
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Account
Service Fee Per Year
(for
certain fund account balances below $10,000) |
$ |
(Expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
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Management
Fees |
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12b-1
Distribution Fee |
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Other
Expenses |
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Total
Annual Fund Operating Expenses |
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1
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1
Year |
3
Years |
5
Years |
10
Years |
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$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
2
3
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Total
Return |
Quarter |
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- |
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1
Year |
5
Years |
Since
Fund
Inception |
Fund
Inception
Date |
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Vanguard
Short-Term Inflation-Protected
Securities
Index Fund Admiral Shares |
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Return Before
Taxes |
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Return After
Taxes on Distributions |
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Return After
Taxes on Distributions and Sale of
Fund
Shares |
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Bloomberg
U.S. TIPS 0-5 Year Index
(reflects no
deduction for fees, expenses,
or
taxes) |
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Bloomberg
U.S. Aggregate Bond Index
(reflects no
deduction for fees, expenses,
or
taxes) |
- |
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4
Investment
Advisor
The Vanguard Group,
Inc. (Vanguard)
Portfolio
Manager
Joshua C. Barrickman, CFA,
Principal of Vanguard and head of Vanguard’s Fixed Income Indexing Americas. He
has managed the Fund since its inception in 2012.
Purchase
and Sale of Fund Shares
You may purchase or redeem shares
online through our website (vanguard.com), by mail (The Vanguard Group, P.O.
Box 982901, El Paso, TX 79998-2901), or by telephone (800-662-2739). The minimum
investment amount required to open and maintain a Fund account for Admiral
Shares is $3,000. The minimum investment amount required to add to an existing
Fund account is generally $1. Financial intermediaries, institutional clients,
and Vanguard-advised clients should contact Vanguard for information on special
eligibility rules that may apply to them regarding Admiral Shares. If you are
investing through an intermediary, please contact that firm directly for more
information regarding your eligibility. If you are investing through an
employer-sponsored retirement or savings plan, your plan administrator or your
benefits office can provide you with detailed information on how you can invest
through your plan.
Tax
Information
The Fund’s
distributions may be taxable as ordinary income or capital gain. If you are
investing through a tax-advantaged account, such as an IRA or an
employer-sponsored retirement or savings plan, special tax rules
apply.
Payments
to Financial Intermediaries
The Fund and its
investment advisor do not pay financial intermediaries for sales of Fund
shares.
5
Investing
in Index Funds
What
Is Indexing?
Indexing is an
investment strategy for tracking the performance of a specified market
benchmark, or “index.” An index is a group of securities whose overall
performance is used as a standard to measure the investment performance of a
particular market. There are many types of indexes. Some represent entire
markets—such as the U.S. stock market or the U.S. bond market. Other indexes
cover market segments—such as small-capitalization stocks or short-term bonds.
One cannot invest directly in an index.
The index sponsor
determines the securities to include in the index and the weighting of each
security in the index. Under normal circumstances, the index sponsor will
rebalance an index on a regular schedule. An index sponsor may carry out
additional ad hoc index rebalances or delay or cancel a scheduled rebalance.
Generally, the index sponsor does not provide any warranty, or accept any
liability, with respect to the quality, accuracy, or completeness of either the
target index or its related data. Errors made by the index sponsor may occur
from time to time and may not be identified by the index sponsor for a period of
time or at all. Vanguard does not provide any warranty or guarantee against such
errors. Therefore, the gains, losses, or costs associated with the index
sponsor’s errors will generally be borne by the index fund and its
shareholders.
An index fund seeks to hold all, or
a representative sample, of the securities that make up its target index. Index
funds attempt to mirror the performance of the target index, for better or
worse. However, an index fund generally does not perform exactly like its target index. For
example, index funds have operating expenses and transaction costs. Market
indexes do not, and therefore they will usually have a slight performance
advantage over funds that track them. The ability of an index fund to match its
performance to that of its target index can also be impacted by, among other
things, the timing and size of cash flows, asset valuation differences, and the
size of the fund. Market disruptions and regulatory or policy restrictions could
also have an adverse effect on a fund’s ability to adjust its exposure to the
required levels in order to track the index. The risk that a fund may not track
the performance of its target index may be heightened during times of increased
market volatility or other unusual market conditions.
Index funds
typically have the following characteristics:
• Variety
of investments. Depending on a
fund’s benchmark index, the fund may invest in the securities of a variety of
companies, industries, and/or governments or government agencies.
• Relative
performance consistency. Because they seek
to track market benchmarks, index funds usually do not perform dramatically
better or worse than their benchmarks.
• Low
cost.
Index funds are generally inexpensive to run compared with actively managed
funds. They have low or no research costs and typically keep trading
activity—and thus dealer markups and other transaction costs—to a minimum
compared with actively managed funds.
6
More
on the Fund
This prospectus
describes the principal risks you would face as a Fund shareholder. It is
important to keep in mind one of the main principles of investing: generally,
the higher the risk of losing money, the higher the potential reward. The
reverse, also, is generally true: the lower the risk, the lower the potential
reward. As you consider an investment in any mutual fund, you should take into
account your personal tolerance for fluctuations in the securities markets. Look
for this 
symbol throughout
the prospectus. It is used to mark detailed information about the more
significant risks that you would confront as a Fund shareholder. To highlight
terms and concepts important to mutual fund investors, we have provided Plain
Talk® explanations along
the way. Reading the prospectus will help you decide whether the Fund is the
right investment for you. We suggest that you keep this prospectus for future
reference.
symbol throughout
the prospectus. It is used to mark detailed information about the more
significant risks that you would confront as a Fund shareholder. To highlight
terms and concepts important to mutual fund investors, we have provided Plain
Talk® explanations along
the way. Reading the prospectus will help you decide whether the Fund is the
right investment for you. We suggest that you keep this prospectus for future
reference.Share
Class Overview
This prospectus
offers the Fund‘s Admiral Shares. Separate prospectuses offer the Fund‘s
Investor Shares, which are generally available only to Vanguard funds that
operate as funds of funds and to certain retirement plan clients that receive
recordkeeping services from Vanguard, and Institutional Shares, which are
generally for investors who invest a minimum of $5 million. In addition, the
Fund issues ETF Shares (an exchange-traded class of shares), which are also
offered through a separate prospectus.
All share classes
offered by the Fund have the same investment objective, strategies, and
policies. However, different share classes have different expenses; as a result,
their investment returns will differ.
|
Plain
Talk About Fund Expenses |
|
All
mutual funds have operating expenses. These expenses, which are
deducted
from a fund’s gross income, are expressed as a percentage of the
net
assets of the fund. Assuming that operating expenses remain as stated
in the
Fees and Expenses section, Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected
Securities
Index Fund Admiral Share's expense ratio would be 0.06%, or
$0.60
per $1,000 of average net assets. The average expense ratio for
inflation-protected
bond funds in 2020 was 0.66%, or $6.60 per $1,000 of
average
net assets (derived from data provided by Lipper, a Thomson
Reuters
Company, which reports on the mutual fund
industry). |
7
|
Plain
Talk About Costs of Investing |
|
Costs
are an important consideration in choosing a mutual fund. That is
because
you, as a shareholder, pay a proportionate share of the costs of
operating
a fund and any transaction costs incurred when the fund buys or
sells
securities. These costs can erode a substantial portion of the gross
income
or the capital appreciation a fund achieves. Even seemingly small
differences
in expenses can, over time, have a dramatic effect on a
fund’s
performance. |
The following sections explain the
principal investment strategies and policies that the Fund uses in pursuit of
its investment objective. The Fund's board of trustees, which oversees the
Fund's management, may change investment strategies or policies in the interest
of shareholders without a shareholder vote, unless those strategies or policies
are designated as fundamental. Note that the Fund’s investment objective is not
fundamental and may be changed without a shareholder vote. Under normal
circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its assets in
inflation-indexed securities that make up its target index. The Fund may change
its 80% policy only upon 60 days' notice to shareholders.
8
Market
Exposure
|
Plain
Talk About Inflation-Indexed Securities |
|
Unlike a
conventional bond, whose issuer makes regular fixed interest
payments
and repays the face value of the bond at maturity, an
inflation-indexed
security (IIS) provides principal and interest payments that
are
adjusted over time to reflect a rise (inflation) or a drop (deflation) in
the
general
price level for goods and services. This adjustment is a key feature of
an IIS.
Even though historically the general price level for goods and services
has
risen each year, there have been periods when the general price level for
goods
and services has dropped (as measured by the Consumer Price Index
(CPI).
Importantly, for shareholders of U.S. government issued
inflation-indexed
securities, during such a period of deflation, the
U.S.
Treasury has guaranteed that it will repay at least the face value of the
securities.
However, if an IIS is purchased by a fund at a premium, a
deflationary
period could cause the fund to experience a loss. |
|
Inflation
measurement and adjustment for an IIS have two important
features.
There is a two-month lag between the time that inflation occurs in
the
economy and when it is factored into IIS valuations. This is due to the
time
required to measure and calculate the CPI and for the U.S. Treasury to
adjust
the inflation accrual schedules for an IIS. For example, inflation that
occurs
in January is calculated and announced during February and affects
IIS
valuations throughout the month of March. In addition, the inflation index
used is
the nonseasonally adjusted index. It differs from the CPI that is
reported
by most news organizations, which is statistically smoothed to
overcome
highs and lows observed at different points each year. The use of
the
nonseasonally adjusted index can cause a fund’s income level to
fluctuate.
|
9
The
Fund is subject to income fluctuations. The Fund’s quarterly income
distributions are likely to fluctuate considerably more than the income
distributions of a typical bond fund. In fact, under certain conditions, the
Fund may not have any income to distribute. Income fluctuations associated with
changes in interest rates are expected to be low; however, income fluctuations
associated with changes in inflation are expected to be high. Overall, investors
can expect income fluctuations to be high for the Fund.
