10 Best Vanguard Funds for New Investors (2024)

Investing in Just One Vanguard Fund

As a beginning investor, you don't need to start your first portfolio off with a variety of mutual funds. You can keep things simple with just one mutual fund. While it's not always enough to be diversified, it's a way to get your feet wet with investing.

So if you want to start with just one Vanguard mutual fund, aim for a fund that is balanced or has a goal in mind, like one of the below:

Vanguard Wellesley Income Investor Shares (VWINX)

This fund has a balance of roughly one-third stocks and two-thirds bonds, which makes for a fairly low-risk way to get started. Keep in mind that lower risk usually means lower average returns, compared to stock funds, because stock funds carry higher market risks. Still, VWINX has been a top performer in the past, compared to other conservative allocation funds. VWINX has a $3,000 minimum initial investment requirement and an expense ratio of 0.23%, or $23 for every $10,000 invested.

Vanguard Star Fund (VGSTX)

This fund invests in roughly 60% stocks and 40% bonds, which makes for a medium-risk stock fund that is good for those with medium risk tolerance and long-term investment objectives. This fund only requires a $1,000 minimum initial investment, and the expense ratio is 0.31%.

Vanguard Target Retirement 2050 (VFIFX)

Vanguard has a few different target retirement funds to choose from. VFIFX can serve as a good example. These types of funds, also called "target-date retirement funds," invest in a way that fits the length of time. The longer the time until the target year, the higher the number of stocks in the fund. As the target year gets closer, the allocation will slowly shift to bonds. VFIFX is for people who are planning to retire around the year 2050. It has a minimum initial investment of $1,000, and an expense ratio that is on the lower end at 0.08%.

Passive Investing With Vanguard Index Funds

Index mutual funds aim to match or track the performance of an underlying market index, so they often combine broad market exposure with low portfolio turnover and expenses. Vanguard has dozens of index funds. Here, we highlight some good ones for new investors. All of those listed below have a $3,000 minimum initial investment.

Vanguard Balanced Index (VBIAX)

Like the Vanguard STAR fund, this fund has a moderate allocation of roughly 60% stocks and 40% bonds, with some short-term reserves, making it a medium-risk stock fund. It's good for those with medium risk tolerance and long-term investment objectives. And because it blends stock and bond indexes, it's like having two Vanguard index funds in one. It has an expense ratio of 0.07%.

Vanguard 500 Index (VFIAX)

This was the first index fund for individual investors, and it tracks the S&P 500 Index. It's one of the best ways to gain exposure to a large segment of the U.S. stock market in just one mutual fund. Although investing in 500 of the largest companies in the U.S. provides diversification, the fund's 100% exposure to stocks could mean more risk if you don't own other funds. VFIAX can be an outstanding fund to use as the core of a portfolio that contains other funds. It has an expense ratio of 0.04%, which is the lowest on our list along with the next fund below.

Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Admiral Shares (VTSAX)

This fund offers exposure to the entire U.S. stock market at a low cost. It is like the Vanguard 500 Index, but instead of getting exposure to about 500 of the largest U.S. stocks, you get exposure to more than 3,000 stocks of companies of different sizes. It has an expense ratio of 0.04%.

Vanguard Total Bond Market Index Admiral Shares (VBTLX)

This fund is like VTSAX, but instead of investing in the entire U.S. stock market in one mutual fund, you get the entire U.S. bond market in one fund. So, when you're ready to expand your portfolio and balance the risk with a low-cost, diversified bond index fund, VBTLX could be a good choice. It has an expense ratio of 0.05%.

Vanguard Total International Stock Market Index Admiral Shares (VTIAX)

By now, you're catching on to the "total market" idea. This fund offers coverage of stocks around the entire world outside of the U.S. If you're ready to diversify your portfolio by adding foreign stock, you can do it with VTIAX. It has an expense ratio of 0.11%

Vanguard Small-Cap Stock and Sector Funds

Once you've built your portfolio around the basics of large-cap U.S. stocks, international stocks, and bonds, you might want to add a more aggressive fund. This can add more diversity and potential for higher returns. You might take a look at a small-cap stock fund and maybe a few sector funds.

Here are two Vanguard funds that could meet those needs. Each of them has a $3,000 minimum initial investment.

Vanguard Explorer Investor Shares (VEXPX)

This fund invests in more than 700 small-cap stocks, which are seen as more aggressive than large-cap stocks. But this high relative risk can translate into higher returns in the long run. Exposure to hundreds of different stocks can reduce risk, compared to more concentrated small-cap stock funds. It has an expense ratio of 0.40%.

Vanguard Health Care Investor Shares (VGHCX)

This fund invests completely in the health care sector, which includes pharmaceutical firms, medical supply companies, and research firms. Thanks to advances in technology and an aging population, VGHCX has been a top-performing fund for more than 25 years. But keep in mind that investing in just one sector is generally a bigger risk than investing in a broadly diversified stock index fund. It has an expense ratio of 0.30%.

The Bottom Line

Vanguard funds are some of the best mutual funds for beginners, because of their wide variety of no-load funds with low expense ratios. But even advanced investors and other professionals use Vanguard funds. Once you become more experienced, you may be able to combine several of these Vanguard funds into one portfolio.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

The Balance does not provide tax, investment, or financial services or advice. The information is being presented without consideration of the investment objectives, risk tolerance, or financial circ*mstances of any specific investor and might not be suitable for all investors. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal.