485BPOS 1 vipers485b.txt VANGUARD INDEX FUNDS 485B ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549 FORM N-1A REGISTRATION STATEMENT (NO. 2-56846) UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 PRE-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO. POST-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO. 81 AND REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940 AMENDMENT NO. 82 VANGUARD INDEX TRUST (EXACT NAME OF REGISTRANT AS SPECIFIED IN DECLARATION OF TRUST) P.O. BOX 2600, VALLEY FORGE, PA 19482 (ADDRESS OF PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICE) REGISTRANT'S TELEPHONE NUMBER (610) 669-1000 R. GREGORY BARTON, ESQUIRE P.O. BOX 876 VALLEY FORGE, PA 19482 IT IS PROPOSED THAT THIS FILING BECOME EFFECTIVE: ON DECEMBER 28, 2001 PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH (B) OF RULE 485. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SUBJECT TO COMPLETION PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS DATED DECEMBER 10, 2001 VANGUARD(R) VIPER(TM) SHARES December 28, 2001 Exchange-traded fund shares that are not individually redeemable VANGUARD(R) TOTAL STOCK MARKET VIPERS VANGUARD(R) EXTENDED MARKET VIPERS This prospectus contains financial data for the Fund through the fiscal year ended December 31, 2000. INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN IS SUBJECT TO COMPLETION OR AMENDMENT. A REGISTRATION STATEMENT RELATING TO THESE SECURITIES HAS BEEN FILED WITH THE U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION BUT HAS NOT YET BECOME EFFECTIVE. SHARES OF VANGUARD EXTENDED MARKET VIPERS MAY NOT BE SOLD, NOR MAY OFFERS TO BUY BE ACCEPTED, PRIOR TO THE TIME THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT BECOMES EFFECTIVE. THIS COMMUNICATION SHALL NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER TO SELL OR A SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO BUY, NOR SHALL THERE BE ANY SALE OF THESE SECURITIES IN A STATE IN WHICH SUCH OFFER, SOLICITATION, OR SALE WOULD BE UNLAWFUL PRIOR TO REGISTRATION OR QUALIFICATION UNDER THE SECURITIES LAW OF THE STATE. NEITHER THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION NOR ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION HAS APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED OF THESE SECURITIES OR PASSED UPON THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS PROSPECTUS. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE. VANGUARD TOTAL STOCK MARKET VIPERS VANGUARD EXTENDED MARKET VIPERS Prospectus December 28, 2001 Vanguard Index Participation Equity Receipts An Exchange-traded Class of Shares of certain Vanguard Index Funds -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CONTENTS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 AN INTRODUCTION TO VIPER SHARES 18 DIVIDENDS, CAPITAL GAINS, AND TAXES 3 FUND PROFILES 19 DAILY PRICING 3 Total Stock Market VIPERs 20 FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS 6 Extended Market VIPERs GLOSSARY (inside back cover) 9 MORE ON VIPER SHARES 17 VIPER SHARES AND VANGUARD 17 INVESTMENT ADVISER -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A NOTE TO RETAIL INVESTORS: VIPER Shares can be purchased directly from the issuing Fund only in exchange for a basket of securities that is expected to be worth several million dollars. Most individual investors, therefore, will not be able to purchase VIPER Shares directly from the Fund. Instead, these investors will purchase VIPER Shares in the secondary market with the assistance of a broker. Thus, some of the information contained in this prospectus--such as information about purchasing and redeeming VIPER Shares from a Fund and references to transaction fees imposed on purchases and redemptions--is not relevant to most individual investors. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 AN INTRODUCTION TO VIPER SHARES WHAT ARE VIPER SHARES? Vanguard Index Participation Equity Receipts, or "VIPER" Shares, are a class of exchange-traded securities that represent an interest in a portfolio of stocks held by a particular Vanguard index mutual fund. The two funds that currently offer VIPER Shares are: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FUND VIPER SHARES SEEKS TO TRACK -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Vanguard Total Stock Vanguard Total Stock Market The overall stock market Market Index Fund VIPERs Vanguard Extended Vanguard Extended Market Mid- and Market Index Fund VIPERs small-capitalization stocks -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In addition to VIPER Shares, each of the Funds offers three conventional classes of shares. This prospectus, however, relates only to VIPER Shares. HOW ARE VIPER SHARES DIFFERENT FROM CONVENTIONAL MUTUAL FUND SHARES? Conventional mutual fund shares are bought from and redeemed with the issuing fund for cash at a net asset value (NAV) typically calculated once a day. VIPER Shares, by contrast, cannot be purchased directly from or redeemed directly with the issuing fund except by or through Authorized Participants (defined below), and then only for an in-kind basket of securities. An organized secondary market is expected to exist for VIPER Shares, unlike conventional mutual fund shares, because VIPER Shares will be listed for trading on the American Stock Exchange (AMEX). Investors can purchase and sell VIPER Shares on the secondary market through a broker. Secondary market transactions occur not at net asset value, but at market prices that change throughout the day based on the supply of, and demand for, VIPER Shares. Although the market price of a VIPER Share typically will approximate its NAV, there may be times when the market price and the NAV vary, so you may receive more or less than NAV when you sell your shares on the secondary market. Also, it is possible that an active trading market may not develop or be maintained. HOW DO I BUY AND SELL VIPER SHARES? A fund issues and redeems VIPER Shares only in bundles of 50,000, known as "Creation Units." To purchase or redeem a Creation Unit, you must be an Authorized Participant or you must do so through a broker that is an Authorized Participant. An Authorized Participant is a participant in the Depository Trust Company that has executed a Participant Agreement with the fund's Distributor. Vanguard will provide a list of Authorized Participants upon request. Because Creation Units can be purchased only in exchange for a basket of securities likely to cost millions of dollars, it