UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM N-CSR

CERTIFIED SHAREHOLDER REPORT OF

REGISTERED MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES

 

Annual Report | December 31, 2017

Vanguard Balanced Index Fund

 

Vanguard’s Principles for Investing Success

We want to give you the best chance of investment success. These principles, grounded in Vanguard’s research and experience, can put you on the right path.

Goals. Create clear, appropriate investment goals.

Balance. Develop a suitable asset allocation using broadly diversified funds.

Cost. Minimize cost.

Discipline. Maintain perspective and long-term discipline.

A single theme unites these principles: Focus on the things you can control.

We believe there is no wiser course for any investor.

 

Please note: The opinions expressed in this report are just that—informed opinions. They should not be considered promises
or advice. Also, please keep in mind that the information and opinions cover the period through the date on the front of this
report. Of course, the risks of investing in your fund are spelled out in the prospectus.
See the Glossary for definitions of investment terms used in this report.
About the cover: Nautical images have been part of Vanguard’s rich heritage since its start in 1975. For an
incoming ship, a lighthouse offers a beacon and safe path to shore. You can similarly depend on Vanguard to put
you first––and light the way––as you strive to meet your financial goals. Our client focus and low costs,
stemming from our unique ownership structure, assure that your interests are paramount.

 

Your Fund’s Performance at a Glance

• Vanguard Balanced Index Fund, which has about 60% of its assets invested in stocks and about 40% in bonds, returned about 14% for the 12 months ended December 31, 2017.

• The fund closely tracked its composite index and trailed the average return of its mixed-asset target allocation growth fund peers.

• The equity portion of the fund, which offers investors exposure to every segment, size, and style of the U.S. equity market, returned 21.12%.

• The fund’s fixed income portfolio—which provides broad exposure to the U.S. bond market by investing in U.S. Treasury and agency bonds, government mortgage-backed securities, and investment-grade corporate bonds of all maturities—returned 3.58%.

• Over the past ten years, the fund posted an average annual return of 7%, in line with its benchmark index and roughly 2 percentage points higher than its peer-fund average.

Admiral Shares carry lower expenses and are available to investors who meet certain account-balance requirements. Institutional Shares
are available to certain institutional investors who meet specific administrative, service, and account-size criteria.

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Mixed-Asset Target Allocation Growth Funds Average: Derived from data provided by Lipper, a Thomson Reuters Company.

The figures shown represent past performance, which is not a guarantee of future results. (Current performance may be
lower or higher than the performance data cited. For performance data current to the most recent month-end, visit our
website at vanguard.com/performance.) Note, too, that both investment returns and principal value can fluctuate widely,
so an investor’s shares, when sold, could be worth more or less than their original cost.

The fund expense ratios shown are from the prospectus dated April 26, 2017, and represent estimated costs for the current fiscal year. For
the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017, the fund’s expense ratios were 0.19% for Investor Shares, 0.07% for Admiral Shares, and
0.06% for Institutional Shares. The peer-group expense ratio is derived from data provided by Lipper, a Thomson Reuters Company, and
captures information through year-end 2016.

Peer group: Mixed-Asset Target Allocation Growth Funds.

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Chairman’s Perspective

Bill McNabb

Chairman

Dear Shareholder,

Lately I’ve been asked a lot about my legacy. And candidly, that phrase bugs me—it isn’t my legacy. Vanguard’s success is a result of thousands of my colleagues committing to a clear mission: helping investors achieve their financial goals.

The reason the topic has come up is that on December 31, 2017, I officially stepped down as Vanguard’s CEO after almost a decade in that role. I’ll remain chairman for a period to be determined by the board of directors. Tim Buckley, who was previously Vanguard’s president and chief investment officer, was elected CEO. I can’t think of a better successor.

I’ve spent 32 years at Vanguard—almost my entire professional life—and during that time I’ve had the good fortune of working with smart, principled colleagues from across the world. I’ve learned from each of them.

In particular, I would like to thank Jack Bogle, our founder, who took a chance on me when I was a young business school graduate, and Jack Brennan, my predecessor as CEO, who constantly challenged me with new roles and responsibilities.

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When you’re just starting out, there is nothing quite like getting votes of confidence from people you respect.

The short list

A milestone like this naturally brings about some reflection. With that in mind, here’s a tally—by no means exhaustive—of the accomplishments that we at Vanguard are proud of:

Low costs. Over the last decade, we cut our average asset-weighted expense ratio by about 50%.¹ This isn’t a result of some contrived price war. Since its founding, Vanguard has emphasized the benefits of low-cost investing. As Jack Bogle once said: “The honest steward who charges least, wins most. But not for himself; for those investors who entrust their assets to his care. It is not all that complicated.”

Global diversification. Through our thought leadership and investment options, such as our target-date funds, Vanguard has encouraged clients to obtain exposure to international markets.

Global diversification isn’t just about helping to control risk—it can also be a way of expanding your set of opportunities and harnessing the potential of all markets.

1 Source: Vanguard calculation, based on data from Morningstar, Inc., as of December 31, 2016.

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I’ve been glad to see more and more clients embracing global diversification. I believe this trend will continue as Vanguard’s way of investing takes hold in international markets.

Affordable advice. In the wake of the 2008–2009 Global Financial Crisis, we began working on a new advice model. In 2015, we launched Vanguard Personal Advisor Services^®, a hybrid advice offering that delivers value through a combination of a professional advisor and powerful digital technology at a competitive price.

Across the industry, we’ve seen the cost of providing advice coming down. Traditional advisors are embracing low-cost investments, and that, in turn, helps them reduce costs for their own clients. This is a trend that all of us at Vanguard would like to see continue.

Great people. I’ve interacted with hundreds of companies of all sizes and in all industries, and the one quality that sets Vanguard apart from most of them is our emphasis on people. It’s a testament to our culture that colleagues spend 15, 20, or, as in my case, more than 30 years of their professional lives here. Investors benefit because we have consistent, experienced fund management teams and a deep bench of talent that ensures that things go smoothly when it’s time for a transition.

We’ve done a great job attracting new talent, too. We made some notable additions to senior management in the last two years, and we’re continuously grooming our next generation of leaders.

Ready for what comes next

When I was contemplating coming to work at Vanguard, I sat down with my rowing coach at his home in Philadelphia. Over cheesesteaks, he told me that the most important thing was to work for a company that had the same values I held deeply. He was like a second father to me, so I trusted his judgment at a time when I wasn’t so sure about my own. Back then, I never could have anticipated the success Vanguard would have in the coming decades.

I’m no better at predicting the future now. Vanguard has enjoyed significant growth in the last few years, and that presents its own unique set of challenges and opportunities, such as the role we’re playing in advocating for better corporate governance among companies our funds invest in. And the asset management industry is confronting significant changes brought on by technology, shifting demographics, and new regulations.