Although
fluctuations in quarterly income distributions are expected to be high,
distributions should provide an income yield that adjusts with inflation. In
periods of extreme deflation, the Fund may have no income to distribute. If
prices throughout the economy decline, the principal and income of an IIS will
decline and could result in losses for the Fund.
Changes in interest
rates can affect bond income as well as bond
prices.
The
Fund is subject to real interest rate risk, which is the chance that the value
of a bond will fluctuate because of a change in the level of real, or after
inflation, interest rates. Although inflation-indexed bonds seek to provide
inflation protection, their prices may decline when real interest rates rise and
vice versa. Because the Index is a market-capitalization-weighted index that
includes all inflation-protected public obligations issued by the U.S. Treasury
with remaining maturities of less than 5 years, real interest rate risk is
expected to be low for the Fund.
|
Plain
Talk About Real Returns |
|
Inflation-indexed
securities are designed to provide a “real rate of return”—a
return
after adjusting for the impact of inflation. Inflation—a rise in the
general
price level—erodes the purchasing power of an investor’s portfolio.
For
example, if an investment provides a “nominal” total return of 5% in a
given
year and inflation is 2% during that period, the inflation-adjusted, or
real,
return is 3%. Investors should be conscious of both the nominal and the
real
returns on their investments. Investors in inflation-indexed bond funds
who
do not reinvest the portion of the income distribution that comes from
inflation
adjustments will not maintain the purchasing power of the
investment
over the long term. This is because interest earned depends on
the
amount of principal invested, and that principal will not grow with
inflation
if the investor does not reinvest the principal adjustment paid out as
part
of a fund’s income
distributions. |
10
|
Plain
Talk About Inflation-Indexed Securities and Interest
Rates |
|
Interest
rates on conventional bonds have two primary components: a “real”
yield
and an increment that reflects investor expectations of future inflation.
By
contrast, interest rates on an IIS are adjusted for inflation and,
therefore,
are
not affected meaningfully by inflation expectations. This leaves only real
interest
rates to influence the price of an IIS. A rise in real interest rates will
cause
the price of an IIS to fall, while a decline in real interest rates will
boost
the price of an IIS. |
|
Plain
Talk About Inflation-Indexed Securities and Taxes |
|
Any
increase in principal for an IIS resulting from inflation adjustments is
considered
by the IRS to be taxable income in the year it occurs. For direct
holders
of an IIS, this means that taxes must be paid on principal
adjustments,
even though these amounts are not received until the bond
matures.
By contrast, a mutual fund holding an IIS pays out (to shareholders)
both
interest income and the income attributable to principal adjustments
each
quarter in the form of cash or reinvested shares, and the shareholders
must
pay taxes on the
distributions. |
Market disruptions
can adversely affect local and global markets as well as normal market
conditions and operations. Any such disruptions could have an adverse impact on
the value of the Fund's investments and Fund performance.
Security
Selection
The Fund attempts
to track the investment performance of a benchmark index that measures the
investment return of inflation-protected public obligations issued by the U.S.
Treasury with remaining maturities of less than 5 years. The Fund uses the
replication method of indexing, meaning that it generally holds the same
securities as its target index and in approximately the same
proportions.
Other
Investment Policies and Risks
The Fund reserves
the right to substitute a different index for the index it currently tracks if
the current index is discontinued, if the Fund's agreement with the sponsor of
its target index is terminated, or for any other reason determined in good faith
by the Fund’s board of trustees. In any such instance, the substitute index
would represent the same market segment as the current index.
11
The Fund may
invest, to a limited extent, in derivatives. Generally speaking, a derivative is
a financial contract whose value is based on the value of a financial asset
(such as a stock, a bond, or a currency), a physical asset (such as gold, oil,
or wheat), a market index, or a reference rate. Investments in derivatives may
subject the Fund to risks different from, and possibly greater than, those of
investments directly in the underlying securities or assets. The Fund will not
use derivatives for speculation or for the purpose of leveraging (magnifying)
investment returns.
The Fund may invest
a small portion of its assets in fixed income futures, which are a type of
derivative, and/or shares of exchange-traded funds (ETFs). These fixed income
futures and ETFs typically provide returns similar to those of the bonds listed
in the index, or in a subset of the index, the Fund seeks to track. The Fund may
purchase futures or ETFs when doing so will reduce the Fund’s transaction costs,
facilitate cash management, mitigate risk, or have the potential to add value
because the instruments are favorably priced. Vanguard receives no additional
revenue from Fund assets invested in ETF Shares of other Vanguard funds. Fund
assets invested in ETF Shares are excluded when allocating to the Fund its share
of the costs of Vanguard operations.
Cash
Management
The Fund's daily
cash balance may be invested in Vanguard Market Liquidity Fund and/or Vanguard
Municipal Cash Management Fund (each, a CMT Fund), which are low-cost money
market funds. When investing in a CMT Fund, the Fund bears its proportionate
share of the expenses of the CMT Fund in which it invests. Vanguard receives no
additional revenue from Fund assets invested in a CMT Fund.
Methods
Used to Meet Redemption Requests
Under normal
circumstances, the Fund typically expects to meet redemptions with positive cash
flows. When this is not an option, the Fund seeks to maintain its risk exposure
by selling a cross section of the Fund’s holdings to meet redemptions, while
also factoring in transaction costs. Additionally, the Fund may work with larger
clients to implement their redemptions in a manner that is least disruptive to
the portfolio; see “Potentially disruptive redemptions” under Redeeming
Shares
in the Investing
With Vanguard
section.
Under certain
circumstances, including under stressed market conditions, there are additional
tools that the Fund may use in order to meet redemptions, including advancing
the settlement of market trades with counterparties to match investor redemption
payments or delaying settlement of an investor’s transaction to match trade
settlement within regulatory requirements. The Fund may also suspend payment of
redemption proceeds for up to seven days; see
12
“Emergency
circumstances” under Redeeming
Shares
in the Investing
With Vanguard section.
Additionally under these unusual circumstances, the Fund may borrow money
(subject to certain regulatory conditions and if available under board-approved
procedures) through an interfund lending facility; through a bank
line-of-credit, including a joint committed credit facility; or through an
uncommitted line-of-credit from Vanguard in order to meet redemption
requests.
Temporary
Investment Measures
The Fund may
temporarily depart from its normal investment policies and strategies when the
advisor believes that doing so is in the Fund's best interest, so long as the
strategy or policy employed is consistent with the Fund's investment objective.
For instance, the Fund may invest beyond its normal limits in derivatives or
exchange-traded funds that are consistent with the Fund's investment objective
when those instruments are more favorably priced or provide needed liquidity, as
might be the case when the Fund receives large cash flows that it cannot
prudently invest immediately.
Frequent
Trading or Market-Timing
Background.
Some
investors try to profit from strategies involving frequent trading of mutual
fund shares, such as market-timing. For funds holding foreign securities,
investors may try to take advantage of an anticipated difference between the
price of the fund’s shares and price movements in overseas markets, a practice
also known as time-zone arbitrage. Investors also may try to engage in frequent
trading of funds holding investments such as small-cap stocks and high-yield
bonds. As money is shifted into and out of a fund by a shareholder engaging in
frequent trading, the fund incurs costs for buying and selling securities,
resulting in increased brokerage and administrative costs. These costs are borne
by all fund shareholders,
including the long-term investors who do not generate the costs. In addition,
frequent trading may interfere with an advisor’s ability to efficiently manage
the fund.
Policies
to address frequent trading. The Vanguard funds
(other than money market funds and short-term bond funds, but including Vanguard
Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities Index Fund) do not knowingly
accommodate frequent trading. The board of trustees of each Vanguard fund (other
than money market funds and short-term bond funds, but including Vanguard
Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities Index Fund) has adopted policies and
procedures reasonably designed to detect and discourage frequent trading and, in
some cases, to compensate the fund for the costs associated with it. These
policies and procedures do not apply to ETF Shares because frequent trading in
ETF Shares generally does not disrupt portfolio management or otherwise harm
fund
13
shareholders.
Although there is no assurance that Vanguard will be able to detect or prevent
frequent trading or market-timing in all circumstances, the following policies
have been adopted to address these issues:
• Each Vanguard
fund reserves the right to reject any purchase request—including exchanges from
other Vanguard funds—without notice and regardless of size. For example, a
purchase request could be rejected because the investor has a history of
frequent trading or if Vanguard determines that such purchase may negatively
affect a fund’s operation or performance.
• Each Vanguard
fund (other than money market funds and short-term bond funds, but including
Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities Index Fund) generally
prohibits, except as otherwise noted in the Investing
With Vanguard section, an
investor’s purchases or exchanges into a fund account for 30 calendar days after
the investor has redeemed or exchanged out of that fund account.
• Certain Vanguard
funds charge shareholders purchase and/or redemption fees on
transactions.
See the
Investing
With Vanguard section of this
prospectus for further details on Vanguard’s transaction policies.
Each Vanguard fund
(other than retail and government money market funds), in determining its net
asset value, will use fair-value pricing when appropriate, as described in the
Share
Price
section. Fair-value pricing may reduce or eliminate the profitability of certain
frequent-trading strategies.
Do
not invest with Vanguard if you are a market-timer.
Turnover
Rate
Although the Fund
generally seeks to invest for the long term, it may sell securities regardless
of how long they have been held. Generally, an index fund sells securities in
response to redemption requests from shareholders of conventional (not
exchange-traded) shares or to changes in the composition of its target index or
in an effort to manage the fund’s duration. The Financial
Highlights section of this
prospectus shows historical turnover rates for the Fund. A turnover rate of
100%, for example, would mean that the Fund had sold and replaced securities
valued at 100% of its net assets within a one-year period. In general, the
greater the turnover rate, the greater the impact transaction costs will have on
a fund’s return. Also, funds with high turnover rates may be more likely to
generate capital gains, including short-term capital gains, that must be
distributed to shareholders and will be taxable to shareholders investing
through a taxable account.
