Vanguard 500 Index Fund Admiral Shares

Frequently Asked Questions About VFIAX

What does VFIAX invest in?

A pioneering offering for individual investors, the Vanguard 500 Index Fund Admiral Shares provides an economical avenue for gaining broad market participation in domestic equities. Comprising 500 of the United States' largest companies, this fund represents a wide cross-section of industries and accounts for roughly three-quarters of the total U.S. stock market capitalization. The principal risk is the inherent market volatility associated with its comprehensive exposure to equities. Due to its extensive diversification across the large-capitalization segment, it is often viewed as a foundational equity holding in an investment portfolio. For 75% of its total assets, the fund adheres to strict investment guidelines: specifically, it cannot acquire more than 10% of any single issuer's outstanding voting securities, nor can it invest over 5% of its total assets in a single issuer, except where such actions are necessary to closely track its benchmark index. These specific limitations, however, do not extend to obligations of the U.S. government or its agencies and instrumentalities.

What is the expense ratio of VFIAX?

Vanguard 500 Index Fund Admiral Shares (VFIAX) charges an expense ratio of 0.04%. This is the annual fee deducted from fund assets to cover management and operations.

How big is VFIAX?

Vanguard 500 Index Fund Admiral Shares (VFIAX) manages $1.70T in total assets. AUM determines bid-ask liquidity and the fund's vulnerability to closure — funds below ~$50M are at higher risk of liquidation.

Is VFIAX actively managed or an index fund?

VFIAX's management style is described in the fund's prospectus. See the description on the Summary tab for the published strategy.

When was VFIAX launched?

Vanguard 500 Index Fund Admiral Shares (VFIAX) launched in November 2000 and is managed by Vanguard.

How has VFIAX performed?

VFIAX's total return — price change plus reinvested distributions — is charted at the top of this page. Switch the price chart to Total Return and pick a 1-year, 3-year, 5-year, or 10-year window to read the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over each horizon.