Although the future is uncertain, I’m confident that Vanguard is well-prepared to tackle whatever comes its way. And one thing I’m sure of: There are big parts of the world that would be well-served by our way of investing.

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It’s humbling to think about the impact the work we do at Vanguard has on clients who are trying to raise a family, buy a first home, save for college, or prepare for retirement. I’ve always tried to make decisions with investors’ best interests in mind. It has been a privilege working with people who hold to that same ideal.

Thank you for entrusting us with your assets.

Sincerely,

F. William McNabb III
Chairman
January 1, 2018

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Results of Proxy Voting

At a special meeting of shareholders on November 15, 2017, fund shareholders approved the following proposals:

Proposal 1—Elect trustees for the fund.*

The individuals listed in the table below were elected as trustees for the fund. All trustees with the exception of Ms. Mulligan, Ms. Raskin, and Mr. Buckley (each of whom already serves as a director of The Vanguard Group, Inc.) served as trustees to the funds prior to the shareholder meeting.

 

Proposal 2—Approve a manager-of-managers arrangement with third-party investment advisors.

This arrangement enables the fund to enter into and materially amend investment advisory arrangements with third-party investment advisors, subject to the approval of the fund’s board of trustees and certain conditions imposed by the Securities and Exchange Commission, while avoiding the costs and delays associated with obtaining future shareholder approval.

 

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Proposal 3—Approve a manager-of-managers arrangement with wholly owned subsidiaries of Vanguard.

This arrangement enables Vanguard or the fund to enter into and materially amend investment advisory arrangements with wholly owned subsidiaries of Vanguard, subject to the approval of the fund’s board of trustees and any conditions imposed by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), while avoiding the costs and delays associated with obtaining future shareholder approval. The ability of the fund to operate in this manner is contingent upon the SEC’s approval of a pending application for an order of exemption.

 

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Balanced Index Fund

Fund Profile
As of December 31, 2017

 

 

 

These measures show the degree and timing of the fund’s
fluctuations compared with the indexes over 36 months.

The holdings listed exclude any temporary cash investments and
equity index products.

Fund Asset Allocation

1 The expense ratios shown are from the prospectus dated April 26, 2017, and represent estimated costs for the current fiscal year. For the fiscal
year ended December 31, 2017, the expense ratios were 0.19% for Investor Shares, 0.07% for Admiral Shares, and 0.06% for Institutional
Shares.

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Balanced Index Fund

Sector categories are based on the Industry Classification
Benchmark (“ICB”), except for the “Other” category (if applicable),
which includes securities that have not been provided an ICB
classification as of the effective reporting period.

Credit-quality ratings are obtained from Barclays and are from
Moody's, Fitch, and S&P. When ratings from all three agencies are
used, the median rating is shown. When ratings from two of the
agencies are used, the lower rating for each issue is shown. "Not
Rated" is used to classify securities for which a rating is not
available. For more information about these ratings, see the
Glossary entry for Credit Quality.

Equity Investment Focus

Fixed Income Investment Focus

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Balanced Index Fund

Performance Summary

All of the returns in this report represent past performance, which is not a guarantee of future results that may be achieved by the fund. (Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data cited. For performance data current to the most recent month-end, visit our website at vanguard.com/performance.) Note, too, that both investment returns and principal value can fluctuate widely, so an investor’s shares, when sold, could be worth more or less than their original cost. The returns shown do not reflect taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or on the sale of fund shares.

Cumulative Performance: December 31, 2007, Through December 31, 2017
Initial Investment of $10,000

 
 
 
 

For a benchmark description, see the Glossary.
Mixed-Asset Target Allocation Growth Funds Average: Derived from data provided by Lipper, a Thomson Reuters Company.

 

See Financial Highlights for dividend and capital gains information.

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Fiscal-Year Total Returns (%): December 31, 2007, Through December 31, 2017

 

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Balanced Index Fund

Financial Statements

Statement of Net Assets—Investments Summary

As of December 31, 2017

This Statement summarizes the fund’s holdings by asset type. Details are reported for each of the fund’s 50 largest individual holdings and for investments that, in total for any issuer, represent more than 1% of the fund’s net assets. The total value of smaller holdings is reported as a single amount within each category.

The fund reports a complete list of its holdings in regulatory filings four times in each fiscal year, at the quarter-ends. For the second and fourth fiscal quarters, the complete listing of the fund’s holdings is available electronically on vanguard.com and on the Securities and Exchange Commission’s website (sec.gov), or you can have it mailed to you without charge by calling 800-662-7447. For the first and third fiscal quarters, the fund files the lists with the SEC on Form N-Q. Shareholders can look up the fund’s Forms N-Q on the SEC’s website. Forms N-Q may also be reviewed and copied at the SEC’s Public Reference Room (see the back cover of this report for further information).

 

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14

 

 

15

 

 

16

 

 

17

 

 

18

 

• See Note A in Notes to Financial Statements.
* Non-income-producing security.
† Represents the aggregate value, by category, of securities that are not among the 50 largest holdings and, in total for any issuer,
represent 1% or less of net assets.
1 Certain of the fund’s securities are valued using significant unobservable inputs.
2 The fund invests a portion of its cash reserves in equity markets through the use of index futures contracts. After giving effect
to futures investments, the fund’s effective common stock and temporary cash investment positions represent 60.3% and 1.6%,
respectively, of net assets.
3 Securities with a value of $685,000 have been segregated as collateral for certain open To Be Announced (TBA) transactions.
4 The issuer was placed under federal conservatorship in September 2008; since that time, its daily operations have been managed
by the Federal Housing Finance Agency and it receives capital from the U.S. Treasury, as needed to maintain a positive net worth,
in exchange for senior preferred stock.
5 The average or expected maturity is shorter than the final maturity shown because of the possibility of interim principal payments
and prepayments or the possibility of the issue being called.
6 Includes securities purchased on a when-issued or delayed-delivery basis for which the fund has not taken delivery as of
December 31, 2017.
7 Certain of the fund’s securities are exempt from registration under Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933. Such securities may
be sold in transactions exempt from registration, normally to qualified institutional buyers. At December 31, 2017, the aggregate
value of these securities was $138,938,000, representing 0.4% of net assets.
8 Securities with a value of $3,240,000 have been segregated as initial margin for open futures contracts.
9 Affiliated money market fund available only to Vanguard funds and certain trusts and accounts managed by Vanguard. Rate shown
is the 7-day yield.
10 Includes $40,050,000 of collateral received for securities on loan.
11 The total value of securities on loan is $36,909,000.

19

 

 

Unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on open futures contracts is required to be treated as realized gain (loss) for tax purposes.

See accompanying Notes, which are an integral part of the Financial Statements.

20

 

1 Dividends are net of foreign withholding taxes of $24,000.
2 Interest income, realized net gain (loss), and change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) from an affiliated company of the fund
were $5,970,000, ($1,000), and ($3,000), respectively.