14
The
Fund and Vanguard
The Fund is a
member of The Vanguard Group, a family of over 200 funds. All of the funds that
are members of The Vanguard Group (other than funds of funds) share in the
expenses associated with administrative services and business operations, such
as personnel, office space, and equipment.
Vanguard Marketing
Corporation provides marketing services to the funds. Although fund shareholders
do not pay sales commissions or 12b-1 distribution fees, each fund (other than a
fund of funds) or each share class of a fund (in the case of a fund with
multiple share classes) pays its allocated share of the Vanguard funds’
marketing costs.
|
Plain
Talk About Vanguard’s Unique Corporate Structure |
|
The
Vanguard Group is owned jointly by the funds it oversees and thus
indirectly
by the shareholders in those funds. Most other mutual funds are
operated
by management companies that are owned by third parties—either
public
or private stockholders—and not by the funds they
serve. |
Investment
Advisor
The Vanguard Group, Inc., P.O. Box
2600, Valley Forge, PA 19482, which began operations in 1975, serves as advisor
to the Fund through its Fixed Income Group. As of September 30, 2021, Vanguard
served as advisor for approximately $6.5 trillion in assets. Vanguard provides
investment advisory services to the Fund pursuant to the Funds’ Service
Agreement and subject to the supervision and oversight of the trustees and
officers of the Fund.
For the fiscal year ended September
30, 2021, the advisory expenses represented an effective annual rate of less
than 0.01% of the Fund’s average net assets.
Under the terms of
an SEC exemption, the Fund's board of trustees may, without prior approval from
shareholders, change the terms of an advisory agreement with a third-party
investment advisor or hire a new third-party investment advisor—either as a
replacement for an existing advisor or as an additional advisor. Any significant
change in the Fund’s advisory arrangements will be communicated to shareholders
in writing. As the Fund's sponsor and overall manager, Vanguard may provide
investment advisory services to the Fund at any time. Vanguard may also
recommend to the board of trustees that an
15
advisor be hired,
terminated, or replaced or that the terms of an existing advisory agreement be
revised. The Fund has filed an application seeking a similar SEC exemption with
respect to investment advisors that are wholly owned subsidiaries of Vanguard.
If the exemption is granted, the Fund may rely on the new SEC
relief.
For a discussion of
why the board of trustees approved the Fund's investment advisory arrangement,
see the most recent semiannual report to shareholders covering the fiscal period
ended March 31.
The manager
primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund is:
Joshua C.
Barrickman, CFA,
Principal of Vanguard and head of Vanguard’s Fixed Income Indexing Americas. He
has been with Vanguard since 1998, has worked in investment management since
1999, has managed investment portfolios since 2005, and has managed the Fund
since its inception in 2012. Education: B.S., Ohio Northern University; M.B.A.,
Lehigh University.
The Fund's
Statement
of Additional Information provides
information about the portfolio manager’s compensation, other accounts under
management, and ownership of shares of the Fund.
Dividends,
Capital Gains, and Taxes
Fund
Distributions
The Fund
distributes to shareholders virtually all of its net income (interest less
expenses) as well as any net short-term or long-term capital gains realized from
the sale of its holdings. From time to time, the Fund may also make
distributions that are treated as a return of capital. The Fund can declare and
distribute income dividends quarterly in March, June, September, and December.
The Fund may make a supplemental distribution at some other time during the
year. However, the special tax treatment applicable to the Fund’s portfolio of
inflation-indexed bonds increases the Fund’s risk of overdistributing income and
paying a return of capital for a year. To minimize this overdistribution risk,
the Fund may determine to pay distributions less frequently than quarterly in a
year, and in some years, the Fund may not pay any income dividend. Capital gains
distributions, if any, generally occur annually in December.
16
You can receive
distributions of income or capital gains in cash, or you can have them
automatically reinvested in more shares of the Fund. However, if you are
investing through an employer-sponsored retirement or savings plan, your
distributions will be automatically reinvested in additional Fund
shares.
|
Plain
Talk About Distributions |
|
As
a shareholder, you are entitled to your portion of a fund’s income from
interest
as well as capital gains from the fund’s sale of investments. Income
consists
of interest the fund earns from its money market and bond
investments.
Capital gains are realized whenever the fund sells securities for
higher
prices than it paid for them. These capital gains are either short-term
or
long-term, depending on whether the fund held the securities for one year
or
less or for more than one
year. |
|
Plain
Talk About Return of Capital |
|
Return
of capital is the portion of a distribution representing the return of
your
original investment in a fund. Return of capital reduces your cost basis
in
the fund’s shares and is not taxable to you until your cost basis has been
reduced
to zero. During periods of deflation, the fund’s inflation-indexed
bonds
may experience a downward adjustment in their value. These
downward
adjustments can partially or entirely offset, or more than offset,
the
income earned on the bonds. Under certain circumstances, these
downward
adjustments could require the fund to reclassify a portion of the
income
dividends previously distributed to shareholders as return of capital.
To
reduce the possibility of a reclassification, the fund may determine to
pay
income
dividends less frequently than quarterly in a year and in some years,
the
fund may not pay any income
dividends. |
Basic
Tax Points
Investors in
taxable accounts should be aware of the following basic federal income tax
points:
• Distributions are
taxable to you whether or not you reinvest these amounts in additional Fund
shares.
• Distributions
declared in December—if paid to you by the end of January—are taxable as if
received in December.
• Any income
dividend distribution or short-term capital gains distribution that you receive
is taxable to you as ordinary income.
17
• Any distribution
of net long-term capital gains is taxable to you as long-term capital gains, no
matter how long you have owned shares in the Fund.
• Capital gains
distributions may vary considerably from year to year as a result of the Fund's
normal investment activities and cash flows.
• Your cost basis
in the Fund will be decreased by the amount of any return of capital that you
receive. This, in turn, will affect the amount of any capital gain or loss that
you realize when selling or exchanging your Fund shares.
• Return of capital
distributions generally are not taxable to you until your cost basis has been
reduced to zero. If your cost basis is at zero, return of capital distributions
will be treated as capital gains.
• A sale or
exchange of Fund shares is a taxable event. This means that you may have a
capital gain to report as income, or a capital loss to report as a deduction,
when you complete your tax return.
• Any conversion
between classes of shares of the same fund is a nontaxable event. By contrast,
an exchange between classes of shares of different funds is a
taxable
event.
• Vanguard (or your
intermediary) will send you a statement each year showing the tax status of all
of your distributions.
Individuals,
trusts, and estates whose income exceeds certain threshold amounts are subject
to a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax on “net investment income.” Net investment
income takes into account distributions paid by the Fund and capital gains from
any sale or exchange of Fund shares.
Income dividends
and capital gains distributions that you receive, as well as your gains or
losses from any sale or exchange of Fund shares, may be subject to state and
local income taxes. Depending on your state’s rules, however, any dividends
attributable to interest earned on direct obligations of the
U.S. government may be exempt from state and local taxes. Vanguard will notify
you each year how much, if any, of your dividends may qualify for this
exemption.
This prospectus
provides general tax information only. If you are investing through a
tax-advantaged account, such as an IRA or an employer-sponsored retirement or
savings plan, special tax rules apply. Please consult your tax advisor for
detailed information about any tax consequences for you.
18
|
Plain
Talk About Buying a Dividend |
|
Unless
you are a tax-exempt investor or investing through a tax-advantaged
account
(such as an IRA or an employer-sponsored retirement or savings
plan),
you should consider avoiding a purchase of fund shares shortly before
the
fund makes a distribution, because doing so can cost you money in
taxes.
This is known as “buying a dividend.” For example: On December 15,
you
invest $5,000, buying 250 shares for $20 each. If the fund pays a
distribution
of $1 per share on December 16, its share price will drop to $19
(not
counting market change). You still have only $5,000 (250 shares x $19 =
$4,750
in share value, plus 250 shares x $1 = $250 in distributions), but you
owe
tax
on the $250 distribution you received—even if you reinvest it in
more
shares. To avoid buying a dividend, check a fund’s distribution schedule
before
you invest. |
General
Information
Backup
withholding. By law, Vanguard
must withhold 24% of any taxable distributions or redemptions from your account
if you do not:
• Provide your
correct taxpayer identification number.
• Certify that the
taxpayer identification number is correct.
• Confirm that you
are not subject to backup withholding.
Similarly, Vanguard
(or your intermediary) must withhold taxes from your account if the IRS
instructs us to do so.
Foreign
investors. Vanguard funds
offered for sale in the United States (Vanguard U.S. funds), including the Fund
offered in this prospectus, are not widely available outside the United States.
Non-U.S. investors should be aware that U.S. withholding and estate taxes and
certain U.S. tax reporting requirements may apply to any investments in Vanguard
U.S. funds. Foreign investors should visit the non-U.S. investors page on our
website at vanguard.com for information on
Vanguard’s non-U.S. products.
Invalid
addresses. If an income
dividend distribution or capital gains distribution check mailed to your address
of record is returned as undeliverable, Vanguard will automatically reinvest the
distribution and all future distributions until you provide us with a valid
mailing address. Reinvestments will receive the net asset value calculated on
the date of the reinvestment.
19
Share
Price
Share price, also
known as net
asset value (NAV), is
calculated as of the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange
(NYSE), generally 4 p.m., Eastern time, on each day that the NYSE is open for
business (a business day). In the rare event the NYSE experiences unanticipated
disruptions and is unavailable at the close of the trading day, NAVs will be
calculated as of the close of regular trading on the Nasdaq (or another
alternate exchange if the Nasdaq is unavailable, as determined at Vanguard’s
discretion), generally 4 p.m., Eastern time. Each share class has its own NAV,
which is computed by dividing the total assets, minus liabilities, allocated to
the share class by the number of Fund shares outstanding for that class. On U.S.
holidays or other days when the NYSE is closed, the NAV is not calculated, and
the Fund does not sell or redeem shares.