is expected that only a limited number of institutional investors will purchase and redeem VIPER Shares directly with an issuing fund. Investors who cannot afford to purchase a Creation Unit can acquire VIPER Shares in one of two ways. If you own conventional shares of a fund that issues VIPER Shares, you can, for a fee, convert those shares into VIPER Shares of equivalent value. For more information about the conversion privilege, see "Conversions and Exchanges" under MORE ON VIPER SHARES. In addition, any investor may purchase VIPER Shares on the secondary market (i.e., not from the issuing fund) through a broker; VIPER Shares are listed on the AMEX and are publicly traded. To acquire VIPER Shares through either means, you must have a brokerage account. For information about acquiring VIPER Shares through conversion of 2 conventional shares or through a secondary market purchase, please contact your broker. If you want to sell VIPER Shares, you must do so through your broker; VIPER Shares cannot be converted back into conventional shares. NOTE: When you buy or sell VIPER Shares on the secondary market, your broker may charge a commission. In addition, because secondary market transactions occur at market prices, you may pay more than net asset value when you buy VIPER Shares, and receive less than net asset value when you sell those shares. 3 PROFILE--VANGUARD TOTAL STOCK MARKET VIPERS The following profile summarizes key features of Vanguard Total Stock Market VIPERs, an exchange-traded class of shares issued by Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund. INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE Total Stock Market VIPERs seek to match the performance of a benchmark index that measures the investment return of the overall stock market. PRIMARY INVESTMENT STRATEGIES Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund employs a passive management strategy designed to track the performance of the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index, which consists of all the U.S. common stocks regularly traded on the New York and American Stock Exchanges and the Nasdaq over-the-counter market. The Fund invests all or substantially all of its assets in a representative sample of the stocks that make up the Index. PRIMARY RISKS - TOTAL STOCK MARKET VIPERS' TOTAL RETURN, LIKE STOCK PRICES GENERALLY, WILL FLUCTUATE WITHIN A WIDE RANGE, SO AN INVESTOR COULD LOSE MONEY OVER SHORT OR EVEN LONG PERIODS. Stock markets tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising prices and periods of falling prices. - Total Stock Market VIPERs will be listed for trading on the American Stock Exchange (AMEX) and can be sold in the secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of a Total Stock Market VIPER typically will approximate its net asset value, there may be times when the market price and the NAV vary significantly. Thus, if you sell Total Stock Market VIPERs on the secondary market, you may receive less than NAV. - Although Total Stock Market VIPERs will be listed for trading on the AMEX, it is possible that an active trading market may not develop or be maintained. - Trading of Total Stock Market VIPERs on the AMEX may be halted if AMEX officials deem such action appropriate, if Total Stock Market VIPERs are delisted from the AMEX, or if the activation of marketwide "circuit breakers" halts stock trading generally. PERFORMANCE/RISK INFORMATION The following bar chart and table provide an indication of the risks of investing in Total Stock Market VIPERs. Because calendar-year performance information for Total Stock Market VIPERs is not yet available, the information presented in the bar chart and table reflects the performance of the Investor Shares of Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund. (Investor Shares are offered through a separate prospectus.) Performance information for Total Stock Market VIPERs would be substantially similar, since both share classes are invested in the same portfolio of securities; their returns generally should differ only to the extent that the expenses of the two classes differ. 4 ---------------------------------------------------- ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS--INVESTOR SHARES ---------------------------------------------------- [BAR CHART APPEARS HERE WITH A SCALE OF -30% TO 50%] 1993 10.62% 1994 -0.17% 1995 35.79% 1996 20.96% 1997 30.99% 1998 23.26% 1999 23.81% 2000 -10.57% ---------------------------------------------------- Return figures assume that an investor purchased shares at net asset value, and do not reflect the transaction fee imposed on purchases and redemptions of Creation Units or the commissions that investors pay their brokers to buy and sell Total Stock Market VIPERs in the secondary market. ---------------------------------------------------- During the period shown in the bar chart, the highest return for a calendar quarter was 21.51% (quarter ended December 31, 1998), and the lowest return for a quarter was -12.07% (quarter ended September 30, 1998). ------------------------------------------------------------------------- AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS FOR YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2000 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 YEAR 5 YEARS SINCE INCEPTION* ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund Investor Shares -10.57% 16.68% 15.83% Wilshire 5000 Index -10.99 16.66 16.01 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- *April 27, 1992. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- FEES AND EXPENSES The following table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold Total Stock Market VIPERs. The expenses shown under Annual Operating Expenses are based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year. Actual operating expenses could be different. SHAREHOLDER FEES (fees paid directly from your investment) Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases: None Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends: None Transaction Fee on Purchases and Redemptions: Varies* Transaction Fee Imposed on Reinvested Dividends: None ANNUAL OPERATING EXPENSES (expenses deducted from the Fund's assets) Management Expenses: 0.13% 12b-1 Distribution Fee: None Other Expenses: 0.02% TOTAL ANNUAL OPERATING EXPENSES: 0.15% *An investor purchasing or redeeming Creation Units of Total Stock Market VIPERs will pay to the issuing Fund a transaction fee of $5,500, plus an additional fee of up to $5,500 if the investor does not purchase or redeem through the Continuous Net Settlement System of the National Securities Clearing Corporation. An investor buying or selling Total Stock Market VIPERs in the secondary market will pay a commission to his or her broker in an amount established by the broker. An investor converting conventional shares into Total Stock Market VIPERs will pay a $50 conversion fee to Vanguard; in addition, the broker may impose a conversion fee of its own. 5 The following example is intended to help retail investors compare the cost of investing in Total Stock Market VIPERs with the cost of investing in other funds. It illustrates the hypothetical expenses that such investors would incur over various periods if they invest $10,000 in Total Stock Market VIPERs. This example assumes that Total Stock Market VIPERs provide a return of 5% a year and that operating expenses match our estimates. This example does not include the brokerage commissions that retail investors will pay to buy and sell Total Stock Market VIPERs. It also does not include the transaction fee on purchases and redemptions of Creation Units, since this fee will not be imposed on retail investors. ------------------------------------------------- 1 YEAR 3 YEARS 5 YEARS 10 YEARS ------------------------------------------------- $15 $48 $85 $192 ------------------------------------------------- The value of a Total Stock Market VIPERs Creation Unit as of August ., 2001, was approximately $. million. Assuming an investment of $. million, payment of the standard $5,500 transaction fee to purchase and then to redeem the Creation Unit, a 5% return each year, and no change in operating expenses, the total cost of holding a Total Stock Market VIPER Creation Unit would be $. if the Creation Unit were redeemed after one year and $. if redeemed after three years. THESE EXAMPLES SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED TO REPRESENT ACTUAL EXPENSES OR PERFORMANCE FROM THE PAST OR FOR THE FUTURE. ACTUAL FUTURE EXPENSES MAY BE HIGHER OR LOWER THAN THOSE SHOWN. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ADDITIONAL INFORMATION DIVIDENDS AND CAPITAL GAINS NET ASSETS (ALL SHARE CLASSES OF Dividends are distributed quarterly in VANGUARD TOTAL STOCK MARKET INDEX March, June, September, and December; FUND) AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2000 capital gains, if any, are distributed $23.2 billion annually in December. VANGUARD FUND NUMBER INVESTMENT ADVISER 970 The Vanguard Group, Valley Forge, Pa., since inception CUSIP NUMBER 922908769 INCEPTION DATE May 24, 2001 AMEX TRADING SYMBOL VTI NUMBER OF TOTAL STOCK MARKET VIPERS IN A CREATION UNIT 50,000 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6 PROFILE--VANGUARD EXTENDED MARKET VIPERS The following profile summarizes key features of Vanguard Extended Market VIPERs, an exchange-traded class of shares issued by Vanguard Extended Market Index Fund. INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE Extended Market VIPERs seek to match the performance of a benchmark index that measures the investment return of small- and mid-capitalization stocks. PRIMARY INVESTMENT STRATEGIES Vanguard Extended Market Index Fund employs a passive management strategy designed to track the performance of the Wilshire 4500 Completion Index, a broadly diversified index of stocks of small and medium-size U.S. companies. The Wilshire 4500 Index contains all of the U.S. common stocks regularly traded on the New York and American Stock Exchanges and the Nasdaq over-the-counter market, except those stocks included in the Standard & Poor's 500 Index. The Fund invests all or substantially all of its assets in a representative sample of the stocks that make up the Index. PRIMARY RISKS - EXTENDED MARKET VIPERS' TOTAL RETURN, LIKE STOCK PRICES GENERALLY, WILL FLUCTUATE WITHIN A WIDE RANGE, SO AN INVESTOR COULD LOSE MONEY OVER SHORT OR EVEN LONG PERIODS. Stock markets tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising prices and periods of falling prices. - Extended Market VIPERs are subject to investment style risk, which is the chance that returns from small- and mid-capitalization stocks will trail returns from the overall stock market. Historically, these stocks have been more volatile in price than the large-cap stocks that dominate the overall stock market, and they often perform quite differently. - Extended Market VIPERs will be listed for trading on the American Stock Exchange (AMEX) and can be sold in the secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of an Extended Market VIPER typically will approximate its net asset value, there may be times when the market price and the NAV vary significantly. Thus, if you sell Extended Market VIPERs on the secondary market, you may receive less than NAV. - Although Extended Market VIPERs will be listed for trading on the AMEX, it is possible that an active trading market may not develop or be maintained. - Trading of Extended Market VIPERs on the AMEX may be halted if AMEX officials deem such action appropriate, if Extended Market VIPERs are delisted from the AMEX, or if the activation of marketwide "circuit breakers" halts stock trading generally. PERFORMANCE/RISK INFORMATION The following bar chart and table provide an indication of the risks of investing in Extended Market VIPERs. Because calendar-year performance information for Extended Market VIPERs is not yet available, the information presented in the bar chart and table reflects the performance of the Investor Shares of Vanguard Extended Market Index Fund. (Investor Shares are offered through a separate prospectus.) Performance information for Extended Market VIPERs would be substantially similar, since both share classes are invested in the same portfolio of securities; their returns generally should differ only to the extent that the expenses of the two classes differ. 