See accompanying Notes, which are an integral part of the Financial Statements.

21

 

1 Net Assets—End of Period includes undistributed (overdistributed) net investment income of ($8,197,000) and ($14,503,000).

See accompanying Notes, which are an integral part of the Financial Statements.

22

 

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 Includes 11%, 12%, 24%, 27%, and 27% attributable to mortgage-dollar-roll activity.
4 Excludes the value of portfolio securities received or delivered as a result of in-kind purchases or redemptions of the fund’s
capital shares.

See accompanying Notes, which are an integral part of the Financial Statements.

23

 

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 Includes 11%, 12%, 24%, 27%, and 27% attributable to mortgage-dollar-roll activity.
4 Excludes the value of portfolio securities received or delivered as a result of in-kind purchases or redemptions of the fund’s
capital shares.

See accompanying Notes, which are an integral part of the Financial Statements.

24

 

1 Calculated based on average shares outstanding.
2 Includes 11%, 12%, 24%, 27%, and 27% attributable to mortgage-dollar-roll activity.
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.

See accompanying Notes, which are an integral part of the Financial Statements.

25

 

Balanced Index Fund

Notes to Financial Statements

Vanguard Balanced Index Fund is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 as an open-end investment company, or mutual fund. Certain of the fund’s investments are in corporate debt instruments; the issuers’ abilities to meet their obligations may be affected by economic developments in their respective industries. The fund offers three classes of shares: Investor Shares, Admiral Shares, and Institutional Shares. Investor Shares are available to any investor who meets the fund’s minimum purchase requirements. Admiral Shares and Institutional Shares are designed for investors who meet certain administrative, service, and account-size criteria.

A. The following significant accounting policies conform to generally accepted accounting principles for U.S. investment companies. The fund consistently follows such policies in preparing its financial statements.

1. Security Valuation: Securities are valued as of the close of trading on the New York Stock Exchange (generally 4 p.m., Eastern time) on the valuation date. Equity securities are valued at the latest quoted sales prices or official closing prices taken from the primary market in which each security trades; such securities not traded on the valuation date are valued at the mean of the latest quoted bid and asked prices. Bonds and temporary cash investments are valued using the latest bid prices or using valuations based on a matrix system (which considers such factors as security prices, yields, maturities, and ratings), both as furnished by independent pricing services. Structured debt securities, including mortgages and asset-backed securities, are valued using the latest bid prices or using valuations based on a matrix system that considers such factors as issuer, tranche, nominal or option-adjusted spreads, weighted average coupon, weighted average maturity, credit enhancements, and collateral. Investments in Vanguard Market Liquidity Fund are valued at that fund’s net asset value. Securities for which market quotations are not readily available, or whose values have been materially affected by events occurring before the fund’s pricing time but after the close of the securities’ primary markets, are valued by methods deemed by the board of trustees to represent fair value.

2. Futures Contracts: The fund uses index futures contracts to a limited extent, with the objectives of maintaining full exposure to the stock market, maintaining liquidity, and minimizing transaction costs. The fund may purchase futures contracts to immediately invest incoming cash in the market, or sell futures in response to cash outflows, thereby simulating a fully invested position in the underlying index while maintaining a cash balance for liquidity. The primary risks associated with the use of futures contracts are imperfect correlation between changes in market values of stocks held by the fund and the prices of futures contracts, and the possibility of an illiquid market. Counterparty risk involving futures is mitigated because a regulated clearinghouse is the counterparty instead of the clearing broker. To further mitigate counterparty risk, the fund trades futures contracts on an exchange, monitors the financial strength of its clearing brokers and clearinghouse, and has entered into clearing agreements with its clearing brokers. The clearinghouse imposes initial margin requirements to secure the fund’s performance and requires daily settlement of variation margin representing changes in the market value of each contract.

Futures contracts are valued at their quoted daily settlement prices. The notional amounts of the contracts are not recorded in the Statement of Net Assets. Fluctuations in the value of the contracts are recorded in the Statement of Net Assets as an asset (liability) and in the Statement of Operations as unrealized appreciation (depreciation) until the contracts are closed, when they are recorded as realized futures gains (losses).

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Balanced Index Fund

During the year ended December 31, 2017, the fund’s average investments in long and short futures contracts represented less than 1% and 0% of net assets, respectively, based on the average of the notional amounts at each quarter-end during the period.

3. To Be Announced (TBA) Transactions: A TBA transaction is an agreement to buy or sell mortgage-backed securities with agreed-upon characteristics (face amount, coupon, maturity) for settlement at a future date. The fund may be a seller of TBA transactions to reduce its exposure to the mortgage-backed securities market or in order to sell mortgage-backed securities it owns under delayed-delivery arrangements. When the fund is a buyer of TBA transactions, it maintains cash or short-term investments in an amount sufficient to meet the purchase price at the settlement date of the TBA transaction. The primary risk associated with TBA transactions is that a counterparty may default on its obligations. The fund mitigates its counterparty risk by, among other things, performing a credit analysis of counterparties, allocating transactions among numerous counterparties, and monitoring its exposure to each counterparty. The fund may also enter into a Master Securities Forward Transaction Agreement (MSFTA) with certain counterparties and require them to transfer collateral as security for their performance. In the absence of a default, the collateral pledged or received by the fund cannot be repledged, resold, or rehypothecated. Under an MSFTA, upon a counterparty default (including bankruptcy), the fund may terminate any TBA transactions with that counterparty, determine the net amount owed by either party in accordance with its master netting arrangements, and sell or retain any collateral held up to the net amount owed to the fund under the master netting arrangements.

4. Mortgage Dollar Rolls: The fund enters into mortgage-dollar-roll transactions, in which the fund sells mortgage-backed securities to a dealer and simultaneously agrees to purchase similar securities in the future at a predetermined price. The proceeds of the securities sold in mortgage-dollar-roll transactions are typically invested in high-quality short-term fixed income securities. The fund forgoes principal and interest paid on the securities sold, and is compensated by interest earned on the proceeds of the sale and by a lower price on the securities to be repurchased. The fund has also entered into mortgage-dollar-roll transactions in which the fund buys mortgage-backed securities from a dealer pursuant to a TBA transaction and simultaneously agrees to sell similar securities in the future at a predetermined price. The securities bought in mortgage-dollar-roll transactions are used to cover an open TBA sell position. The fund continues to earn interest on mortgage-backed security pools already held and receives a lower price on the securities to be sold in the future. The fund accounts for mortgage-dollar-roll transactions as purchases and sales; as such, these transactions may increase the fund’s portfolio turnover rate. Amounts to be received or paid in connection with open mortgage dollar rolls are included in Receivables for Investment Securities Sold or Payables for Investment Securities Purchased in the Statement of Net Assets.