Debt securities
held by a Vanguard fund are valued based on information furnished by an
independent pricing service or market quotations. When a fund determines that
pricing-service information or market quotations either are not readily
available or do not accurately reflect the value of a security, the security is
priced at its fair
value
(the amount that the owner might reasonably expect to receive upon the current
sale of the security).
The values of any
foreign securities held by a fund are converted into U.S. dollars using an
exchange rate obtained from an independent third party as of the close of
regular trading on the NYSE. The values of any mutual fund shares, including
institutional money market fund shares, held by a fund are based on the NAVs of
the shares. The values of any ETF shares or closed-end fund shares held by a
fund are based on the market value of the shares.
A fund also may use
fair-value pricing on bond market holidays when the fund is open for business
(such as Columbus Day and Veterans Day). Fair-value prices are determined by
Vanguard according to procedures adopted by the board of trustees. When
fair-value pricing is employed, the prices of securities used by a fund to
calculate the NAV may differ from quoted or published prices for the same
securities.
Vanguard fund share
prices are published daily on our website at vanguard.com/prices.
20
Financial
Highlights
Financial
highlights information is intended to help you understand a fund’s performance
for the past five years (or, if shorter, its period of operations). Certain
information reflects financial results for a single fund share. Total return
represents the rate that an investor would have earned or lost each period on an
investment in a fund or share class (assuming reinvestment of all
distributions). This information has been obtained from the financial statements
audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public
accounting firm, whose report, along with fund financial statements, is included
in a fund’s most recent annual report to shareholders. You may obtain a free
copy of a fund’s latest annual or semiannual report, which is available upon
request.
Vanguard
Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities Index Fund Admiral Shares
|
|
Year Ended September
30, | ||||
|
For a
Share Outstanding Throughout Each Period |
2021 |
2020 |
2019 |
2018 |
2017 |
|
Net
Asset Value, Beginning of Period |
$25.44 |
$24.60 |
$24.25 |
$24.79 |
$24.88 |
|
Investment
Operations |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
Investment Income1
|
1.257 |
.294 |
.500 |
.692 |
.338 |
|
Net
Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments |
.123 |
.860 |
.332 |
(.450) |
(.241) |
|
Total from
Investment Operations |
1.380 |
1.154 |
.832 |
.242 |
.097 |
|
Distributions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dividends
from Net Investment Income |
(.890) |
(.314) |
(.482) |
(.782) |
(.187) |
|
Distributions
from Realized Capital Gains |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
|
Total
Distributions |
(.890) |
(.314) |
(.482) |
(.782) |
(.187) |
|
Net
Asset Value, End of Period |
$25.93 |
$25.44 |
$24.60 |
$24.25 |
$24.79 |
|
Total
Return2
|
5.47% |
4.72% |
3.46% |
1.00% |
0.40% |
|
Ratios/Supplemental
Data |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
Assets, End of Period (Millions) |
$13,879 |
$8,541 |
$7,333 |
$6,525 |
$5,078 |
|
Ratio of
Total Expenses to Average Net Assets |
0.06% |
0.06% |
0.06% |
0.06% |
0.06% |
|
Ratio of
Net Investment Income to Average Net Assets |
4.84% |
1.18% |
2.06% |
2.81% |
1.35% |
|
Portfolio
Turnover Rate3
|
19% |
37% |
26% |
25% |
27% |
|
|
|
|
1 |
Calculated
based on average shares outstanding. |
|
2 |
Total returns
do not include account service fees that may have applied in the periods
shown. Fund prospectuses
provide
information about any applicable account service
fees. |
|
3 |
Excludes the
value of portfolio securities received or delivered as a result of in-kind
purchases or redemptions of
the fund’s
capital shares, including ETF Creation
Units. |
21
Investing
With Vanguard
This section of the
prospectus explains the basics of doing business with Vanguard. Vanguard fund
shares can be held directly with Vanguard or indirectly through an intermediary,
such as a bank, a broker, or an investment advisor. If you hold Vanguard fund
shares directly with Vanguard, you should carefully read each topic within this
section that pertains to your relationship with Vanguard. If you hold Vanguard
fund shares indirectly through an intermediary (including shares held in a
brokerage account through Vanguard Brokerage Services®), please see
Investing
With Vanguard Through Other Firms, and also refer to
your account agreement with the intermediary for information about transacting
in that account. If you hold Vanguard fund shares through an employer-sponsored
retirement or savings plan, please see Employer-Sponsored
Plans.
Vanguard reserves the right to change the following policies without notice.
Please call or check online for current information. See Contacting
Vanguard.
For Vanguard fund
shares held directly with Vanguard, each fund you hold in an account is a
separate “fund account.” For example, if you hold three funds in a nonretirement
account titled in your own name, two funds in a nonretirement account titled
jointly with your spouse, and one fund in an individual retirement account, you
have six fund accounts—and this is true even if you hold the same fund in
multiple accounts. Note that each reference to “you” in this prospectus applies
to any one or more registered account owners or persons authorized to transact
on your account.
Purchasing
Shares
Vanguard reserves
the right, without notice, to increase or decrease the minimum amount required
to open, convert shares to, or maintain a fund account or to add to an existing
fund account.
Investment minimums
may differ for certain categories of investors.
Account
Minimums for Admiral Shares
To
open and maintain an account. $3,000. Financial
intermediaries, institutional clients, and Vanguard-advised clients should
contact Vanguard for information on special eligibility rules that may apply to
them regarding Admiral Shares. If you are investing through an intermediary,
please contact that firm directly for more information regarding your
eligibility.
To
add to an existing account. Generally $1.
22
How
to Initiate a Purchase Request
Be sure to check
Exchanging
Shares, Frequent-Trading Limitations, and Other
Rules You Should Know before placing
your purchase request.
Online. You may open
certain types of accounts, request a purchase of shares, and request an exchange
through our website or our mobile application if your account is eligible and
you are registered for online access.
By
telephone. You may call
Vanguard to begin the account registration process or request that the
account-opening forms be sent to you. You may also call Vanguard to request a
purchase of shares in your account or to request an exchange. See Contacting
Vanguard.
By
mail.
You may send Vanguard your account registration form and check to open a new
fund account. To add to an existing fund account, you may send your check with
an Invest-by-Mail form (from a transaction confirmation or your account
statement) or with a deposit slip (available online).
How
to Pay for a Purchase
By
electronic bank transfer. You may purchase
shares of a Vanguard fund through an electronic transfer of money from a bank
account. To establish the electronic bank transfer service on an account, you
must designate the bank account online, complete a form, or fill out the
appropriate section of your account registration form. After the service is set
up on your account, you can purchase shares by electronic bank transfer on a
regular schedule (Automatic Investment Plan), if eligible, or upon request. Your
purchase request can be initiated online (if you are registered for online
access), by telephone, or by mail.
By
wire.
Wiring instructions vary for different types of purchases. Please call Vanguard
for instructions and policies on purchasing shares by wire. See Contacting
Vanguard.
By
check.
You may make initial or additional purchases to your fund account by sending a
check with a deposit slip or by utilizing our mobile application if your account
is eligible and you are registered for online access. Also see How
to Initiate a Purchase Request. Make your check
payable to Vanguard and include the appropriate fund number (e.g.,
Vanguard—567).
By
exchange. You may purchase
shares of a Vanguard fund using the proceeds from the simultaneous redemption of
shares of another Vanguard fund. You may initiate an exchange online (if you are
registered for online access), by telephone, or by mail with an exchange form.
See Exchanging
Shares.
23
Trade
Date
The trade date for
any purchase request received in good order will depend on the day and time
Vanguard receives your request, the manner in which you are paying, and the type
of fund you are purchasing. Your purchase will be executed using the NAV as
calculated on the trade date. NAVs are calculated only on days that the NYSE is
open for trading (a business day). In the rare event the NYSE experiences
unanticipated disruptions and is unavailable at the close of the trading day,
NAVs will be calculated as of the close of regular trading on the Nasdaq (or
another alternate exchange if the Nasdaq is unavailable, as determined at
Vanguard’s discretion), generally 4 p.m., Eastern time. The time selected for
NAV calculation in this rare event shall also serve as the conclusion of the
trading day. See Share
Price.
For purchases by
check into all funds
other than money market funds and for purchases by exchange, wire, or electronic
bank transfer into all funds: If
the purchase request is received by Vanguard on a business day before the close
of regular trading on the NYSE (generally 4 p.m., Eastern time), the trade date
for the purchase will be the same day. If the purchase request is received on a
business day after the close of regular trading on the NYSE, or on a nonbusiness
day, the trade date for the purchase will be the next business day.
For purchases by
check into money market
funds: If the purchase request is received by Vanguard on a business day before
the close of regular trading on the NYSE (generally 4 p.m., Eastern time), the
trade date for the purchase will be the next business day. If the purchase
request is received on a business day after the close of regular trading on the
NYSE, or on a nonbusiness day, the trade date for the purchase will be the
second business day following the day Vanguard receives the purchase request.
Because money market instruments must be purchased with federal funds and it
takes a money market mutual fund one business day to convert check proceeds into
federal funds, the trade date for the purchase will be one business day later
than for other funds.
If your purchase
request is not accurate and complete, it may be rejected. See Other
Rules You Should Know—Good Order.
For further
information about purchase transactions, consult our website at vanguard.com or see
Contacting
Vanguard.
Other
Purchase Rules You Should Know
Admiral
Shares. Admiral Shares
generally are not available for SIMPLE IRAs and Vanguard Individual 401(k)
Plans.
24
Check
purchases. All purchase
checks must be written in U.S. dollars, be drawn on a U.S. bank, and be
accompanied by good order instructions. Vanguard does not accept cash,
traveler’s checks, starter checks, or money orders. In addition, Vanguard may
refuse checks that are not made payable to Vanguard.
New
accounts. We are required by
law to obtain from you certain personal information that we will use to verify
your identity. If you do not provide the information, we may not be able to open
your account. If we are unable to verify your identity, Vanguard reserves the
right, without notice, to close your account or take such other steps as we deem
reasonable. Certain types of accounts may require additional
documentation.
