Vanguard/
Wellington Fund
Fund Profile
October 28, 1997
A member of
The Vanguard Group
<PAGE>
1 OBJECTIVE
Vanguard/Wellington Fund seeks to conserve the value of your investment and to
provide moderate capital growth and moderate income. The Fund may not meet these
objectives.
2 INVESTMENT STRATEGY
The Fund's adviser uses a balanced investment approach. Approximately 60% to 70%
of the Fund's total assets is invested in common stocks (with emphasis on
dividend-paying stocks of large and medium-size companies). The remaining 30% to
40% of assets is invested in high-grade, long-term corporate bonds as well as
U.S. Treasury, government agency, and mortgage-backed securities.
3 RISKS
The Fund's total return will fluctuate, so an investor could lose money over
short or extended periods. Because of its balanced approach, Wellington Fund is
subject to less investment risk than a fund made up entirely of stocks, but more
risk than an all-bond fund.
More specifically, investors in the Fund are exposed to:
- - A HIGH degree of STOCK MARKET RISK (the possibility that stock prices in
general will decline over short or extended periods) because of the Fund's
significant investment in common stocks.
- - A HIGH degree of INTEREST RATE RISK (the possibility that bond prices will
fall as interest rates rise--and vice versa) because of the Fund's bond
holdings. For instance, a 2% increase in interest rates would cause a 20-year
bond to drop approximately 20% in value, while a 2% decrease in rates would
cause the same bond to rise about 22% in value.
- - A LOW degree of CREDIT RISK(the possibility that a bond's issuer will fail to
repay interest and principal)because of the high quality of the Fund's bond
holdings.
<PAGE>
4 APPROPRIATENESS
This Fund may be suitable for investors who:
- - Are seeking a balanced and diversified investment program that
includes both stocks and bonds.
- - Plan to invest for at least five years.
- - Want a fund that offers less investment risk and share-price
fluctuation than a fund made up entirely of stocks.
The Fund is not suitable for investors who:
- - Cannot tolerate fluctuating share prices.
5 FEES AND EXPENSES
Vanguard/Wellington Fund--like all Vanguard funds--is offered on a pure no-load
basis (that is, the Fund has no 12b-1 fees or charges to buy or sell shares).
The Fund's operating expenses are deducted from its total assets before daily
share prices and income distributions are calculated. The Fund's expense ratio
for fiscal year 1996 was 0.31% of assets.
ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES
- ------------------------------
Investment Advisory Fees.................. 0.04%
Distribution Costs........................ 0.02
Other Expenses............................ 0.25
----
TOTAL OPERATING EXPENSES.................. 0.31%
-----
The following example illustrates the expenses that you would incur on a $1,000
investment over various periods, assuming (1) a 5% annual rate of return and (2)
redemption at the end of each period.
1 YEAR 3 YEARS 5 YEARS 10 YEARS
- --------------------------------------------------------
$3 $10 $17 $39
This example should not be considered to represent past or future expenses or
performance. Actual expenses may be higher or lower than those shown.
<PAGE>
6 PAST PERFORMANCE
PERFORMANCE
ANNUAL RETURNS (%) 1987-1996
VANGUARD/ WELLINGTON
WELLINGTON FUND COMPOSITE INDEX*
1987 2.3 5.0
1988 16.1 14.2
1989 21.6 26.0
1990 -2.8 0.5
1991 23.6 27.0
1992 7.9 8.0
1993 13.5 11.1
1994 -0.5 -1.2
1995 32.9 33.7
1996 16.2 15.1
PERFORMANCE SUMMARY
(PERIODS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 1997)
AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURN
WELLINGTON WELLINGTON
FUND COMPOSITE INDEX*
1 Year 27.7% 30.2%
5 Years 16.5% 16.4%
10 Years 12.9% 13.7%
Note: In evaluating past performance, it is important to consider that returns
from stocks and bonds were close to their highest levels in history during the
past ten years. Past performance is not indicative of future performance.
Performance figures include the reinvestment of all dividends and any capital
gains distributions. All returns are net of expenses. The performance data
quoted represent past performance. The investment return and principal value of
an investment will fluctuate so that investors' shares, when redeemed, may be
worth more or less than their original cost.
*For comparative purposes, 65% of the Wellington Composite Index is made up of
the Standard & Poor's 500 Composite Stock Price Index (a diversified group of
500 securities used to measure U.S. stock market performance), and 35% is made
up of the Lehman Brothers Long Corporate AA or Better Bond Index (a barometer of
corporate bonds rated AA or better). An index is unmanaged; you cannot invest in
an index.
"Standard & Poor's 500," "S&P 500(R)," "Standard & Poor's(R)," "S&P(R)," and
"500" are trademarks of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
<PAGE>
7 INVESTMENT ADVISER
The Fund is managed by Wellington Management Company, LLP, which oversees more
than $169 billion in total assets. Ernst H. von Metzsch, Senior Vice President
of Wellington Management Company, LLP, has been portfolio manager since November
1995. Previously, he served as the Fund's assistant portfolio manager for 20
years. Mr. von Metzsch is assisted by Paul D. Kaplan, Senior Vice President of
Wellington Management Company, LLP, who began managing the Fund's fixed-income
investments in 1994.
8 PURCHASES
You may purchase shares by mail, wire, or exchange from another Vanguard fund.
The minimum initial investment is $3,000 ($1,000 for IRAs and custodial accounts
for minors).
9 REDEMPTIONS AND EXCHANGES
You may redeem or exchange shares by sending a letter to or calling Vanguard.
You may exchange shares through our website at http://www.vanguard.com.* The
Fund's share price is expected to fluctuate and, at redemption, may be higher or
lower than when purchased, resulting in a taxable gain or a loss.
10 DISTRIBUTIONS
The Fund expects to pay dividends quarterly. Capital gains distributions, if
any, are paid annually. Dividend and capital gains distributions can be
automatically reinvested or received in cash. Both dividend and capital gains
distributions are taxable to you whether reinvested in additional shares or
received in cash.
11 OTHER SERVICES
- - Vanguard Fund Express(R)--electronic transfers between your bank
account and the Fund.
- - Vanguard Tele-Account(R)--around-the-clock access to Vanguard fund
information, account balances, and some transactions by calling
1-800-662-6273 (ON-BOARD).
- - Investor Information--toll-free access to Vanguard Associates by
calling 1-800-662-7447 (SHIP).
*Before using this service, you must register through our website and obtain a
confidential password.
<PAGE>
[THE VANGUARD GROUP LOGO]
Post Office Box 2600
Valley Forge, PA 19482
TOLL-FREE INVESTOR
INFORMATION
1-800-662-7447
World Wide Web
http://www.vanguard.com
E-mail
[email protected]
This Fund Profile contains key information about the Fund. If you would like
more information before you invest, please consult the Fund's accompanying
prospectus. For details about the Fund's holdings or recent investment
strategies, please review the Fund's most recent annual or semiannual report.
The prospectus and reports can be obtained at no cost by calling Vanguard.
(C) 1997 Vanguard Marketing
Corporation, Distributor
FP21 o 1097-17B