5. Federal Income Taxes: The fund intends to continue to qualify as a regulated investment company and distribute all of its taxable income. Management has analyzed the fund’s tax positions taken for all open federal income tax years (December 31, 2014–2017), and has concluded that no provision for federal income tax is required in the fund’s financial statements.

6. Distributions: Distributions to shareholders are recorded on the ex-dividend date.

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Balanced Index Fund

7. Securities Lending: To earn additional income, the fund lends its securities to qualified institutional borrowers. Security loans are subject to termination by the fund at any time, and are required to be secured at all times by collateral in an amount at least equal to the market value of securities loaned. Daily market fluctuations could cause the value of loaned securities to be more or less than the value of the collateral received. When this occurs, the collateral is adjusted and settled on the next business day. The fund further mitigates its counterparty risk by entering into securities lending transactions only with a diverse group of prequalified counterparties, monitoring their financial strength, and entering into master securities lending agreements with its counterparties. The master securities lending agreements provide that, in the event of a counterparty’s default (including bankruptcy), the fund may terminate any loans with that borrower, determine the net amount owed, and sell or retain the collateral up to the net amount owed to the fund; however, such actions may be subject to legal proceedings. While collateral mitigates counterparty risk, in the event of a default, the fund may experience delays and costs in recovering the securities loaned. The fund invests cash collateral received in Vanguard Market Liquidity Fund, and records a liability in the Statement of Net Assets for the return of the collateral, during the period the securities are on loan. Securities lending income represents fees charged to borrowers plus income earned on invested cash collateral, less expenses associated with the loan. During the term of the loan, the fund is entitled to all distributions made on or in respect of the loaned securities.

8. Credit Facility: The fund and certain other funds managed by The Vanguard Group (“Vanguard”) participate in a $3.1 billion committed credit facility provided by a syndicate of lenders pursuant to a credit agreement that may be renewed annually; each fund is individually liable for its borrowings, if any, under the credit facility. Borrowings may be utilized for temporary and emergency purposes, and are subject to the fund’s regulatory and contractual borrowing restrictions. The participating funds are charged administrative fees and an annual commitment fee of 0.10% of the undrawn amount of the facility; these fees are allocated to the funds based on a method approved by the fund’s board of trustees and included in Management and Administrative expenses on the fund’s Statement of Operations. Any borrowings under this facility bear interest at a rate based upon the higher of the one-month London Interbank Offered Rate, federal funds effective rate, or overnight bank funding rate plus an agreed-upon spread.

The fund had no borrowings outstanding at December 31, 2017, or at any time during the period then ended.

9. Other: Dividend income is recorded on the ex-dividend date. Interest income includes income distributions received from Vanguard Market Liquidity Fund and is accrued daily. Premiums and discounts on debt securities purchased are amortized and accreted, respectively, to interest income over the lives of the respective securities. Security transactions are accounted for on the date securities are bought or sold. Costs used to determine realized gains (losses) on the sale of investment securities are those of the specific securities sold.

Each class of shares has equal rights as to assets and earnings, except that each class separately bears certain class-specific expenses related to maintenance of shareholder accounts (included in Management and Administrative expenses), shareholder reporting, and the proxy. Marketing and distribution expenses are allocated to each class of shares based on a method approved by the board of trustees. Income, other non-class-specific expenses, and gains and losses on investments are allocated to each class of shares based on its relative net assets.

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Balanced Index Fund

B. In accordance with the terms of a Funds’ Service Agreement (the “FSA”) between Vanguard and the fund, Vanguard furnishes to the fund investment advisory, corporate management, administrative, marketing, and distribution services at Vanguard’s cost of operations (as defined by the FSA). These costs of operations are allocated to the fund based on methods and guidelines approved by the board of trustees. Vanguard does not require reimbursement in the current period for certain costs of operations (such as deferred compensation/benefits and risk/insurance costs); the fund’s liability for these costs of operations is included in Payables to Vanguard on the Statement of Net Assets.

Upon the request of Vanguard, the fund may invest up to 0.40% of its net assets as capital in Vanguard. At December 31, 2017, the fund had contributed to Vanguard capital in the amount of $2,030,000, representing 0.01% of the fund’s net assets and 0.81% of Vanguard’s capitalization. The fund’s trustees and officers are also directors and employees, respectively, of Vanguard.

C. Various inputs may be used to determine the value of the fund’s investments. These inputs are summarized in three broad levels for financial statement purposes. The inputs or methodologies used to value securities are not necessarily an indication of the risk associated with investing in those securities.

Level 1—Quoted prices in active markets for identical securities.
Level 2—Other significant observable inputs (including quoted prices for similar securities, interest
rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, etc.).
Level 3—Significant unobservable inputs (including the fund’s own assumptions used to determine
the fair value of investments). Any investments valued with significant unobservable inputs are
noted on the Statement of Net Assets.

The following table summarizes the market value of the fund’s investments as of December 31, 2017, based on the inputs used to value them:

 

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Balanced Index Fund

D. Distributions are determined on a tax basis and may differ from net investment income and realized capital gains for financial reporting purposes. Differences may be permanent or temporary. Permanent differences are reclassified among capital accounts in the financial statements to reflect their tax character. Temporary differences arise when certain items of income, expense, gain, or loss are recognized in different periods for financial statement and tax purposes. These differences will reverse at some time in the future. Differences in classification may also result from the treatment of short-term gains as ordinary income for tax purposes.

During the year ended December 31, 2017, the fund realized $111,838,000 of net capital gains resulting from in-kind redemptions—in which shareholders exchanged fund shares for securities held by the fund rather than for cash. Because such gains are not taxable to the fund, and are not distributed to shareholders, they have been reclassified from accumulated net realized losses to paid-in capital.

For tax purposes, at December 31, 2017, the fund had $9,438,000 of ordinary income available for distribution. The fund used capital loss carryforwards of $108,529,000 to offset taxable capital gains realized during the year ended December 31, 2017. Capital loss carryforwards of $15,654,000 expired on December 31, 2017; accordingly, such losses have been reclassified from accumulated net realized losses to paid-in capital. At December 31, 2017, the fund had available capital losses totaling $26,554,000 that may be carried forward indefinitely to offset future net capital gains.

At December 31, 2017, the cost of investment securities for tax purposes was $24,840,539,000. Net unrealized appreciation of investment securities for tax purposes was $12,735,778,000, consisting of unrealized gains of $12,959,908,000 on securities that had risen in value since their purchase and $224,130,000 in unrealized losses on securities that had fallen in value since their purchase.

E. During the year ended December 31, 2017, the fund purchased $2,948,800,000 of investment securities and sold $1,877,571,000 of investment securities, other than U.S. government securities and temporary cash investments. Purchases and sales of U.S. government securities were $12,081,995,000 and $10,484,789,000, respectively. Total purchases and sales include $152,767,000 and $0, respectively, in connection with in-kind purchases and redemptions of the fund’s capital shares.

