Vanguard Intermediate-Term Tax-Exempt Bond ETF
Vanguard Tax-Exempt Bond Index Fund
Supplement Dated October 25, 2024, to the Prospectuses and
Summary Prospectuses Dated February 27, 2024
Important Changes to the Vanguard Intermediate-Term Tax-Exempt
Bond ETF and Vanguard Tax-Exempt Bond Index Fund
In accordance with approval granted by the Funds’ Board of Trustees, Vanguard
Intermediate-Term Tax-Exempt Bond ETF and Vanguard Tax-Exempt Bond Index
Fund (each, a Fund) have revised their diversification policy under the
Investment Company Act of 1940. Under the revised policy, each Fund will
continue to track its target index even if the Fund becomes nondiversified as a
result of an index rebalance or market movement.
Shareholder approval will not be sought if either Fund crosses from
diverisifed to nondiverisifed status under such circumstances.
Prospectus and Summary Prospectus Text Changes
The following is added under the heading “Principal Investment Strategies”:
The Fund may become nondiversified, as defined under the Investment
Company Act of 1940, solely as a result of an index rebalance or
market movement.
The following is added under the heading “Principal Risks”:
• Nondiversification risk. Because the Fund seeks to closely track the
composition of the Fund’s target index, from time to time, more than 25% of
the Fund’s total assets may be invested in issuers representing more than 5%
of the Fund’s total assets due to an index rebalance or market movement,
which would result in the Fund being nondiversified under the Investment
Company Act of 1940. The Fund’s performance may be hurt
disproportionately by the poor performance of bonds issued by just a few
issuers or even a single issuer, and the Fund’s shares may experience
significant fluctuations in value.
© 2024 The Vanguard Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
Vanguard Marketing Corporation, Distributor. PS TEB 102024
Vanguard Tax-Exempt Bond Index Fund
Summary Prospectus
February 27, 2024
Admiral™ Shares
Vanguard Tax-Exempt Bond Index Fund Admiral Shares (VTEAX)
The Fund’s statutory Prospectus and Statement of Additional
Information dated February 27, 2024, as may be amended or
supplemented, are incorporated into and made part of this Summary
Prospectus by reference.
Before you invest, you may want to review the Fund’s Prospectus,
which contains more information about the Fund and its risks. You can
find the Fund’s Prospectus and other information about the Fund
online at www.vanguard.com/prospectus and
https://personal.vanguard.com/us/literature/reports/MFs. You can also
obtain this information at no cost by calling 800-662-7447 or by
sending an email request to online@vanguard.com.
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.
Investment Objective
The Fund seeks to track the performance of a benchmark index that measures
the investment-grade segment of the U.S. municipal bond market.
Fees and Expenses
The following tables describe the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy,
hold, and sell Admiral Shares of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such as
brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which
are not reflected in the tables and example below.
Shareholder Fees
(Fees paid directly from your investment)
Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases None
Purchase Fee None
Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends None
Redemption Fee None
Account Service Fee Per Year
(for certain fund account balances below $5,000,000) $25
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(Expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Management Fees 0.08%
12b-1 Distribution Fee None
Other Expenses 0.01%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses 0.09%
1
Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in
the Fund’s Admiral Shares with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. It
illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over various periods if
you were to invest $10,000 in the Fund’s shares. This example assumes that the
shares provide a return of 5% each year and that total annual fund operating
expenses remain as stated in the preceding table. You would incur these
hypothetical expenses whether or not you were to redeem your investment at the
end of the given period. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower,
based on these assumptions your costs would be:
1 Year 3 Years 5 Years 10 Years
$9 $29 $51 $115
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells
securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may
indicate higher transaction costs and may result in more taxes when Fund shares
are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund
operating expenses or in the previous expense example, reduce the Fund’s
performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover
rate was 23% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund employs an indexing investment approach designed to track the
Standard & Poor’s National AMT-Free Municipal Bond Index, which measures the
performance of the investment-grade segment of the U.S. municipal bond market
as determined by the Index Provider, S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC. This Index
includes municipal bonds from issuers that are primarily state or local governments
or agencies whose interest is exempt from U.S. federal income taxes and the
federal alternative minimum tax (AMT) (excluding bonds issued by U.S. territories
and commonwealths and certain other bonds as determined by the Index
Provider). To be eligible for inclusion in the Index, each bond must have a rating of
at least investment-grade, as determined by a nationally recognized statistical
rating organization (NRSRO) (e.g., at least BBB– by Fitch Ratings, Inc). For the
avoidance of doubt, the lowest rating will be used in determining if the bond is
investment grade. Each bond must also be denominated in U.S. dollars; generally
must be a constituent of a deal where the original offering amount was at least
$100 million; and generally have a minimum par amount of $25 million. In addition,
to be included in the Index, each bond must have a minimum term to maturity or
call date greater than one calendar month.