Refused
or rejected purchase requests. Vanguard reserves
the right to stop selling fund shares or to reject any purchase request at any
time and without notice, including, but not limited to, purchases requested by
exchange from another Vanguard fund. This also includes the right to reject any
purchase request because the investor has a history of frequent trading or
because the purchase may negatively affect a fund’s operation or
performance.
Large
purchases. Call Vanguard
before attempting to invest a large dollar amount.
No
cancellations. Vanguard will not
accept your request to cancel any purchase request once processing has begun.
Please be careful when placing a purchase request.
Converting
Shares
When a conversion
occurs, you receive shares of one class in place of shares of another class of
the same fund. At the time of conversion, the dollar value of the “new” shares
you receive equals the dollar value of the “old” shares that were converted. In
other words, the conversion has no effect on the value of your investment in the
fund at the time of the conversion. However, the number of shares you own after
the conversion may be greater than or less than the number of shares you owned
before the conversion, depending on the NAVs of the two share
classes.
Vanguard will not
accept your request to cancel any self-directed conversion request once
processing has begun. Please be careful when placing a conversion
request.
A conversion
between share classes of the same fund is a nontaxable event.
25
Trade
Date
The trade date for
any conversion request received in good order will depend on the day and time
Vanguard receives your request. Your conversion will be executed using the NAVs
of the different share classes on the trade date. NAVs are calculated only on
days that the NYSE is open for trading (a business day). In the rare event the
NYSE experiences unanticipated disruptions and is unavailable at the close of
the trading day, NAVs will be calculated as of the close of regular trading on
the Nasdaq (or another alternate exchange if the Nasdaq is unavailable, as
determined at Vanguard’s discretion), generally 4 p.m., Eastern time. The time
selected for NAV calculation in this rare event shall also serve as the
conclusion of the trading day. See Share
Price.
For a conversion
request (other than a request to convert to ETF Shares) received by Vanguard on
a business day before the close of regular trading on the NYSE (generally 4
p.m., Eastern time), the trade date will be the same day. For a conversion
request received on a business day after the close of regular trading on the
NYSE, or on a nonbusiness day, the trade date will be the next business day. See
Other
Rules You Should Know.
Conversions
to Institutional Shares
You are eligible
for a self-directed conversion from another share class to Institutional Shares
of the Fund, provided that your account meets all eligibility requirements. You
may request a conversion through our website (if you are registered for online
access), or you may contact Vanguard by telephone or by mail to request this
transaction. Accounts that qualify for Institutional Shares will not be
automatically converted.
Conversions
to ETF Shares
Owners of
conventional shares (i.e., not exchange-traded shares) issued by the Fund may
convert those shares to ETF Shares of equivalent value of the same fund. Please
note that investors who own conventional shares through a 401(k) plan or other
employer-sponsored retirement or benefit plan generally may not convert those
shares to ETF Shares and should check with their plan sponsor or recordkeeper.
ETF Shares, whether acquired through a conversion or purchased on the secondary
market, cannot be converted to conventional shares by a shareholder. Also, ETF
Shares of one fund cannot be exchanged for ETF Shares of another
fund.
ETF Shares must be
held in a brokerage account. Thus, before converting conventional shares to ETF
Shares, you must have an existing, or open a new, brokerage account. This
account may be with Vanguard Brokerage Services or with any other brokerage
firm.
26
Vanguard Brokerage
Services does not impose a fee on conversions from conventional shares to
Vanguard ETF Shares. However, other brokerage firms may charge a fee to process
a conversion. Vanguard reserves the right, in the future, to impose a
transaction fee on conversions or to limit, temporarily suspend, or terminate
the conversion privilege. For additional information on converting conventional
shares to ETF Shares, please contact Vanguard to obtain a prospectus for ETF
Shares. See Contacting
Vanguard.
Mandatory
Conversions to Another Share Class
If an account no
longer meets the balance requirements for a share class, Vanguard may
automatically convert the shares in the account to another share class, as
appropriate. A decline in the account balance because of market movement may
result in such a conversion. Vanguard will notify the investor in writing before
any mandatory conversion occurs.
Redeeming
Shares
How
to Initiate a Redemption Request
Be sure to check
Exchanging
Shares, Frequent-Trading Limitations, and Other
Rules You Should Know before placing
your redemption request.
Online. You may request a
redemption of shares or request an exchange through our website or our mobile
application if your account is eligible and you are registered for online
access.
By
telephone. You may call
Vanguard to request a redemption of shares or an exchange. See Contacting
Vanguard.
By
mail.
You may send a form (available online) to Vanguard to redeem from a fund account
or to make an exchange.
How
to Receive Redemption Proceeds
By
electronic bank transfer. You may have the
proceeds of a fund redemption sent directly to a designated bank account. To
establish the electronic bank transfer service on an account, you must designate
a bank account online, complete a form, or fill out the appropriate section of
your account registration form. After the service is set up on your account, you
can redeem shares by electronic bank transfer on a regular schedule (Automatic
Withdrawal Plan), if eligible, or upon request. Your redemption request can be
initiated online (if you are registered for online access), by telephone, or by
mail.
By
wire.
To receive your proceeds by wire, you may instruct Vanguard to wire your
redemption proceeds ($100 minimum) to a previously designated bank
27
account. To
establish the wire redemption service, you generally must designate a bank
account online, complete a form, or fill out the appropriate section of your
account registration form.
Please note that
Vanguard charges a $10 wire fee for outgoing wire redemptions. The fee is
assessed in addition to, rather than being withheld from, redemption proceeds
and is paid directly to the fund in which you invest. For example, if you redeem
$100 via a wire, you will receive the full $100, and the $10 fee will be
assessed to your fund account through an additional redemption of fund shares.
If you redeem your entire fund account, your redemption proceeds will be reduced
by the amount of the fee. The wire fee does not apply to accounts held by
Flagship and Flagship Select clients; accounts held through intermediaries,
including Vanguard Brokerage Services; or accounts held by institutional
clients.
By
exchange. You may have the
proceeds of a Vanguard fund redemption invested directly in shares of another
Vanguard fund. You may initiate an exchange online (if you are registered for
online access), by telephone, or by mail. See Exchanging
Shares.
By
check.
If you have not chosen another redemption method, Vanguard will mail you a
redemption check, generally payable to all registered account owners, normally
within two business days of your trade date, and generally to the address of
record.
Trade
Date
The trade date for
any redemption request received in good order will depend on the day and time
Vanguard receives your request and the manner in which you are redeeming. Your
redemption will be executed using the NAV as calculated on the trade date. NAVs
are calculated only on days that the NYSE is open for trading (a business day).
In the rare event the NYSE experiences unanticipated disruptions and is
unavailable at the close of the trading day, NAVs will be calculated as of the
close of regular trading on the Nasdaq (or another alternate exchange if the
Nasdaq is unavailable, as determined at Vanguard’s discretion), generally 4
p.m., Eastern time. The time selected for NAV calculation in this rare event
shall also serve as the conclusion of the trading day. See Share
Price.
For redemptions by
check,
exchange, or wire: If the redemption
request is received by Vanguard on a business day before the close of regular
trading on the NYSE (generally 4 p.m., Eastern time), the trade date will be the
same day. If the redemption request is received on a business day after the
close of regular trading on the NYSE, or on a nonbusiness day, the trade date
will be the next business day.
28
• Note on timing of
wire redemptions from money market funds: For telephone requests received by
Vanguard on a business day before 10:45 a.m., Eastern time (2 p.m., Eastern
time, for Vanguard Cash Reserves Federal Money Market Fund; 12:30 p.m., Eastern
time, for Vanguard Federal Money Market Fund), the redemption proceeds generally
will leave Vanguard by the close of business the same day. For telephone
requests received by Vanguard on a business day after those cut-off times, or on
a nonbusiness day, and for all requests other than by telephone, the redemption
proceeds generally will leave Vanguard by the close of business on the next
business day.
• Note on timing of
wire redemptions from all other funds: For requests received by Vanguard on a
business day before the close of regular trading on the NYSE (generally 4 p.m.,
Eastern time), the redemption proceeds generally will leave Vanguard by the
close of business on the next business day. For requests received by Vanguard on
a business day after the close of regular trading on the NYSE, or on a
nonbusiness day, the redemption proceeds generally will leave Vanguard by the
close of business on the second business day after Vanguard receives the
request.
For redemptions by
electronic
bank transfer: If the redemption
request is received by Vanguard on a business day before the close of regular
trading on the NYSE (generally 4 p.m., Eastern time), the trade date will be the
same day. If the redemption request is received on a business day after the
close of regular trading on the NYSE, or on a nonbusiness day, the trade date
will be the next business day.
If your redemption
request is not accurate and complete, it may be rejected. If we are unable to
send your redemption proceeds by wire or electronic bank transfer because the
receiving institution rejects the transfer, Vanguard will make additional
efforts to complete your transaction. If Vanguard is still unable to complete
the transaction, we may send the proceeds of the redemption to you by check,
generally payable to all registered account owners, or use your proceeds to
purchase new shares of the fund from which you sold shares for the purpose of
the wire or electronic bank transfer transaction. See Other
Rules You Should Know—Good Order.
If your redemption
request is received in good order, we typically expect that redemption proceeds
will be paid by the Fund within one business day of the trade date; however, in
certain circumstances, investors may experience a longer settlement period at
the time of the transaction. For further information, see “Potentially
disruptive redemptions” and “Emergency circumstances.”
29
For further
information about redemption transactions, consult our website at vanguard.com or see
Contacting
Vanguard.
Other
Redemption Rules You Should Know
Documentation
for certain accounts. Special
documentation may be required to redeem from certain types of accounts, such as
trust, corporate, nonprofit, or retirement accounts. Please call us before attempting to
redeem from these types of accounts.