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Balanced Index Fund

 

G. Management has determined that no material events or transactions occurred subsequent to December 31, 2017, that would require recognition or disclosure in these financial statements.

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Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

To the Board of Trustees of Vanguard Valley Forge Funds and Shareholders of Vanguard Balanced Index Fund

Opinion on the Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying statement of net assets—investments summary of Vanguard Balanced Index Fund (one of the funds constituting Vanguard Valley Forge Funds, referred to hereafter as the “Fund”) as of December 31, 2017, the related statement of operations for the year ended December 31, 2017, the statement of changes in net assets for each of the two years in the period ended December 31, 2017, including the related notes, and the financial highlights for each of the five years in the period ended December 31, 2017 (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Fund as of December 31, 2017, the results of its operations for the year then ended, the changes in its net assets for each of the two years in the period ended December 31, 2017 and the financial highlights for each of the five years in the period ended December 31, 2017 in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

Basis for Opinion

These financial statements are the responsibility of the Fund’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Fund’s financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”) and are required to be independent with respect to the Fund in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits of these financial statements in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud.

Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of December 31, 2017 by correspondence with the custodian and brokers and by agreement to the underlying ownership records of the transfer agent; when replies were not received from brokers, we performed other auditing procedures. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

/s/PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
February 15, 2018

We have served as the auditor of one or more investment companies in The Vanguard Group of Funds since 1975.

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---

Special 2017 tax information (unaudited) for Vanguard Balanced Index Fund

This information for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017, is included pursuant to provisions
of the Internal Revenue Code.

The fund distributed $356,228,000 of qualified dividend income to shareholders during
the fiscal year.

For corporate shareholders, 48.6% of investment income (dividend income plus short-term gains,
if any) qualifies for the dividends-received deduction.

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Your Fund’s After-Tax Returns

This table presents returns for your fund both before and after taxes. The after-tax returns are shown in two ways: (1) assuming that an investor owned the fund during the entire period and paid taxes on the fund’s distributions, and (2) assuming that an investor paid taxes on the fund’s distributions and sold all shares at the end of each period.

Calculations are based on the highest individual federal income tax and capital gains tax rates in effect at the times of the distributions and the hypothetical sales. State and local taxes were not considered. After-tax returns reflect any qualified dividend income. (In the example, returns after the sale of fund shares may be higher than those assuming no sale. This occurs when the sale would have produced a capital loss. The calculation assumes that the investor received a tax deduction for the loss.) The table shows returns for Investor Shares only; returns for other share classes will differ. Please note that your actual after-tax returns will depend on your tax situation and may differ from those shown. Also note that if you own the fund in a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account or a 401(k) plan, this information does not apply to you. Such accounts are not subject to current taxes.

Finally, keep in mind that a fund’s performance—whether before or after taxes—does not guarantee future results.

 

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About Your Fund’s Expenses

As a shareholder of the fund, you incur ongoing costs, which include costs for portfolio management, administrative services, and shareholder reports (like this one), among others. Operating expenses, which are deducted from a fund’s gross income, directly reduce the investment return of the fund.

A fund’s expenses are expressed as a percentage of its average net assets. This figure is known as the expense ratio. The following examples are intended to help you understand the ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in your fund and to compare these costs with those of other mutual funds. The examples are based on an investment of $1,000 made at the beginning of the period shown and held for the entire period.

The accompanying table illustrates your fund’s costs in two ways:

• Based on actual fund return. This section helps you to estimate the actual expenses that you paid over the period. The ”Ending Account Value“ shown is derived from the fund‘s actual return, and the third column shows the dollar amount that would have been paid by an investor who started with $1,000 in the fund. You may use the information here, together with the amount you invested, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period.

To do so, simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.6), then multiply the result by the number given for your fund under the heading ”Expenses Paid During Period.“

• Based on hypothetical 5% yearly return. This section is intended to help you compare your fund‘s costs with those of other mutual funds. It assumes that the fund had a yearly return of 5% before expenses, but that the expense ratio is unchanged. In this case—because the return used is not the fund’s actual return—the results do not apply to your investment. The example is useful in making comparisons because the Securities and Exchange Commission requires all mutual funds to calculate expenses based on a 5% return. You can assess your fund’s costs by comparing this hypothetical example with the hypothetical examples that appear in shareholder reports of other funds.

Note that the expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight and help you compare ongoing costs only and do not reflect transaction costs incurred by the fund for buying and selling securities. Further, the expenses do not include any purchase, redemption, or account service fees described in the fund prospectus. If such fees were applied to your account, your costs would be higher. Your fund does not carry a “sales load.”

The calculations assume no shares were bought or sold during the period. Your actual costs may have been higher or lower, depending on the amount of your investment and the timing of any purchases or redemptions.

You can find more information about the fund’s expenses, including annual expense ratios, in the Financial Statements section of this report. For additional information on operating expenses and other shareholder costs, please refer to your fund’s current prospectus.

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The calculations are based on expenses incurred in the most recent six-month period. The fund’s annualized six-month expense ratios for
that period are 0.18% for Investor Shares, 0.07% for Admiral Shares, and 0.06% for Institutional Shares. The dollar amounts shown as
“Expenses Paid” are equal to the annualized expense ratio multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by the
number of days in the most recent six-month period, then divided by the number of days in the most recent 12-month period (184/365).

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Glossary

30-Day SEC Yield. A fund’s 30-day SEC yield is derived using a formula specified by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Under the formula, data related to the fund’s security holdings in the previous 30 days are used to calculate the fund’s hypothetical net income for that period, which is then annualized and divided by the fund’s estimated average net assets over the calculation period. For the purposes of this calculation, a security’s income is based on its current market yield to maturity (for bonds), its actual income (for asset-backed securities), or its projected dividend yield (for stocks). Because the SEC yield represents hypothetical annualized income, it will differ—at times significantly—from the fund’s actual experience. As a result, the fund’s income distributions may be higher or lower than implied by the SEC yield.

Average Coupon. The average interest rate paid on the fixed income securities held by a fund. It is expressed as a percentage of face value.

Average Duration. An estimate of how much the value of the bonds held by a fund will fluctuate in response to a change in interest rates. To see how the value could change, multiply the average duration by the change in rates. If interest rates rise by 1 percentage point, the value of the bonds in a fund with an average duration of five years would decline by about 5%. If rates decrease by a percentage point, the value would rise by 5%.

Average Effective Maturity. The average length of time until fixed income securities held by a fund reach maturity and are repaid, taking into consideration the possibility that the issuer may call the bond before its maturity date. The figure reflects the proportion of fund assets represented by each security; it also reflects any futures contracts held. In general, the longer the average effective maturity, the more a fund’s share price will fluctuate in response to changes in market interest rates.