2
The Fund invests by sampling the Index, meaning that it holds a range of
securities that, in the aggregate, approximates the full Index in terms of key risk
factors and other characteristics. All of the Fund’s investments will be selected
through the sampling process, and at least 80% of the Fund’s assets will be
invested in securities held in the Index. Under normal circumstances, at least
80% of the Fund’s assets will be invested in securities whose income will be
exempt from federal income taxes and the federal AMT. The Fund seeks to
maintain a dollar-weighted average maturity consistent with that of the Index. As
of October 31, 2023, the dollar-weighted average maturity of the Index was
13.1 years.
Principal Risks
The Fund is designed for investors with a low tolerance for risk, but you could still
lose money by investing in it. The Fund is subject to the following risks, which
could affect the Fund’s performance, and the level of risk may vary based on
market conditions:
• Interest rate risk, which is the chance that bond prices overall will decline
because of rising interest rates.
• Income risk, which is the chance that the Fund’s income will decline because
of falling interest rates.
• Call risk, which is the chance that during periods of falling interest rates,
issuers of callable bonds may call (redeem) securities with higher coupon rates
or interest rates before their maturity dates. The Fund would then lose any price
appreciation above the bond’s call price and would be forced to reinvest the
unanticipated proceeds at lower interest rates, resulting in a decline in the Fund’s
income. Such redemptions and subsequent reinvestments would also increase
the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate.
• Extension risk, which is the chance that during periods of rising interest rates,
certain debt securities will be paid off substantially more slowly than originally
anticipated, and the value of those securities may fall.
• Credit risk, which is the chance that a bond issuer will fail to pay interest or
principal in a timely manner or that negative perceptions of the issuer’s ability to
make such payments will cause the price of that bond to decline. In general,
credit risk is expected to be relatively low for the Fund because it invests
primarily in bonds that are considered to be of high quality.
• Index sampling risk, which is the chance that the securities selected for the
Fund, in the aggregate, will not provide investment performance matching that of
the Fund’s target index. Index sampling risk for the Fund is expected to be low
to moderate.
3
• Liquidity risk, which is the chance that the Fund may not be able to sell a
security in a timely manner at a desired price.
• Tax risk, which is the chance that all or a portion of the tax-exempt income
from municipal bonds held by the Fund will be declared taxable, possibly with
retroactive effect, because of unfavorable changes in tax laws, adverse
interpretations by the Internal Revenue Service or state or local tax authorities, or
noncompliant conduct of a bond issuer.
• Regional risk, which is the chance that economic, political, or regulatory
occurrences within a certain state may adversely affect the value of securities
offered by issuers located within that state. Because the Fund may invest a large
portion of its assets in securities located in any one state, the Fund’s
performance may be hurt disproportionately by the poor performance of its
investments in that area.
An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or
guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other
government agency.
Annual Total Returns
The following bar chart and table are intended to help you understand the risks of
investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the performance of the Fund’s
Admiral Shares (including annual fund operating expenses but excluding
shareholder fees) has varied from one calendar year to another over the periods
shown. If applicable shareholder fees were reflected, returns would be less than
those shown in the bar chart. The table shows how the average annual total
returns of the share classes presented (including annual fund operating
expenses and any applicable shareholder fees) compare with those of the
Fund’s target index, which has investment characteristics similar to those of the
Fund. Keep in mind that the Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes)
does not indicate how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance
information is available on our website at vanguard.com/performance or by
calling Vanguard toll-free at 800-662-7447.
4
Annual Total Returns — Vanguard Tax-Exempt Bond Index Fund Admiral Shares
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
15%
10% 7.45 6.15
4.99 4.98
5% 0.94 1.43
0.33
0%
-5%
-10% –8.22
-15%
During the periods shown in the bar chart, the highest and lowest returns for a
calendar quarter were:
Total Return Quarter
Highest 7.27% December 31, 2023
Lowest -5.90% March 31, 2022
Average Annual Total Returns for Periods Ended December 31, 2023
Since Fund
Fund Inception
1 Year 5 Years Inception Date
Vanguard Tax-Exempt Bond Index Fund
Admiral Shares 08/25/2015
Return Before Taxes 6.15% 2.19% 2.33%
Return After Taxes on Distributions 6.15 2.19 2.33
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale
of Fund Shares 4.81 2.20 2.29
S&P National AMT-Free Municipal Bond
Index
(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses,
or taxes) 6.24% 2.26% 2.39%
Actual after-tax returns depend on your tax situation and may differ from those
shown in the preceding table. When after-tax returns are calculated, it is
assumed that the shareholder was in the highest individual federal marginal
income tax bracket at the time of each distribution of income or capital gains or
upon redemption. State and local income taxes are not reflected in the
calculations. Please note that after-tax returns are not relevant for a shareholder
who holds fund shares in a tax-deferred account, such as an individual
retirement account or a 401(k) plan. Also, figures captioned Return After Taxes
on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares may be higher than other figures for
the same period if a capital loss occurs upon redemption and results in an
assumed tax deduction for the shareholder.
5
Investment Advisor
The Vanguard Group, Inc. (Vanguard)
Portfolio Manager
Justin A. Schwartz, CFA, Portfolio Manager at Vanguard and Head of Municipal
Index and Money Markets. He has managed the Fund since 2023.