7 ---------------------------------------------------- ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS--INVESTOR SHARES ---------------------------------------------------- [BAR CHART APPEARS HERE WITH A SCALE OF -30% TO 50%] 1991 41.85% 1992 12.47% 1993 14.49% 1994 -1.76% 1995 33.80% 1996 17.65% 1997 26.73% 1998 8.32% 1999 36.22% 2000 -15.55% ---------------------------------------------------- Return figures assume that an investor purchased shares at net asset value, and do not reflect the transaction fee imposed on purchases and redemptions of Creation Units or the commissions that investors pay their brokers to buy and sell Extended Market VIPERs in the secondary market. ---------------------------------------------------- During the period shown in the bar chart, the highest return for a calendar quarter was 29.54% (quarter ended December 31, 1999), and the lowest return for a quarter was -18.76% (quarter ended December 31, 2000). ------------------------------------------------------------------ AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS FOR YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2000 ------------------------------------------------------------------ 1 YEAR 5 YEARS 10 YEARS ------------------------------------------------------------------ Vanguard Extended Market Index Fund Investor Shares -15.55% 13.19% 16.13% Wilshire 4500 Index -15.95 12.75 15.84 ------------------------------------------------------------------ FEES AND EXPENSES The following table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold Extended Market VIPERs. The expenses shown under Annual Operating Expenses are based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year. Extended Market VIPERs have no operating history; actual operating expenses could be different. SHAREHOLDER FEES (fees paid directly from your investment) Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases: None Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends: None Transaction Fee on Purchases and Redemptions: Varies* Transaction Fee Imposed on Reinvested Dividends: None ANNUAL OPERATING EXPENSES (expenses deducted from the Fund's assets) Management Expenses: 0.18% 12b-1 Distribution Fee: None Other Expenses: 0.02% TOTAL ANNUAL OPERATING EXPENSES: 0.20% *An investor purchasing or redeeming Creation Units of Extended Market VIPERs will pay to the issuing Fund a transaction fee of $5,500, plus an additional transaction fee of up to $5,500 if the investor does not purchase or redeem through the Continuous Net Settlement System of the National Securities Clearing Corporation. An investor buying or selling Extended Market VIPERs in the secondary market will pay a commission to his or her broker in an amount established by the broker. An investor converting conventional shares into Extended Market VIPERs will pay a $50 conversion fee to Vanguard; in addition, the broker may impose a conversion fee of its own. 8 The following example is intended to help retail investors compare the cost of investing in Extended Market VIPERs with the cost of investing in other funds. It illustrates the hypothetical expenses that such investors would incur over various periods if they invest $10,000 in Extended Market VIPERs. This example assumes that Extended Market VIPERs provide a return of 5% a year and that operating expenses match our estimates. This example does not include the brokerage commissions that retail investors will pay to buy and sell Extended Market VIPERs. It also does not include the transaction fee on purchases and redemptions of Creation Units, since this fee will not be imposed on retail investors. ------------------------------------------------- 1 YEAR 3 YEARS 5 YEARS 10 YEARS ------------------------------------------------- $20 $64 $113 $255 ------------------------------------------------- The value of an Extended Market VIPERs Creation Unit as of the date of this prospectus was approximately $x million. Assuming an investment of $x million, payment of the standard $5,500 transaction fee to purchase and then to redeem the Creation Unit, a 5% return each year, and no change in operating expenses, the total cost of holding an Extended Market VIPER Creation Unit would be $xx,xxx if the Creation Unit were redeemed after one year and $xx,xxx if redeemed after three years. THESE EXAMPLES SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED TO REPRESENT ACTUAL EXPENSES OR PERFORMANCE FROM THE PAST OR FOR THE FUTURE. ACTUAL FUTURE EXPENSES MAY BE HIGHER OR LOWER THAN THOSE SHOWN. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ADDITIONAL INFORMATION DIVIDENDS AND CAPITAL GAINS NET ASSETS (ALL SHARE CLASSES OF Distributed annually in December VANGUARD EXTENDED MARKET INDEX FUND) AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2000 INVESTMENT ADVISER $5.3 billion The Vanguard Group, Valley Forge, Pa., since inception VANGUARD FUND NUMBER 965 INCEPTION DATE December 28, 2001 CUSIP NUMBER 922908xxx NUMBER OF EXTENDED MARKET VIPERS IN A CREATION UNIT AMEX TRADING SYMBOL 50,000 VXF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9 MORE ON VIPER SHARES The following sections explain the primary investment strategies and policies that each Fund uses in pursuit of its objective. The Funds' board of trustees, which oversees the Funds' management, may change investment strategies or policies in the interest of shareholders without a shareholder vote unless those strategies or policies are designated as fundamental. Look for this LOGO symbol throughout the prospectus. It is used to mark detailed information about each type of risk that you would confront as a Fund shareholder. Finally, you'll find information on other important features of Total Stock Market VIPERs and Extended Market VIPERs. INDEXING METHODS In seeking to track a particular index, a fund generally uses one of two methods to select stocks. REPLICATION METHOD. Some index funds hold each stock found in their target indexes in about the same proportion as represented in the indexes themselves. This is called a "replication" method. For example, if 5% of a particular index were made up of the stock of a specific company, a fund tracking that index through replication would invest about 5% of its assets in that company. SAMPLING METHOD. Because it would be very expensive and inefficient to buy and sell all securities held in certain indexes (the Wilshire 5000 Index, for example, included more than 6,600 separate stocks as of December 31, 2000), many funds tracking these larger indexes use a "sampling" technique. Using sophisticated computer programs, a fund selects, from the target index, a representative sample of securities that will resemble the target index in terms of key risk factors and other characteristics. For stock funds, these include industry weightings, country weightings, market capitalization, and other financial characteristics of stocks. The Total Stock Market and Extended Market Index Funds employ this method of indexing. Each Fund seeks to provide investment results that correspond to those of its target index. The correlation between the performance of a Fund and its target index is expected to be at least 95%. (A correlation of 100% would indicate perfect correlation.) The following table shows the number of stocks held by each Fund, and the number of stocks in its target index, as of December 31, 2000. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- NUMBER OF NUMBER OF STOCKS FUND STOCKS HELD IN TARGET INDEX ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund 3,394 6,638 Vanguard Extended Market Index Fund 3,055 6,147 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- MARKET EXPOSURE [FLAG]VIPER SHARES ARE SUBJECT TO MARKET RISK, WHICH IS THE CHANCE THAT STOCK PRICES OVERALL WILL DECLINE OVER SHORT OR EVEN LONG PERIODS. STOCK MARKETS TEND TO MOVE IN CYCLES, WITH PERIODS OF RISING STOCK PRICES AND PERIODS OF FALLING STOCK PRICES. To illustrate the volatility of stock prices, the following table shows the best, worst, and average total returns for the U.S. stock market over various periods as measured by the S&P 500 Index, which is a widely used barometer of stock market activity. (Total returns consist of dividend income plus change in market price.) Note that the returns shown do 10 not include the costs of buying and selling stocks or other expenses that a real-world investment portfolio would incur. Note, also, that the gap between best and worst tends to narrow over the long term. ---------------------------------------------------------- U.S. STOCK MARKET RETURNS (1926-2000) ---------------------------------------------------------- 1 YEAR 5 YEARS 10 YEARS 20 YEARS ---------------------------------------------------------- Best 54.2% 28.6% 19.9% 17.8% Worst -43.1 -12.4 -0.8 3.1 Average 12.9 11.1 11.2 11.2 ---------------------------------------------------------- The table covers all of the 1-, 5-, 10-, and 20-year periods from 1926 through 2000. You can see, for example, that while the average return on common stocks for all of the 5-year periods was 11.1%, returns for individual 5-year periods ranged from a -12.4% average (from 1928 through 1932) to 28.6% (from 1995 through 1999). These average returns reflect past performance on common stocks; you should not regard them as an indication of future returns from either the stock market as a whole or any VIPER Shares in particular. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PLAIN TALK ABOUT LARGE-CAP, MID-CAP, AND SMALL-CAP STOCKS Stocks of publicly traded companies--and mutual funds that hold these stocks--can be classified by the companies' market value, or capitalization. Market capitalization changes over time, and there is no "official" definition of the boundaries of large-, mid-, and small-cap stocks. Vanguard generally defines large-cap funds as those holding stocks of companies whose outstanding shares have, on average, a market value exceeding $13 billion; mid-cap funds as those holding stocks of companies with a market value between $1.5 billion and $13 billion; and small-cap funds as those holding stocks of companies with a market value of less than $1.5 billion. Vanguard periodically reassesses these classifications. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [FLAG] EXTENDED MARKET VIPERS ARE SUBJECT TO INVESTMENT STYLE RISK, WHICH IS THE CHANCE THAT RETURNS FROM SMALL- AND MID-CAPITALIZATION STOCKS WILL TRAIL RETURNS FROM THE OVERALL STOCK MARKET. HISTORICALLY, THESE STOCKS HAVE BEEN MORE VOLATILE IN PRICE THAN THE LARGE-CAP STOCKS THAT DOMINATE THE OVERALL STOCK MARKET, AND THEY OFTEN PERFORM QUITE DIFFERENTLY. SPECIAL RISKS OF EXCHANGE-TRADED SHARES [FLAG]VIPER SHARES ARE NOT INDIVIDUALLY REDEEMABLE. They can be redeemed with the issuing Fund at net asset value only in large blocks known as Creation Units. You would incur brokerage costs in purchasing enough VIPER Shares to constitute a Creation Unit. 11 [FLAG] THE MARKET PRICE OF VIPER SHARES MAY DIFFER FROM NET ASSET VALUE. VIPER Shares will be listed for trading on the AMEX and can be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of a VIPER Share typically will approximate its net asset value (NAV), there may be times when the market price and the NAV vary significantly. Thus, you may pay more than NAV when buying VIPER Shares on the secondary market, and you may receive less than NAV when you sell those shares. The market price of VIPER Shares, like the price of any exchange-traded security, includes a "bid-asked spread" charged by the exchange specialist and other market makers that cover the particular security. In times of severe market disruption, the bid-asked spread can increase significantly. This means that VIPER Shares are most likely to be traded at a discount to NAV, and the discount is likely to be greatest, when the price of VIPER Shares is falling fastest--and this may be the time that you most want to sell VIPER Shares. NOTE: Vanguard's website will show the prior day's closing NAV and closing market price for each Fund's VIPER Shares. The website also will disclose how frequently each Fund's VIPER Shares traded at a premium or discount to NAV (based on closing NAVs and market prices), and the magnitudes of such premiums and discounts. [FLAG] AN ACTIVE TRADING MARKET MAY NOT EXIST. Although VIPER Shares will be listed on the AMEX, it is possible that an active trading market may not develop. If an active trading market develops, there can be no guarantee that it will continue. [FLAG] TRADING MAY BE HALTED. Trading of VIPER Shares on the AMEX will be halted whenever trading in equity securities generally is halted by the activation of marketwide "circuit breakers," which are tied to large decreases in the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Trading of VIPER Shares also will be halted if (i) the shares are delisted from the AMEX without first being listed on another exchange, or (ii) AMEX officials determine that such action is appropriate in the interest of a fair and orderly market or to protect investors. NOTE: If trading of VIPER Shares on the AMEX is halted, eligible investors (see below) will still be able to purchase Creation Units of VIPER Shares directly from an issuing Fund and redeem such units with the Fund. PURCHASING VIPER SHARES FROM AN ISSUING FUND You can purchase VIPER Shares from an issuing Fund if you meet the following criteria and comply with the following procedures: - Eligible Investors. To purchase VIPER Shares from an issuing Fund, you must be an Authorized Participant or you must purchase