Vanguard Tax-Exempt Bond Index Fund Summary Prospectus

February 27, 2020

Admiral™ Shares

Vanguard Tax-Exempt Bond Index Fund Admiral Shares (VTEAX)

The Fund's statutory Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information dated February 27, 2020, 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. You can also obtain this information at no cost by calling 800-662-7447 or by sending an email request to online@vanguard.com.

See the inside front cover for important information about access to your fund's annual and semiannual shareholder reports.

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.

Important information about access to shareholder reports

Beginning on January 1, 2021, as permitted by regulations adopted by the SEC, paper copies of your fund's annual and semiannual shareholder reports will no longer be sent to you by mail, unless you specifically request them. Instead, you will be notified by mail each time a report is posted on the website and will be provided with a link to access the report.

If you have already elected to receive shareholder reports electronically, you will not be affected by this change and do not need to take any action. You may elect to receive shareholder reports and other communications from the fund electronically by contacting your financial intermediary (such as a broker-dealer or bank) or, if you invest directly with the fund, by calling Vanguard at one of the phone numbers on the back cover of this prospectus or by logging on to vanguard.com.

You may elect to receive paper copies of all future shareholder reports free of charge. If you invest through a financial intermediary, you can contact the intermediary to request that you continue to receive paper copies. If you invest directly with the fund, you can call Vanguard at one of the phone numbers on the back cover of this prospectus or log on to vanguard.com. Your election to receive paper copies will apply to all the funds you hold through an intermediary or directly with Vanguard.

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 table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold Admiral Shares of the Fund.

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 (for certain fund account balances below $10,000)

$20/year

 

 

1

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%

 

 

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 18% 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. 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). To be eligible for inclusion in the Index, each bond

2

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.); be denominated in U.S. dollars; and 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 greater than one calendar month.

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 maintains a dollar-weighted average maturity consistent with that of the Index. As of October 31, 2019, the dollar-weighted average maturity of the Index was 5.6 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:

Interest rate risk, which is the chance that bond prices 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 should 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.

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. Because the eligibility requirements for the Fund's Admiral Shares were recently changed, annual total returns for the Fund's Admiral Shares are relevant for most investors. Accordingly, the information presented in the bar chart reflects the performance of the Fund's Admiral Shares.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 Admiral Shares (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.

Annual Total Returns — Vanguard Tax-Exempt Bond Index Fund Admiral Shares

2016

2017

2018

2019

 

10%

 

 

 

 

 

 

7.45

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5%

 

 

4.99

0.94

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

0.33

 

 

 

 

 

0%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-5%

-10%

During the periods shown in the bar chart, the highest return for a calendar quarter was 2.82% (quarter ended March 31, 2019), and the lowest return for a quarter was –3.45% (quarter ended December 31, 2016).

4

Average Annual Total Returns for Periods Ended December 31, 2019

 

 

Since

 

 

Inception

 

 

(Aug. 25,

 

1 Year

2015)

 

 

 

Vanguard Tax-Exempt Bond Index Fund Admiral Shares

 

 

 

 

 

Return Before Taxes

7.45%

3.65%

 

 

 

Return After Taxes on Distributions

7.18

3.59

 

 

 

Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares

5.23

3.24

 

 

 

S&P National AMT-Free Municipal Bond Index

 

 

(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)

7.42%

3.68%

 

 

 

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.

Investment Advisor

The Vanguard Group, Inc. (Vanguard)

Portfolio Manager

Stephen M. McFee, CFA, Portfolio Manager at Vanguard. He has managed the Fund since February 2020.

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 1110, Valley Forge, PA 19482-1110), 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.

5

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.

Vanguard Tax-Exempt Bond Index Fund Admiral Shares—Fund Number 591

CFA® is a registered trademark owned by CFA Institute.

The "National AMT-Free Municipal Bond Index " (the "Index") is a product of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC ("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 ("S&P"); Dow Jones® is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC ("Dow Jones"); S&P® and S&P 500® are trademarks of S&P and these trademarks have been licensed for use by SPDJI and sublicensed 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 make no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of the 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 National AMT-Free Municipal Bond Index to track general market performance. S&P Dow Jones Indices' only relationship to Vanguard with respect to the 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 National AMT-Free Municipal Bond Index is determined, composed and calculated by S&P Dow Jones Indices without regard to Vanguard or the Vanguard Tax-Exempt Bond Index Fund. S&P Dow Jones Indices have 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 National AMT-Free Municipal Bond Index . S&P Dow Jones Indices are not responsible for and have 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 have 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 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 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 MAKE 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 VANGUARD THE TAX-EXEMPT BOND INDEX FUND, OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY FROM THE USE OF THE 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.

To request additional information about the Fund, please visit vanguard.com or contact us at 800-662-7447.

© 2020 The Vanguard Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Vanguard Marketing Corporation, Distributor.

SP 1491 022020

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