Potentially
disruptive redemptions. Vanguard reserves
the right to pay all or part of a redemption in kind—that is, in the form of
securities—if we reasonably believe that a cash redemption would negatively
affect the fund’s operation or performance or that the shareholder may be
engaged in market-timing or frequent trading. Under these circumstances,
Vanguard also reserves the right to delay payment of the redemption proceeds for
up to seven calendar days. By calling us before you attempt to
redeem a large dollar amount, you may avoid in-kind or delayed payment of your
redemption. Please see Frequent-Trading
Limitations for information about Vanguard’s policies to limit frequent
trading.
Recently
purchased shares. Although you can
redeem shares at any time, proceeds may not be made available to you until the
fund collects payment for your purchase. This may take up to seven calendar days
for shares purchased by check or by electronic bank transfer. If you have
written a check on a fund with checkwriting privileges, that check may be
rejected if your fund account does not have a sufficient available
balance.
Address
change. If you change your
address online or by telephone, there may be up to a 14-day restriction
(starting on the business day after your address is changed) on your ability to
request check redemptions online and by telephone. You can request a redemption
in writing (using a form available online) at any time. Confirmations of address
changes are sent to both the old and new addresses.
Payment
to a different person or address. At your request,
we can make your redemption check payable, or wire your redemption proceeds, to
a different person or send it to a different address. However, this generally
requires the written consent of all registered account owners and may require
additional documentation, such as a signature guarantee or a notarized
signature. You may obtain a signature guarantee from some commercial or savings
banks, credit unions, trust companies, or member firms of a U.S. stock
exchange.
No
cancellations. Vanguard will not
accept your request to cancel any redemption request once processing has begun.
Please be careful when placing a redemption request.
30
Emergency
circumstances. Vanguard funds can
postpone payment of redemption proceeds for up to seven calendar days. In
addition, Vanguard funds can suspend redemptions and/or postpone payments of
redemption proceeds beyond seven calendar days at times when the NYSE is closed
or during emergency circumstances, as determined by the SEC.
Exchanging
Shares
An exchange occurs
when you use the proceeds from the redemption of shares of one Vanguard fund to
simultaneously purchase shares of a different Vanguard fund. You can make
exchange requests online (if you are registered for online access), by
telephone, or by mail. See Purchasing
Shares
and
Redeeming Shares.
If the NYSE is open
for regular trading (generally until 4 p.m., Eastern time, on a business day) at
the time an exchange request is received in good order, the trade date generally
will be the same day. See Other
Rules You Should Know—Good Order for additional
information on all transaction requests.
Vanguard will not
accept your request to cancel any exchange request once processing has begun.
Please be careful when placing an exchange request.
Call Vanguard
before attempting to exchange a large dollar amount. By calling us before you attempt to
exchange a large dollar amount, you may avoid delayed or rejected
transactions.
Please note that
Vanguard reserves the right, without notice, to revise or terminate the exchange
privilege, limit the amount of any exchange, or reject an exchange, at any time,
for any reason. See Frequent-Trading
Limitations for additional
restrictions on exchanges.
Frequent-Trading
Limitations
Because excessive
transactions can disrupt management of a fund and increase the fund’s costs for
all shareholders, the board of trustees of each Vanguard fund places certain
limits on frequent trading in the funds. Each Vanguard fund (other than money
market funds and short-term bond funds, but including Vanguard Short-Term
Inflation-Protected Securities Index Fund) limits an investor’s purchases or
exchanges into a fund account for 30 calendar days after the investor has
redeemed or exchanged out of that fund account. ETF Shares are not subject to
these frequent-trading limits.
For Vanguard
Retirement Investment Program pooled plans, the limitations apply to exchanges
made online or by telephone.
31
These
frequent-trading limitations do
not
apply to the following:
• Purchases of
shares with reinvested dividend or capital gains distributions.
• Transactions
through Vanguard’s Automatic Investment Plan, Automatic Exchange Service, Direct
Deposit Service, Automatic Withdrawal Plan, Required Minimum Distribution
Service, and Vanguard Small Business Online®.
• Discretionary
transactions through Vanguard Personal Advisor Services®, Vanguard
Institutional Advisory Services®, and Vanguard
Digital Advisor™.
• Redemptions of
shares to pay fund or account fees.
• Redemptions of
shares to remove excess shareholder contributions to certain types of retirement
accounts (including, but not limited to, IRAs and Vanguard Individual 401(k)
Plans).
• Transfers and
reregistrations of shares within the same fund.
• Purchases of
shares by asset transfer or direct rollover.
• Conversions of
shares from one share class to another in the same fund.
• Checkwriting
redemptions.
• Section 529
college savings plans.
• Certain approved
institutional portfolios and asset allocation programs, as well as trades made
by funds or trusts managed by Vanguard or its affiliates that invest in other
Vanguard funds. (Please note that shareholders of Vanguard’s
funds of funds are subject to the
limitations.)
For participants in
employer-sponsored defined contribution plans,* the frequent-trading limitations
do
not
apply to:
• Purchases of
shares with participant payroll or employer contributions or loan
repayments.
• Purchases of
shares with reinvested dividend or capital gains distributions.
• Distributions,
loans, and in-service withdrawals from a plan.
• Redemptions of
shares as part of a plan termination or at the direction of the
plan.
• Transactions
executed through the Vanguard Managed Account Program.
• Redemptions of
shares to pay fund or account fees.
• Share or asset
transfers or rollovers.
• Reregistrations
of shares.
• Conversions of
shares from one share class to another in the same fund.
32
• Exchange requests
submitted by written request to Vanguard. (Exchange requests submitted by fax,
if otherwise permitted,
are
subject to the limitations.)
* The following
Vanguard fund accounts are subject to the frequent-trading limitations:
SEP-IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs, certain Individual 403(b)(7) Custodial Accounts, and
Vanguard Individual 401(k) Plans.
Accounts
Held by Institutions (Other Than Defined Contribution Plans)
Vanguard will
systematically monitor for frequent trading in institutional clients’ accounts.
If we detect suspicious trading activity, we will investigate and take
appropriate action, which may include applying to a client’s accounts the 30-day
policy previously described, prohibiting a client’s purchases of fund shares,
and/or revoking the client’s exchange privilege.
Accounts
Held by Intermediaries
When intermediaries
establish accounts in Vanguard funds for the benefit of their clients, we cannot
always monitor the trading activity of the individual clients. However, we
review trading activity at the intermediary (omnibus) level, and if we detect
suspicious activity, we will investigate and take appropriate action. If
necessary, Vanguard may prohibit additional purchases of fund shares by an
intermediary, including for the benefit of certain of the intermediary’s
clients. Intermediaries also may monitor their clients’ trading activities with
respect to Vanguard funds.
For those Vanguard
funds that charge purchase and/or redemption fees, intermediaries will be asked
to assess these fees on client accounts and remit these fees to the funds. The
application of purchase and redemption fees and frequent-trading limitations may
vary among intermediaries. There are no assurances that Vanguard will
successfully identify all intermediaries or that intermediaries will properly
assess purchase and redemption fees or administer frequent-trading limitations.
If you invest with Vanguard through an intermediary, please read that firm’s
materials carefully to learn of any other rules or fees that may
apply.
Other
Rules You Should Know
Prospectus
and Shareholder Report Mailings
When two or more
shareholders have the same last name and address, just one summary prospectus
(or prospectus) and/or shareholder report may be sent in an attempt to eliminate
the unnecessary expense of duplicate mailings. You may request individual
prospectuses and reports by contacting our Client Services Department in
writing, by telephone, or online. See Contacting
Vanguard.
33
Vanguard.com
Registration. If you are a
registered user of vanguard.com, you can review
your account holdings; buy, sell, or exchange shares of most Vanguard funds; and
perform most other transactions through our website. You must register for this
service online.
Electronic
delivery. Vanguard can
deliver your account statements, transaction confirmations, prospectuses,
certain tax forms, and shareholder reports electronically. If you are a
registered user of vanguard.com, you can consent
to the electronic delivery of these documents by logging on and changing your
mailing preferences under “Account Maintenance.” You can revoke your electronic
consent at any time through our website, and we will begin to send paper copies
of these documents within 30 days of receiving your revocation.
Telephone
Transactions
Automatic. When we set up
your account, we will automatically enable you to do business with us by
telephone, unless
you instruct us otherwise in writing.
Tele-Account®. To obtain fund and
account information through Vanguard’s automated telephone service, you must
first establish a Personal Identification Number (PIN) by calling Tele-Account
at 800-662-6273.
Proof
of a caller’s authority. We reserve the
right to refuse a telephone request if the caller is unable to provide the
requested information or if we reasonably believe that the caller is not an
individual authorized to act on the account. Before we allow a caller to act on
an account, we may request the following information:
• Authorization to
act on the account (as the account owner or by legal documentation or other
means).
• Account
registration and address.
• Fund name and
account number, if applicable.
• Other information
relating to the caller, the account owner, or the account.
Good
Order
We reserve the
right to reject any transaction instructions that are not in “good order.” Good
order generally means that your instructions:
• Are provided by
the person(s) authorized in accordance with Vanguard’s policies and procedures
to access the account and request transactions.
• Include the fund
name and account number.
• Include the
amount of the transaction (stated in dollars, shares, or percentage).
34
Written
instructions also must generally be provided on a Vanguard form and
include:
• Signature(s) and
date from the authorized person(s).
• Signature
guarantees or notarized signatures, if required for the type of transaction.
(Call Vanguard for specific requirements.)
• Any supporting
documentation that may be required.
Good order
requirements may vary among types of accounts and transactions. For more
information, consult our website at vanguard.com or see
Contacting
Vanguard.
Vanguard reserves
the right, without notice, to revise the requirements for good
order.
Future
Trade-Date Requests
Vanguard does not
accept requests to hold a purchase, conversion, redemption, or exchange
transaction for a future date. All such requests will receive trade dates as
previously described in Purchasing
Shares, Converting Shares, Redeeming Shares, and Exchanging
Shares. Vanguard reserves
the right to return future-dated purchase checks.