Beta. A measure of the magnitude of a fund’s past share-price fluctuations in relation to the ups and downs of a given market index. The index is assigned a beta of 1.00. Compared with a given index, a fund with a beta of 1.20 typically would have seen its share price rise or fall by 12% when the index rose or fell by 10%. For this report, beta is based on returns over the past 36 months for both the fund and the index. Note that a fund’s beta should be reviewed in conjunction with its R-squared (see definition). The lower the R-squared, the less correlation there is between the fund and the index, and the less reliable beta is as an indicator of volatility.

Credit Quality. Credit-quality ratings are measured on a scale that generally ranges from AAA (highest) to D (lowest). U.S. Treasury, U.S. Agency, and U.S. Agency mortgage-backed securities appear under “U.S. Government.” Credit-quality ratings are obtained from Barclays and are from Moody’s, Fitch, and S&P. When ratings from all three agencies are used, the median rating is shown. When ratings from two of the agencies are used, the lower rating for each issue is shown. “Not Rated” is used to classify securities for which a rating is not available.

Dividend Yield. The current, annualized rate of dividends paid on a share of stock, divided by its current share price. For a fund, the weighted average yield for stocks it holds. The index yield is based on the current annualized rate of dividends paid on stocks in the index.

Earnings Growth Rate. The average annual rate of growth in earnings over the past five years for the stocks now in a fund.

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Equity Exposure. A measure that reflects a fund’s investments in stocks and stock futures. Any holdings in short-term reserves are excluded.

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 does not include the transaction costs of buying and selling portfolio securities.

Foreign Holdings. The percentage of a fund represented by securities or depositary receipts of companies based outside the United States.

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 measured from the inception date.

Median Market Cap. An indicator of the size of companies in which a fund invests; the midpoint of market capitalization (market price x shares outstanding) of a fund’s stocks, weighted by the proportion of the fund’s assets invested in each stock. Stocks representing half of the fund’s assets have market capitalizations above the median, and the rest are below it.

Price/Book Ratio. The share price of a stock divided by its net worth, or book value, per share. For a fund, the weighted average price/book ratio of the stocks it holds.

Price/Earnings Ratio. The ratio of a stock’s current price to its per-share earnings over the past year. For a fund, the weighted average P/E of the stocks it holds. P/E is an indicator of market expectations about corporate prospects; the higher the P/E, the greater the expectations for a company’s future growth.

R-Squared. A measure of how much of a fund’s past returns can be explained by the returns from the market in general, as measured by a given index. If a fund’s total returns were precisely synchronized with an index’s returns, its R-squared would be 1.00. If the fund’s returns bore no relationship to the index’s returns, its R-squared would be 0. For this report, R-squared is based on returns over the past 36 months for both the fund and the index.

Return on Equity. The annual average rate of return generated by a company during the past five years for each dollar of shareholder’s equity (net income divided by shareholder’s equity). For a fund, the weighted average return on equity for the companies whose stocks it holds.

Short-Term Reserves. The percentage of a fund invested in highly liquid, short-term securities that can be readily converted to cash.

Turnover Rate. An indication of the fund’s trading activity. Funds with high turnover rates incur higher transaction costs and may be more likely to distribute capital gains (which may be taxable to investors). The turnover rate excludes in-kind transactions, which have minimal impact on costs.

Yield to Maturity. The rate of return an investor would receive if the fixed income securities held by a fund were held to their maturity dates.

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Benchmark Information

Balanced Composite Index: Weighted 60% Dow Jones U.S. Total Stock Market Index (formerly known as the Dow Jones Wilshire 5000 Index) and 40% Lehman Brothers U.S. Aggregate Bond Index through May 31, 2005; 60% MSCI US Broad Market Index and 40% Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index through December 31, 2009; 60% MSCI US Broad Market Index and 40% Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Float Adjusted Index through January 14, 2013; and 60% CRSP US Total Market Index and 40% Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Float Adjusted Index thereafter.

Spliced Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Float Adjusted Index: Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index through December 31, 2009; Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Float Adjusted Index thereafter.

Spliced Total Stock Market Index: Dow Jones U.S. Total Stock Market Index (formerly known as the Dow Jones Wilshire 5000 Index) through April 22, 2005; MSCI US Broad Market Index through June 2, 2013; and CRSP US Total Market Index thereafter.

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BLOOMBERG is a trademark and service mark of Bloomberg Finance L.P. BARCLAYS is a trademark and service mark
of Barclays Bank Plc, used under license. Bloomberg Finance L.P. and its affiliates, including Bloomberg Index Services
Limited (BISL) (collectively, Bloomberg), or Bloomberg’s licensors, own all proprietary rights in the Bloomberg Barclays
U.S. Aggregate Float Adjusted Index (the Index or Bloomberg Barclays Index).
Neither Barclays Bank Plc, Barclays Capital Inc., or any affiliate (collectively Barclays) or Bloomberg is the issuer or
producer of the Balanced Index Fund and neither Bloomberg nor Barclays has any responsibilities, obligations or duties
to investors in the Balanced Index Fund. The Index is licensed for use by The Vanguard Group, Inc. (Vanguard) as the
sponsor of the Balanced Index Fund. Bloomberg and Barclays’ only relationship with Vanguard in respect of the Index
is the licensing of the Index, which is determined, composed and calculated by BISL, or any successor thereto, without
regard to the Issuer or the Balanced Index Fund or the owners of the Balanced Index Fund.
Additionally, Vanguard may for itself execute transaction(s) with Barclays in or relating to the Index in connection with
the Balanced Index Fund. Investors acquire the Balanced Index Fund from Vanguard and investors neither acquire any
interest in the Index nor enter into any relationship of any kind whatsoever with Bloomberg or Barclays upon making
an investment in the Balanced Index Fund. The Balanced Index Fund is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by
Bloomberg or Barclays. Neither Bloomberg nor Barclays makes any representation or warranty, express or implied
regarding the advisability of investing in the Balanced Index Fund or the advisability of investing in securities generally
or the ability of the Index to track corresponding or relative market performance. Neither Bloomberg nor Barclays has
passed on the legality or suitability of the Balanced Index Fund with respect to any person or entity. Neither Bloomberg
nor Barclays is responsible for and has not participated in the determination of the timing of, prices at, or quantities of
the Balanced Index Fund to be issued. Neither Bloomberg nor Barclays has any obligation to take the needs of the Issuer
or the owners of the Balanced Index Fund or any other third party into consideration in determining, composing or
calculating the Index. Neither Bloomberg nor Barclays has any obligation or liability in connection with administration,
marketing or trading of the Balanced Index Fund.
The licensing agreement between Bloomberg and Barclays is solely for the benefit of Bloomberg and Barclays and not for
the benefit of the owners of the Balanced Index Fund, investors or other third parties. In addition, the licensing agreement
between Vanguard and Bloomberg is solely for the benefit of Vanguard and Bloomberg and not for the benefit of the
owners of the Balanced Index Fund, investors or other third parties.
NEITHER BLOOMBERG NOR BARCLAYS SHALL HAVE ANY LIABILITY TO THE ISSUER, INVESTORS OR TO OTHER THIRD
PARTIES FOR THE QUALITY, ACCURACY AND/OR COMPLETENESS OF THE BLOOMBERG BARCLAYS INDEX OR ANY
DATA INCLUDED THEREIN OR FOR INTERRUPTIONS IN THE DELIVERY OF THE BLOOMBERG BARCLAYS INDEX. NEITHER
BLOOMBERG NOR BARCLAYS MAKES ANY WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS TO RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY
THE ISSUER, THE INVESTORS OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY FROM THE USE OF THE BLOOMBERG BARCLAYS
INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. NEITHER BLOOMBERG NOR BARCLAYS MAKES ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED
WARRANTIES, AND EACH HEREBY EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS
FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE WITH RESPECT TO THE BLOOMBERG BARCLAYS INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED
THEREIN. BLOOMBERG RESERVES THE RIGHT TO CHANGE THE METHODS OF CALCULATION OR PUBLICATION, OR
TO CEASE THE CALCULATION OR PUBLICATION OF THE BLOOMBERG BARCLAYS INDEX, AND NEITHER BLOOMBERG
NOR BARCLAYS SHALL BE LIABLE FOR ANY MISCALCULATION OF OR ANY INCORRECT, DELAYED OR INTERRUPTED
PUBLICATION WITH RESPECT TO THE BLOOMBERG BARCLAYS INDEX. NEITHER BLOOMBERG NOR BARCLAYS SHALL
BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY SPECIAL, INDIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL
DAMAGES, OR ANY LOST PROFITS AND EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBLITY OF SUCH, RESULTING FROM THE USE
OF THE BLOOMBERG BARCLAYS INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN OR WITH RESPECT TO THE BALANCED
INDEX FUND.
None of the information supplied by Bloomberg or Barclays and used in this publication may be reproduced in any manner
without the prior written permission of both Bloomberg and Barclays Capital, the investment banking division of Barclays
Bank Plc. Barclays Bank Plc is registered in England No. 1026167. Registered office 1 Churchill Place London E14 5HP.
© 2017 Bloomberg. Used with Permission.
Source: Bloomberg Index Services Limited. Copyright 2017, Bloomberg. All rights reserved.