through a broker that is an Authorized Participant. An Authorized Participant is a participant in the Depository Trust Company (DTC) that has executed a Participant Agreement with the Fund's Distributor. Most Authorized Participants are expected to be brokerage firms. - Creation Units. You must purchase VIPER Shares in large blocks of 50,000, known as "Creation Units." For any particular Fund, the number of VIPER Shares in a Creation Unit will not change, except in the event of a stock split or similar revaluation. The Funds will not issue fractional Creation Units. - In-kind Creation Basket. To purchase VIPER Shares directly from an issuing Fund, you must tender to the Fund a basket of securities. Each business day, prior to the opening of trading on the AMEX, the Fund's adviser will make available, on the National Securities 12 Clearing Corporation (NSCC) bulletin board, a list of the names and number of shares of each security to be included in that day's creation basket. Each Fund reserves the right to accept a nonconforming creation basket. - Balancing Amount. In addition to the in-kind deposit of securities, you will either pay to, or receive from, the issuing Fund an amount of cash (the Balancing Amount) equal to the difference between the NAV of a Creation Unit and the value of the securities in the creation basket. The Balancing Amount ensures that the consideration paid by an investor for a Creation Unit is exactly equal to the value of the Creation Unit. The Fund's adviser will publish, on a daily basis, information about the previous day's Balancing Amount. You also must pay a Transaction Fee, described below, in cash. The Balancing Amount and the Transaction Fee, taken together, are referred to as the "Cash Component." - Placement of Purchase Orders. All purchase orders must be placed with Vanguard by or through an Authorized Participant. Purchase orders will be processed either through a manual clearing process run by the DTC or through an enhanced clearing process that is available only to those DTC participants that also are participants in the Continuous Net Settlement System of the NSCC. Authorized Participants that do not use the NSCC's enhanced clearing process will be charged a higher Transaction Fee (discussed below). A purchase order must be received by the Fund's Distributor prior to the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (ordinarily 4 p.m., Eastern time) on the day the order is placed, and all other procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement must be followed, in order for you to receive the NAV determined on that day. - Transaction Fee on Purchase of Creation Units. A Transaction Fee in the amount of $5,500 is assessed on each purchase of Creation Units of VIPER Shares effected through the NSCC's enhanced clearing process, regardless of the number of units purchased. Thus, for example, whether an investor purchases one, two, or ten Creation Units of Total Stock Market VIPERs, the Transaction Fee would be $5,500. For an investor purchasing Creation Units through the manual DTC clearing process, the Transaction Fee would be a maximum of $11,000. Investors permitted to tender a nonconforming creation basket would be subject to an additional charge determined at the discretion of the Fund. The Transaction Fee is paid to the Fund, not to Vanguard or a third party. The fee protects existing shareholders of the Fund from the costs associated with issuing Creation Units. REDEEMING VIPER SHARES WITH AN ISSUING FUND The redemption process is essentially the reverse of the purchase process. - Eligible Investors. To redeem VIPER Shares with an issuing Fund, you must be an Authorized Participant or you must redeem through a broker that is an Authorized Participant. - Creation Units. To redeem VIPER Shares with an issuing Fund, you must tender the shares in Creation Unit-size blocks. - In-kind Redemption Proceeds. Redemption proceeds will be paid in-kind with a basket of securities. In most cases, the basket of securities you receive will be the same as that required of investors purchasing Creation Units on the same day. There will be times, however, when the creation and redemption baskets differ. The composition of the redemption basket will be available on the NSCC bulletin board. NOTE: Each Fund reserves the right to honor a redemption request with a nonconforming redemption basket, with the consent of the redeeming investor. - Balancing Amount. Depending on whether the NAV of a Creation Unit is higher or lower than the value of the redemption securities, you will either receive from or pay to the 13 issuing Fund a Balancing Amount in cash. If you are receiving a Balancing Amount, the amount due will be reduced by the amount of the applicable Transaction Fee. - Placement of Redemption Orders. As with purchases, redemptions may be processed either through the DTC process or the enhanced NSCC process. A redemption order is deemed received on the date of transmittal if it is received by Vanguard prior to the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange on that date, and all other procedures set forth in the Participation Agreement are followed. - Transaction Fee on Redemption of Creation Units. A Transaction Fee is assessed on each redemption of Creation Units. The amount of the Transaction Fee on redemptions effected through NSCC and DTC, and on nonconforming redemptions, is the same as the fee imposed on comparable purchases (see above). As with the Transaction Fee on purchases, the Transaction Fee on redemptions is paid to the Fund, not to Vanguard or a third party. The fee protects existing shareholders of the Fund from the costs associated with redeeming Creation Units. PURCHASING AND SELLING VIPER SHARES ON THE SECONDARY MARKET You can buy and sell VIPER Shares on the secondary market in the same way you buy and sell any other exchange-traded security--through a broker. In most cases, the broker will charge you a commission to execute the transaction. The price at which you buy or sell VIPER Shares (i.e., the market price) may be more or less than the net asset value of the shares. Unless imposed by your broker, there is no minimum dollar amount you must invest and no minimum number of VIPER Shares you must buy. CONVERSION PRIVILEGE Owners of conventional shares (Investor Shares, Admiral Shares, or Institutional Shares) issued by the Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund and Vanguard Extended Market Index Fund may convert those