Accounts
With More Than One Owner
If an account has
more than one owner or authorized person, Vanguard generally will accept
instructions from any one owner or authorized person.
Responsibility
for Fraud
You should take
precautions to protect yourself from fraud. Keep your account-related
information private, and review any account confirmations, statements, or other
information that we provide to you as soon as you receive them. Let us know
immediately if you discover unauthorized activity or see something on your
account that you do not understand or that looks unusual.
Vanguard will not
be responsible for losses that result from transactions by a person who we
reasonably believe is authorized to act on your account.
Uncashed
Checks
Please cash your
distribution or redemption checks promptly. Vanguard will not pay interest on
uncashed checks. Vanguard may be required to transfer assets related to uncashed
checks to a state under the state’s abandoned property law.
35
Dormant
Accounts
If your account has
no activity in it for a period of time, Vanguard may be required to transfer it
to a state under the state’s abandoned property law, subject to potential
federal or state withholding taxes.
Unusual
Circumstances
If you experience
difficulty contacting Vanguard online or by telephone, you can send us your
transaction request on a Vanguard form by regular or express mail.
Investing
With Vanguard Through Other Firms
You may purchase or
sell shares of most Vanguard funds through a financial intermediary, such as a
bank, a broker, or an investment advisor. Please consult your financial
intermediary to determine which, if any, shares are available through that firm
and to learn about other rules that may apply. Your financial intermediary can
provide you with account information and any required tax forms. You may be
required to pay a commission on purchases of mutual fund shares made through a
financial intermediary.
Please see
Frequent-Trading
Limitations—Accounts Held by Intermediaries for information
about the assessment of any purchase or redemption fees and the monitoring of
frequent trading for accounts held by intermediaries.
Account
Service Fee
Vanguard may charge
a $20 account service fee on fund accounts that have a balance below $10,000 for
any reason, including market fluctuation. The account service fee may be applied
to both retirement and nonretirement fund
accounts and may be assessed on fund accounts in all Vanguard funds, regardless
of the account minimum. The fee, which will be collected by redeeming fund
shares in the amount of $20, will be deducted from fund accounts subject to the
fee once per calendar year.
If you elect to
receive your statements and other materials electronically (i.e., by
e-delivery), the account service fee will not be charged, so long as your
election remains in effect. You can make your e-delivery election on
vanguard.com.
Certain account
types have alternative fee structures, including SIMPLE IRAs, Vanguard
Retirement Investment Program pooled plans, and Vanguard Individual 401(k)
Plans.
36
Low-Balance
Accounts
The Fund reserves
the right to liquidate a fund account whose balance falls below the account
minimum for any reason, including market fluctuation. This liquidation policy
applies to nonretirement fund accounts and accounts that are held through
intermediaries. Any such liquidation will be preceded by written notice to the
investor.
Right
to Change Policies
In addition to the
rights expressly stated elsewhere in this prospectus, Vanguard reserves the
right, without notice, to (1) alter, add, or discontinue any conditions of
purchase (including eligibility requirements), redemption, exchange, conversion,
service, or privilege at any time and (2) alter, impose, discontinue, or waive
any purchase fee, redemption fee, account service fee, or other fee charged to a
shareholder or a group of shareholders. Changes may affect any or all investors.
These actions will be taken when, at the sole discretion of Vanguard management,
Vanguard believes they are in the best interest of a fund.
Account
Restrictions
Vanguard reserves
the right to: (1) redeem all or a portion of a fund/account to meet a legal
obligation, including tax withholding, tax lien, garnishment order, or other
obligation imposed on your account by a court or government agency; (2) redeem
shares, close an account, or suspend account privileges, features, or options in
the case of threatening conduct or activity; (3) redeem shares, close an
account, or suspend account privileges, features, or options if Vanguard
believes or suspects that not doing so could result in a suspicious, fraudulent,
or illegal transaction; (4) place restrictions on the ability to redeem any or
all shares in an account if it is required to do so by a court or government
agency; (5) place restrictions on the ability to redeem any or all shares in an
account if Vanguard believes that doing so will prevent fraud, financial
exploitation or abuse, or to protect vulnerable investors; (6) freeze any
account and/or suspend account services if Vanguard has received reasonable
notice of a dispute regarding the assets in an account, including notice of a
dispute between the registered or beneficial account owners; and (7) freeze any
account and/or suspend account services upon initial notification to Vanguard of
the death of an account owner.
Share
Classes
Vanguard reserves
the right, without notice, to change the eligibility requirements of its share
classes, including the types of clients who are eligible to purchase each share
class.
37
Shareholder
Rights
The Fund's Agreement and
Declaration of Trust, as amended, requires a shareholder bringing a derivative
action on behalf of the Trust that is subject to a pre-suit demand to
collectively hold at least 10% of the outstanding shares of the Trust or at
least 10% of the outstanding shares of the series or class to which the demand
relates and to undertake to reimburse the Trust for the expense of any counsel
or advisors used when considering the merits of the demand in the event that the
Trustees determine not to bring such action. In each case, these requirements do
not apply to claims arising under the federal securities laws to the extent that
any such federal securities laws, rules, or regulations do not permit such
application.
Fund
and Account Updates
Confirmation
Statements
We will send (or
provide through our website, whichever you prefer) a confirmation of your trade
date and the amount of your transaction when you buy, sell, exchange, or convert
shares. However, we will not send confirmations reflecting only checkwriting
redemptions or the reinvestment of dividend or capital gains distributions. For
any month in which you had a checkwriting redemption, a Checkwriting Activity
Statement will be sent to you itemizing the checkwriting redemptions for that
month. Promptly review each confirmation statement that we provide to you. It is
important that you contact Vanguard immediately with any questions you may have
about any transaction reflected on a confirmation statement, or Vanguard will
consider the transaction properly processed.
Portfolio
Summaries
We will send (or
provide through our website, whichever you prefer) quarterly portfolio summaries
to help you keep track of your accounts throughout the year. Each summary shows
the market value of your account at the close of the statement period, as well
as all distributions, purchases, redemptions, exchanges, transfers, and
conversions for the current calendar quarter (or month). Promptly review each
summary that we provide to you. It is important that you contact Vanguard
immediately with any questions you may have about any transaction reflected on
the summary, or Vanguard will consider the transaction properly processed.
38
Tax
Information Statements
For most accounts,
Vanguard (or your intermediary) is required to provide annual tax forms to
assist you in preparing your income tax returns. These forms are generally
available for each calendar year early in the following year. Registered users
of vanguard.com can also view
certain forms through our website. Vanguard (or your intermediary) may also
provide you with additional tax-related documentation. For more information,
consult our website at vanguard.com or see Contacting
Vanguard.
Annual
and Semiannual Reports
We will send (or
provide through our website, whichever you prefer) reports about Vanguard
Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities Index Fund twice a year, in May and
November. These reports include overviews of the financial markets and provide
the following specific Fund information:
• Performance
assessments and comparisons with industry benchmarks.
• Financial
statements with listings of Fund holdings.
Portfolio
Holdings
Please consult the
Fund's Statement
of Additional Information or our website for
a description of the policies and procedures that govern disclosure of the
Fund’s portfolio holdings.
Employer-Sponsored
Plans
Your plan
administrator or your employee benefits office can provide you with detailed
information on how to participate in your plan and how to elect the Fund as an
investment option.
• If you have any
questions about the Fund or Vanguard, including those about the Fund’s
investment objective, strategies, or risks, contact Vanguard Participant
Services toll-free at 800-523-1188 or visit our website at vanguard.com.
• If you have
questions about your account, contact your plan administrator or the
organization that provides recordkeeping services for your plan.
• Be sure to
carefully read each topic that pertains to your transactions with
Vanguard.
Vanguard reserves
the right to change its policies without notice to shareholders.
39
Transactions
Processing times
for your transaction requests may differ among recordkeepers or among
transaction and funding types. Your plan’s recordkeeper (which may also be
Vanguard) will determine the necessary processing time frames for your
transaction requests prior to submission to the Fund. Consult your recordkeeper
or plan administrator for more information.
If Vanguard is
serving as your plan recordkeeper and if your transaction involves one or more
investments with an early cut-off time for processing or another trading
restriction, your entire transaction will be subject to the restriction when the
trade date for your transaction is determined.
Contacting
Vanguard
|
Web |
|
|
Vanguard.com |
For
the most complete source of Vanguard news
For
fund, account, and service information
For
most account transactions
For
literature requests
24
hours a day, 7 days a week |
|
Phone | |
|
Vanguard
Tele-Account®
800-662-6273 |
For
automated fund and account information
Toll-free,
24 hours a day, 7 days a week |
|
Investor
Information 800-662-7447
(Text
telephone for people with
hearing
impairment at 800-749-7273) |
For
fund and service information
For
literature requests |
|
Client
Services 800-662-2739
(Text
telephone for people with
hearing
impairment at 800-749-7273) |
For
account information
For
most account transactions |
|
Participant
Services 800-523-1188
(Text
telephone for people with
hearing
impairment at 800-749-7273) |
For
information and services for participants in
employer-sponsored
plans |
|
Institutional
Division
888-809-8102 |
For
information and services for large institutional
investors |
|
Financial
Advisor and Intermediary
Sales
Support 800-997-2798 |
For
information and services for financial intermediaries
including
financial advisors, broker-dealers, trust
institutions,
and insurance companies |
|
Financial
Advisory and Intermediary
Trading
Support 800-669-0498 |
For
account information and trading support for
financial
intermediaries including financial advisors,
broker-dealers,
trust institutions, and insurance
companies
|
40
Additional
Information
The Fund’s Bylaws require, unless
the Trust otherwise consents in writing, that the U.S. Federal District Courts
be the sole and exclusive forum for the resolution of complaints under the
Securities Act of 1933. This provision may limit a shareholder’s ability to
bring a claim in a different forum and may result in increased shareholder costs
in pursuing such a claim.
|
|
Inception
Date |
Newspaper
Abbreviation |
Vanguard
Fund
Number |
CUSIP
Number |
|
Short-Term
Inflation-Protected
Securities
Index Fund |
|
|
|
|
|
Admiral
Shares |
10/16/2012 |
STIPSIxAdm |
567 |
922020706 |
CGS identifiers have been provided by CUSIP Global Services, managed on behalf of the American Bankers Association by Standard & Poor’s Financial Services, LLC, and are not for use or dissemination in a manner that would serve as a substitute for any CUSIP service. The CUSIP Database, ©2022 American Bankers Association. “CUSIP” is a registered trademark of the American Bankers Association.