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.
Tax Information
The Fund’s distributions may be taxable as ordinary income or capital gain. A
majority of the income dividends that you receive from the Fund are expected to
be exempt from federal income and alternative minimum taxes. However, a
portion of the Fund’s distributions may be subject to federal income and
alternative minimum taxes. Dividend and capital gains distributions that you
receive may also be subject to state and local income taxes.
Payments to Financial Intermediaries
The Fund and its investment advisor do not pay financial intermediaries for sales
of Fund shares.
CFA® is a registered trademark owned by CFA Institute.
The S&P National AMT-Free Municipal Bond Index is a product of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC,
a division of S&P Global, or its affiliates (“SPDJI”) and has been licensed for use by Vanguard.
Standard & Poor’s® and S&P® are registered trademarks of Standard & Poor’s Financial
Services LLC, a division of S&P Global (“S&P”) and Dow Jones® is a registered trademark of
Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC (“Dow Jones”). The trademarks have been licensed to
SPDJI and have been sublicensed for use for certain purposes by Vanguard. Vanguard
Tax-Exempt Bond Index Fund is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by SPDJI, Dow
Jones, S&P, or any of their respective affiliates (collectively, “S&P Dow Jones Indices”). S&P
Dow Jones Indices makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of
Vanguard Tax-Exempt Bond Index Fund or any member of the public regarding the advisability
of investing in securities generally or in Vanguard Tax-Exempt Bond Index Fund particularly or
the ability of the S&P National AMT-Free Municipal Bond Index to track general market
performance. S&P Dow Jones Indices’ only relationship to Vanguard with respect to the S&P
National AMT-Free Municipal Bond Index is the licensing of the Index and certain trademarks,
service marks and/or trade names of S&P Dow Jones Indices and/or its licensors. The S&P
National AMT-Free Municipal Bond Index is determined, composed and calculated by S&P Dow
Jones Indices without regard to Vanguard or Vanguard Tax-Exempt Bond Index Fund. S&P Dow
Jones Indices has no obligation to take the needs of Vanguard or the owners of Vanguard
Tax-Exempt Bond Index Fund into consideration in determining, composing or calculating the
S&P National AMT-Free Municipal Bond Index. S&P Dow Jones Indices is not responsible for
and has not participated in the determination of the prices, and amount of Vanguard Tax-Exempt
Bond Index Fund or the timing of the issuance or sale of Vanguard Tax-Exempt Bond Index
Fund or in the determination or calculation of the equation by which Vanguard Tax-Exempt Bond
Index Fund is to be converted into cash, surrendered or redeemed, as the case may be. S&P
Dow Jones Indices has no obligation or liability in connection with the administration, marketing
or trading of Vanguard Tax-Exempt Bond Index Fund. There is no assurance that investment
products based on the S&P National AMT-Free Municipal Bond Index will accurately track index
performance or provide positive investment returns. S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC is not an
investment advisor. Inclusion of a security within an index is not a recommendation by S&P Dow
Jones Indices to buy, sell, or hold such security, nor is it considered to be investment advice.
S&P DOW JONES INDICES DOES NOT GUARANTEE THE ADEQUACY, ACCURACY,
TIMELINESS AND/OR THE COMPLETENESS OF THE S&P NATIONAL AMT-FREE
MUNICIPAL BOND INDEX OR ANY DATA RELATED THERETO OR ANY COMMUNICATION,
INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ORAL OR WRITTEN COMMUNICATION (INCLUDING
ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS) WITH RESPECT THERETO. S&P DOW JONES INDICES
SHALL NOT BE SUBJECT TO ANY DAMAGES OR LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS,
OMISSIONS, OR DELAYS THEREIN. S&P DOW JONES INDICES MAKES NO EXPRESS OR
IMPLIED WARRANTIES, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, OF
MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE OR AS TO
RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY VANGUARD, OWNERS OF THE TAX-EXEMPT BOND INDEX
FUND, OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY FROM THE USE OF THE S&P NATIONAL
AMT-FREE MUNICIPAL BOND INDEX OR WITH RESPECT TO ANY DATA RELATED
THERETO. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT WHATSOEVER
SHALL S&P DOW JONES INDICES BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL,
PUNITIVE, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, LOSS OF
PROFITS, TRADING LOSSES, LOST TIME OR GOODWILL, EVEN IF THEY HAVE BEEN
ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT,
STRICT LIABILITY, OR OTHERWISE. THERE ARE NO THIRD PARTY BENEFICIARIES OF
ANY AGREEMENTS OR ARRANGEMENTS BETWEEN S&P DOW JONES INDICES AND
VANGUARD, OTHER THAN THE LICENSORS OF S&P DOW JONES INDICES.
Vanguard Tax-Exempt Bond Index Fund Admiral Shares—Fund Number 591
To request additional information about the Fund, please visit vanguard.com or contact us at 800-662-7447.
© 2024 The Vanguard Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
Vanguard Marketing Corporation, Distributor.
SP 1491 022024