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The People Who Govern Your Fund

The trustees of your mutual fund are there to see that the fund is operated and managed in your best interests since, as a shareholder, you are a part owner of the fund. Your fund’s trustees also serve on the board of directors of The Vanguard Group, Inc., which is owned by the Vanguard funds and provides services to them on an at-cost basis.

A majority of Vanguard’s board members are independent, meaning that they have no affiliation with Vanguard or the funds they oversee, apart from the sizable personal investments they have made as private individuals. The independent board members have distinguished backgrounds in business, academia, and public service. Each of the trustees and executive officers oversees 201 Vanguard funds.

Information for each trustee and executive officer of the fund appears below. The mailing address of the trustees and officers is P.O. Box 876, Valley Forge, PA 19482. More information about the trustees is in the Statement of Additional Information, which can be obtained, without charge, by contacting Vanguard at 800-662-7447, or online at vanguard.com.

Interested Trustee¹

F. William McNabb III

Born 1957. Trustee Since July 2009. Chairman of the Board. Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years and Other Experience: Chairman of the Board of The Vanguard Group, Inc., and of each of the investment companies served by The Vanguard Group, since January 2010; Chief Executive Officer and Director of The Vanguard Group and President and Chief Executive Officer of each of the investment companies served by The Vanguard Group, since 2008; Director of Vanguard Marketing Corporation; President of The Vanguard Group (2008–2017); Managing Director of The Vanguard Group (1995–2008).

Independent Trustees

Emerson U. Fullwood

Born 1948. Trustee Since January 2008. Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years and Other Experience: Executive Chief Staff and Marketing Officer for North America and Corporate Vice President (retired 2008) of Xerox Corporation (document management products and services); Executive in Residence and 2009–2010 Distinguished Minett Professor at the Rochester Institute of Technology; Lead Director of SPX FLOW, Inc. (multi-industry manufacturing); Director of the United Way of Rochester, the University of Rochester Medical Center, Monroe Community College Foundation, North Carolina A&T University, and Roberts Wesleyan College; Trustee of the University of Rochester.

Rajiv L. Gupta

Born 1945. Trustee Since December 2001.² Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years and Other Experience: Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (retired 2009) and President (2006–2008) of Rohm and Haas Co. (chemicals); Director of Arconic Inc. (diversified manufacturer), HP Inc. (printer and personal computer manufacturing), and Delphi Automotive plc (automotive components); Senior Advisor at New Mountain Capital.

Amy Gutmann

Born 1949. Trustee Since June 2006. Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years and Other Experience: President of the University of Pennsylvania; Christopher H. Browne

1 Mr. McNabb is considered an “interested person,” as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, because he is an officer of the
Vanguard funds.
2 December 2002 for Vanguard Equity Income Fund, the Vanguard Municipal Bond Funds, and the Vanguard State Tax-Exempt Funds.

 

Distinguished Professor of Political Science, School of Arts and Sciences, and Professor of Communication, Annenberg School for Communication, with secondary faculty appointments in the Department of Philosophy, School of Arts and Sciences, and at the Graduate School of Education, University of Pennsylvania; Trustee of the National Constitution Center.

JoAnn Heffernan Heisen

Born 1950. Trustee Since July 1998. Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years and Other Experience: Corporate Vice President and Member of the Executive Committee (1997–2008), Chief Global Diversity Officer (retired 2008), Vice President and Chief Information Officer (1997–2006), Controller (1995–1997), Treasurer (1991–1995), and Assistant Treasurer (1989–1991) of Johnson & Johnson (pharmaceuticals/medical devices/ consumer products); Director of Skytop Lodge Corporation (hotels) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation; Member of the Advisory Board of the Institute for Women’s Leadership at Rutgers University.

F. Joseph Loughrey

Born 1949. Trustee Since October 2009. Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years and Other Experience: President and Chief Operating Officer (retired 2009) of Cummins Inc. (industrial machinery); Chairman of the Board of Hillenbrand, Inc. (specialized consumer services), Oxfam America, and the Lumina Foundation for Education; Director of the V Foundation for Cancer Research; Member of the Advisory Council for the College of Arts and Letters and Chair of the Advisory Board to the Kellogg Institute for International Studies, both at the University of Notre Dame.

Mark Loughridge

Born 1953. Trustee Since March 2012. Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years and Other Experience: Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (retired 2013) at IBM (information technology services); Fiduciary Member of IBM’s Retirement Plan Committee (2004–2013); Member of the Council on Chicago Booth.