shares into VIPER Shares of equivalent value of the same Fund. Note: Investors who own conventional shares through a 401(k) plan or other employer-sponsored retirement or benefit plan may not convert those shares into VIPER Shares. Vanguard will impose a $50 charge on conversion transactions and reserves the right, in the future, to raise or lower the fee and to limit or terminate the conversion privilege. VIPER Shares, whether acquired through a conversion or purchased in the secondary market, cannot be converted into shares of another class of the same Fund. NOTE TO INVESTORS IN VANGUARD INSTITUTIONAL TOTAL STOCK MARKET INDEX FUND: Owners of shares issued by Vanguard Institutional Total Stock Market Index Fund CANNOT convert their shares into VIPER Shares of Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund because the Funds are separate and distinct. Vanguard Institutional Total Stock Market Index Fund currently does not issue VIPER Shares. Unless you are an Authorized Participant, you must hold VIPER Shares in a brokerage account. Thus, before converting conventional shares into VIPER Shares, you must have an existing, or open a new, brokerage account. To initiate a conversion of conventional shares into VIPER Shares, please contact your broker. Your broker may charge you a fee, over and above Vanguard's fee, to process a conversion request. Converting conventional shares into VIPER Shares generally is accomplished as follows. First, after your broker notifies Vanguard of your request to convert, Vanguard will transfer your conventional shares from your account to the broker's omnibus account with Vanguard (an account maintained by the broker on behalf of all its customers who hold conventional Vanguard Fund shares through the broker). Vanguard's records will reflect your broker, not you, as the owner of the shares. Next, your broker will instruct Vanguard to convert the 14 appropriate amount of conventional shares in its omnibus account into VIPER Shares of equivalent value. These shares will be held at Vanguard in an account in the name of DTC. (DTC will keep track of which VIPER Shares belong to your broker, and your broker, in turn, will keep track of which VIPER Shares belong to you.) Because DTC is unable to handle fractional shares, only whole shares will be converted. For example, if you owned 300.250 conventional shares, and this was equivalent in value to 90.750 VIPER Shares, the DTC account would receive 90 VIPER Shares. Conventional shares worth 0.750 VIPER Shares (in this example, that would be 2.481 conventional shares) would remain in the broker's omnibus account with Vanguard. Your broker then could either (i) credit your account with 0.750 VIPER Shares rather than 2.481 conventional shares, or (ii) redeem the 2.481 conventional shares at net asset value, in which case you would receive cash in lieu of those shares. If your broker chooses to redeem your conventional shares, you will realize a gain or loss on the redemption that must be reported on your tax return (unless you hold the shares in an IRA or other tax-deferred account). Please consult your broker for information on how it will handle the conversion process, including whether it will impose a fee to process a conversion. NOTE: If you convert your conventional shares to VIPER Shares through Vanguard Brokerage Services(R) (VBS), all conventional shares for which you request conversion will be converted into VIPER Shares of equivalent value. Because no fractional shares will have to be sold, the transaction will be 100% tax-free. VBS does not impose a conversion fee over and above the fee imposed by Vanguard. Here are some important points to keep in mind when converting conventional shares of a Vanguard Fund into VIPER Shares: - The conversion transaction is nontaxable except, as applicable, to the limited extent described above. - The conversion process can take anywhere from several days to several weeks, depending on your broker. Vanguard generally will process conversion requests either on the day they are received or on the next business day, although processing may take up to three business days depending on when the conversion request is received. - Until the conversion process is complete, you will remain fully invested in the Fund's conventional shares, and your investment will increase or decrease in value in tandem with the net asset value of those shares. - During the conversion process, you will be able to liquidate all or part of your investment by instructing Vanguard or your broker (depending on who maintains records of your share ownership) to redeem your conventional shares. After the conversion process is complete, you will be able to liquidate all or part of your investment by instructing your broker to sell your VIPER Shares. EXCHANGES NOT PERMITTED: VIPER Shares of one Fund may not be exchanged for VIPER Shares of another Fund. PRECAUTIONARY NOTES A PRECAUTIONARY NOTE TO RETAIL INVESTORS: DTC or its nominee will be the registered owner of all outstanding VIPER Shares. Your ownership of VIPER Shares will be shown on the records of DTC and the DTC Participant broker through whom you hold the shares. VANGUARD WILL NOT HAVE ANY RECORD OF YOUR OWNERSHIP. Your account information will be maintained by your broker, who will provide you with account statements, confirmations of your purchases and sales of VIPER Shares, and tax information. Your broker also will be responsible for distributing income and capital gain distributions and for ensuring that you 15 receive shareholder reports and other communications from the Fund whose VIPER Shares you own. You will receive other services (e.g., dividend reinvestment and average cost information) only if your broker offers these services. A PRECAUTIONARY NOTE TO PURCHASERS OF CREATION UNITS: You should be aware of certain legal risks unique to investors purchasing Creation Units directly from the issuing Fund. Because new VIPER Shares may be issued on an ongoing basis, a "distribution" of VIPER shares could be occurring at any time. As a dealer, certain activities on your part could, depending on the circumstances, result in your being deemed a participant in the distribution, in a manner that could render you a statutory underwriter and subject you to the prospectus delivery and liability provisions of the Securities Act of 1933. For example, you could be deemed a statutory underwriter if you purchase Creation Units from the issuing Fund, break them down into the constituent