CFA® is a registered
trademark owned by CFA Institute.
”Bloomberg®” and the Bloomberg U.S. TIPS 0-5
Year Index and the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (the Indices or Bloomberg
Indices) are service marks of Bloomberg Finance L.P. and its affiliates,
including Bloomberg Index Services Limited (“BISL”), the administrator of the
Indices (collectively, “Bloomberg”), and have been licensed for use for certain
purposes by Vanguard.
The Short-Term Inflation-Protected
Securities Index Fund is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by Bloomberg.
Bloomberg does not make any representation or warranty, express or implied, to
the owners of or counterparties to the Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities
Index Fund or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing
in securities generally or in the Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities
Index Fund particularly. The only relationship of Bloomberg to Vanguard is the
licensing of certain trademarks, trade names and service marks and of the
Bloomberg U.S. TIPS 0-5 Year Index and the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index,
which is determined, composed and calculated by BISL without regard to Vanguard
or the Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities Index Fund. Bloomberg has no
obligation to take the needs of Vanguard or the owners of the Short-Term
Inflation-Protected Securities Index Fund into consideration in determining,
composing or calculating the Bloomberg U.S. TIPS 0-5 Year Index and the
Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index. Bloomberg is not responsible for and has
not participated in the determination of the timing of, prices at, or quantities
of the Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities Index Fund to be issued.
Bloomberg shall not have any obligation or liability, including, without
limitation, to the Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities Index Fund
customers, in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the
Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities Index Fund.
BLOOMBERG DOES NOT GUARANTEE THE
ACCURACY AND/OR THE COMPLETENESS OF THE BLOOMBERG INDICES OR ANY DATA RELATED
THERETO AND SHALL HAVE NO LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS OR INTERRUPTIONS
THEREIN. BLOOMBERG DOES NOT MAKE ANY WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS TO RESULTS
TO BE OBTAINED BY VANGUARD, OWNERS OF THE SHORT-TERM INFLATION-PROTECTED
SECURITIES INDEX FUND OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY FROM THE USE OF THE
BLOOMBERG INDICES OR ANY DATA RELATED THERETO. BLOOMBERG DOES NOT MAKE ANY
EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES OF
MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE WITH RESPECT TO THE
BLOOMBERG INDICES OR ANY DATA RELATED THERETO. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE
FOREGOING, TO THE
41
MAXIMUM EXTENT ALLOWED BY LAW,
BLOOMBERG, ITS LICENSORS, AND ITS AND THEIR RESPECTIVE EMPLOYEES, CONTRACTORS,
AGENTS, SUPPLIERS, AND VENDORS SHALL HAVE NO LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY
WHATSOEVER FOR ANY INJURY OR DAMAGES—WHETHER DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL,
INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE OR OTHERWISE—ARISING IN CONNECTION WITH THE SHORT-TERM
INFLATION-PROTECTED SECURITIES INDEX FUND OR BLOOMBERG INDICES OR ANY DATA OR
VALUES RELATING THERETO—WHETHER ARISING FROM THEIR NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE, EVEN
IF NOTIFIED OF THE POSSIBILITY THEREOF.
42
Glossary
of Investment Terms
Average
Maturity. The average length
of time until bonds held by a fund reach maturity and are repaid. In general,
the longer the average maturity, the more a fund's share price fluctuates in
response to changes in market interest rates. In calculating average maturity, a
fund uses a bond’s maturity or, if applicable, an earlier date on which the
advisor believes it is likely that a maturity-shortening device (such as a call,
put, refunding, prepayment, or redemption provision or an adjustable coupon
rate) will cause the bond to be repaid.
Bloomberg U.S.
Aggregate Bond Index.
An index that is the broadest measure of the taxable U.S. bond market, including
most Treasury, agency, corporate, mortgage-backed, asset-backed, and
international dollar-denominated issues, all with investment-grade ratings
(rated Baa3 or above by Moody's) and maturities of 1 year or more.
Bond. A debt security
(IOU) issued by a corporation, a government, or a government agency in exchange
for the money the bondholder lends it. In most instances, the issuer agrees to
pay back the loan by a specific date and generally to make regular interest
payments until that date.
Capital
Gains Distributions. Payments to mutual
fund shareholders of gains realized on securities that a fund has sold at a
profit, minus any realized losses.
Coupon
Rate.
The interest rate paid by the issuer of a debt security until its maturity. It
is expressed as an annual percentage of the face value of the
security.
Dividend
Distributions. Payments to mutual
fund shareholders of income from interest or dividends generated by a fund's
investments.
Expense
Ratio.
A fund's total annual operating expenses expressed as a percentage of the fund's
average net assets. The expense ratio includes management and administrative
expenses, but it does not include the transaction costs of buying and selling
portfolio securities.
Face
Value.
The amount to be paid at a bond’s maturity; also known as the par value or
principal.
Fixed
Income Security. An investment,
such as a bond, representing a debt that must be repaid by a specified date, and
on which the borrower may pay a fixed, variable, or floating rate of interest.
43
Inception
Date.
The date on which the assets of a fund (or one of its share classes) are first
invested in accordance with the fund's investment objective. For funds with a
subscription period, the inception date is the day after that period ends.
Investment performance is generally measured from the inception
date.
Indexing. A low-cost
investment strategy in which a mutual fund attempts to track—rather than
outperform—a specified market benchmark, or “index.”
Inflation-Indexed
Securities. Bonds issued by
the U.S. government, government agencies, or corporations, whose principal and
interest payments—unlike those of conventional bonds—are adjusted over time to
reflect inflation.
Investment-Grade
Bond.
A debt security whose credit quality is considered by independent bond rating
agencies, or through independent analysis conducted by a fund's advisor, to be
sufficient to ensure timely payment of principal and interest under current
economic circumstances. Debt securities rated in one of the four highest rating
categories are considered investment-grade. Other debt securities may be
considered by an advisor to be investment-grade.
Joint
Committed Credit Facility. The Fund
participates, along with other funds managed by Vanguard, in a committed credit
facility provided by a syndicate of lenders pursuant to a credit agreement that
may be renewed annually; each Vanguard fund is individually liable for its
borrowings, if any, under the credit facility. The amount and terms of the
committed credit facility are subject to approval by the Fund's board of
trustees and renegotiation with the lender syndicate on an annual
basis.
Mutual
Fund.
An investment company that pools the money of many people and invests it in a
variety of securities in an effort to achieve a specific objective over
time.
New
York Stock Exchange (NYSE). A stock exchange
based in New York City that is open for regular trading on business days, Monday
through Friday, from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Eastern time.
Principal. The face value of
a debt instrument or the amount of money put into an investment.
44
Return of
Capital. A return of
capital occurs when a fund's distributions exceed its earnings in a fiscal year.
A return of capital is a return of all or part of your original investment or
amounts paid in excess of your original investment in a fund. In general, a
return of capital reduces your cost basis in a fund's shares and is not taxable
to you until your cost basis has been reduced to zero.
Securities. Stocks, bonds,
money market instruments, and other investments.
Total
Return. A percentage
change, over a specified time period, in a mutual fund’s net asset value,
assuming the reinvestment of all distributions of dividends and capital
gains.
Volatility. The fluctuations
in value of a mutual fund or other security. The greater a fund's volatility,
the wider the fluctuations in its returns.
Yield. Income (interest
or dividends) earned by an investment, expressed as a percentage of the
investment’s price.
Connect
with Vanguard®˃
vanguard.com
For
More Information
If you would like
more information about Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities Index
Fund, the following documents are available free upon request:
Annual/Semiannual
Reports to Shareholders
Additional
information about the Fund's investments is available in the Fund's annual and
semiannual reports to shareholders. In the annual report, you will find a
discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly
affected the Fund's performance during its last fiscal year.
Statement
of Additional Information (SAI)
The SAI provides more
detailed information about the Fund and is incorporated by reference into (and
thus legally a part of) this prospectus.
To receive a free
copy of the latest annual or semiannual report or the SAI, or to request
additional information about the Fund or other Vanguard funds, please visit
vanguard.com
or
contact us as follows:
If
you are an individual investor:
Telephone: 800-662-7447; Text telephone for people with hearing impairment: 800-749-7273
Telephone: 800-662-7447; Text telephone for people with hearing impairment: 800-749-7273
If
you are a participant in an employer-sponsored plan:
Telephone: 800-523-1188; Text telephone for people
with hearing impairment: 800-749-7273
Telephone: 800-523-1188; Text telephone for people
with hearing impairment: 800-749-7273
If you are a current
Vanguard shareholder and would like information about your account, account
transactions, and/or account statements, please call:
Client Services
Department
Telephone: 800-662-2739; Text telephone for people with hearing impairment: 800-749-7273
Telephone: 800-662-2739; Text telephone for people with hearing impairment: 800-749-7273
Information
Provided by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
Reports and other information about
the Fund are available in the EDGAR database on the SEC’s website at sec.gov, or
you can receive copies of this information, for a fee, by electronic request at
the following email address: [email protected].
Fund's Investment
Company Act file number: 811-05628
© 2022 The Vanguard Group, Inc. All
rights reserved.
Vanguard Marketing Corporation, Distributor.
P 0567 012022
Vanguard Marketing Corporation, Distributor.
P 0567 012022