Scott C. Malpass

Born 1962. Trustee Since March 2012. Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years and Other Experience: Chief Investment Officer and Vice President at the University of Notre Dame; Assistant Professor of Finance at the Mendoza College of Business at Notre Dame; Member of the Notre Dame 403(b) Investment Committee, the Board of Advisors for Spruceview Capital Partners, the Board of Catholic Investment Services, Inc. (investment advisor), and the Board of Superintendence of the Institute for the Works of Religion; Chairman of the Board of TIFF Advisory Services, Inc. (investment advisor).

André F. Perold

Born 1952. Trustee Since December 2004. Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years and Other Experience: George Gund Professor of Finance and Banking, Emeritus at the Harvard Business School (retired 2011); Chief Investment Officer and Co-Managing Partner of HighVista Strategies LLC (private investment firm); Overseer of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston.

Peter F. Volanakis

Born 1955. Trustee Since July 2009. Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years and Other Experience: President and Chief Operating Officer (retired 2010) of Corning Incorporated (communications equipment); Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Colby-Sawyer College; Member of the Board of Hypertherm, Inc. (industrial cutting systems, software, and consumables).

 

Executive Officers

Glenn Booraem

Born 1967. Investment Stewardship Officer Since February 2017. Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years and Other Experience: Principal of The Vanguard Group, Inc.; Treasurer (2015–2017), Controller (2010–2015), and Assistant Controller (2001–2010) of each of the investment companies served by The Vanguard Group.

Christine M. Buchanan

Born 1970. Treasurer Since November 2017. Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years and Other Experience: Principal of The Vanguard Group, Inc.; Treasurer of each of the investment companies served by The Vanguard Group; Global Head of Vanguard Fund Administration at The Vanguard Group; Partner at KPMG LLP (2005–2017).

Thomas J. Higgins

Born 1957. Chief Financial Officer Since September 2008. Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years and Other Experience: Principal of The Vanguard Group, Inc.; Chief Financial Officer of each of the investment companies served by The Vanguard Group; Treasurer of each of the investment companies served by The Vanguard Group (1998–2008).

Peter Mahoney

Born 1974. Controller Since May 2015. Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years and Other Experience: Principal of The Vanguard Group, Inc.; Controller of each of the investment companies served by The Vanguard Group; Head of International Fund Services at The Vanguard Group (2008–2014).

Anne E. Robinson

Born 1970. Secretary Since September 2016. Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years and Other Experience: Managing Director of The Vanguard Group, Inc.; General Counsel of The Vanguard Group; Secretary of The Vanguard Group and of each of the investment companies served by The Vanguard Group; Director and Senior Vice President of Vanguard Marketing Corporation; Managing Director and General Counsel of Global Cards and Consumer Services at Citigroup (2014–2016); Counsel at American Express (2003–2014).

Michael Rollings

Born 1963. Finance Director Since November 2017. Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years and Other Experience: Managing Director of The Vanguard Group, Inc.; Director of Vanguard Marketing Corporation; Treasurer of each of the investment companies served by The Vanguard Group (February 2017–November 2017); Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of MassMutual Financial Group (2006–2016).

 

Chairman Emeritus and Senior Advisor

John J. Brennan
Chairman, 1996–2009
Chief Executive Officer and President, 1996–2008

Founder

John C. Bogle
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, 1974–1996

 

 

 

Annual Report | December 31, 2017

Vanguard Managed Payout Fund

 

Vanguard’s Principles for Investing Success

We want to give you the best chance of investment success. These principles, grounded in Vanguard’s research and experience, can put you on the right path.

Goals. Create clear, appropriate investment goals.

Balance. Develop a suitable asset allocation using broadly diversified funds.

Cost. Minimize cost.

Discipline. Maintain perspective and long-term discipline.

A single theme unites these principles: Focus on the things you can control.

We believe there is no wiser course for any investor.

 

Please note: The opinions expressed in this report are just that—informed opinions. They should not be considered promises
or advice. Also, please keep in mind that the information and opinions cover the period through the date on the front of this
report. Of course, the risks of investing in your fund are spelled out in the prospectus.
See the Glossary for definitions of investment terms used in this report.
About the cover: Nautical images have been part of Vanguard’s rich heritage since its start in 1975. For an
incoming ship, a lighthouse offers a beacon and safe path to shore. You can similarly depend on Vanguard to put
you first––and light the way––as you strive to meet your financial goals. Our client focus and low costs,
stemming from our unique ownership structure, assure that your interests are paramount.

 

Your Fund’s Performance at a Glance

• For the year ended December 31, 2017, Vanguard Managed Payout Fund returned 13.29%, less than its composite benchmark index but more than its long-term target of 4% plus inflation.

• The Managed Payout Fund invests in nine underlying Vanguard funds and has a small stake in commodity-linked investments.

• In general, equities performed well, including international stocks. In particular, the fund’s performance was boosted by an overweight allocation to emerging markets, which returned more than 30% for the year.

• Relative fund performance was hurt by an overweight position in value stocks, which trailed growth stocks. An underweight allocation to fixed income in favor of alternative strategies also detracted on a relative basis.

• Since its inception in May 2008, the fund has posted an average annual return of 5.38%, more than its benchmark but a bit short of its target return.

The figures shown represent past performance, which is not a guarantee of future results. (Current performance may be
lower or higher than the performance data cited. For performance data current to the most recent month-end, visit our
website at vanguard.com/performance.) Note, too, that both investment returns and principal value can fluctuate widely,
so an investor’s shares, when sold, could be worth more or less than their original cost.
On January 17, 2014, Vanguard Managed Payout Growth Focus Fund and Vanguard Managed Payout
Distribution Focus Fund were merged into Vanguard Managed Payout Growth and Distribution Fund,
which was then renamed Vanguard Managed Payout Fund. Returns before the merger reflect the
performance of the former Managed Payout Growth and Distribution Fund.

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Chairman’s Perspective

Bill McNabb

Chairman

Dear Shareholder,

Lately I’ve been asked a lot about my legacy. And candidly, that phrase bugs me—it isn’t my legacy. Vanguard’s success is a result of thousands of my colleagues committing to a clear mission: helping investors achieve their financial goals.

The reason the topic has come up is that on December 31, 2017, I officially stepped down as Vanguard’s CEO after almost a decade in that role. I’ll remain chairman for a period to be determined by the board of directors. Tim Buckley, who was previously Vanguard’s president and chief investment officer, was elected CEO. I can’t think of a better successor.

I’ve spent 32 years at Vanguard—almost my entire professional life—and during that time I’ve had the good fortune of working with smart, principled colleagues from across the world. I’ve learned from each of them.

In particular, I would like to thank Jack Bogle, our founder, who took a chance on me when I was a young business school graduate, and Jack Brennan, my predecessor as CEO, who constantly challenged me with new roles and responsibilities.

2