VIPER Shares, and sell those shares directly to customers, or if you choose to couple the creation of a supply of new VIPER Shares with an active selling effort involving solicitation of secondary market demand for VIPER Shares. Whether a person is an underwriter depends upon all of the facts and circumstances pertaining to that person's activities, and the examples mentioned here should not be considered a complete description of all the activities that could cause you to be deemed an underwriter. Dealers who are not "underwriters," but are participating in a distribution (as opposed to engaging in ordinary secondary-market transactions), and thus dealing with VIPER Shares as part of an "unsold allotment" within the meaning of Section 4(3)(C) of the Securities Act, will be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(3) of the Securities Act. A PRECAUTIONARY NOTE TO INVESTMENT COMPANIES: For purposes of the Investment Company Act of 1940, VIPER Shares are issued by registered investment companies, and the acquisition of VIPER Shares by other investment companies is subject to the restrictions of Section 12(d)(1) of that Act. A NOTE ON UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCES: Vanguard funds can stop selling shares or postpone payment of redemption proceeds at times when the New York Stock Exchange is closed or under any emergency circumstances as determined by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. OTHER INVESTMENT POLICIES AND RISKS Each of the Funds reserves the right to substitute a different index for the index it currently tracks if the current index is discontinued, if the Fund's license with the sponsor of its target index is terminated, or for any other reason determined in good faith by the Fund's board of trustees. In every such instance, the substitute index will measure the same general market as the current index. Although index funds, by their nature, tend to be tax-efficient investment vehicles, the Funds generally are managed without regard to tax ramifications. [FLAG]EACH FUND MAY INVEST, TO A LIMITED EXTENT, IN DERIVATIVES. DERIVATIVES MAY INVOLVE RISKS DIFFERENT FROM, AND POSSIBLY GREATER THAN, THOSE OF TRADITIONAL INVESTMENTS. 16 To track its target index as closely as possible, the Funds attempt to remain fully invested (at least 95% of total assets) in stocks. To help stay fully invested, and to reduce transaction costs, the Funds may invest, to a limited extent, in stock futures and options contracts, warrants, convertible securities, and swap agreements, which are types of derivatives. Losses (or gains) involving futures can sometimes be substantial--in part because a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in an immediate and substantial loss (or gain) for a fund. Similar risks exist for warrants (securities that permit their owners to purchase a specific number of stock shares at a predetermined price), convertible securities (securities that may be exchanged for another asset), and swap agreements (contracts in which each party agrees to make payments to the other based on the return of a specified index or asset). For this reason, the Funds will not use futures, options, warrants, convertible securities, or swap agreements for speculative purposes or as leveraged investments that magnify the gains or losses of an investment. A Fund's obligation under futures contracts will not exceed 20% of its total assets. The reasons for which a Fund will invest in futures and options are: - To keep cash on hand to meet shareholder redemptions or other needs while simulating full investment in stocks. - To reduce the Fund's transaction costs or add value when these instruments are favorably priced. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PLAIN TALK ABOUT DERIVATIVES A derivative is a financial contract whose value is based on (or "derived" from) a traditional security (such as a stock or a bond), an asset (such as a commodity like gold), or a market index (such as the S&P 500 Index). Some forms of derivatives, such as exchange-traded futures and options on securities, commodities, or indexes, have been trading on regulated exchanges for more than two decades. These types of derivatives are standardized contracts that can easily be bought and sold, and whose market values are determined and published daily. Nonstandardized derivatives (such as swap agreements), on the other hand, tend to be more specialized or complex, and may be harder to value. If used for speculation or as leveraged investments, derivatives can carry considerable risks. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TURNOVER RATE Generally, a passively managed fund sells securities only to respond to redemption requests or to adjust the number of shares held to reflect a change in the fund's target index. Turnover rates for large-cap stock index funds tend to be very low because large-cap indexes typically do not change much from year to year. Turnover rates for mid-cap and small-cap stock index funds tend to be higher (although still relatively low, compared with actively managed stock funds) because the indexes they track are the most likely to change as a result of companies merging, growing, or failing. The FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS section of this prospectus shows historic turnover rates for the Funds. A turnover rate of 100%, for example, would mean that a fund had sold and replaced securities valued at 100% of its net assets within a one-year period. 17 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PLAIN TALK ABOUT TURNOVER RATE Before investing in a mutual fund, you should review its turnover rate. This gives an indication of how transaction costs could affect the fund's future returns. In general, the greater the volume of buying and selling by the fund, the greater the impact that brokerage commissions and other transaction costs will have on its return. Also, funds with high turnover rates may be more likely to generate capital gains that must be distributed to shareholders as taxable income. As of December 31, 2000, the average turnover rate for passively managed domestic equity index funds investing in common stocks was approximately 41%; for all domestic stock funds, the average turnover rate was approximately 97%, according to Morningstar, Inc. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- VIPER SHARES AND VANGUARD Each Fund is a member of The Vanguard Group, a family of more than 35 investment companies with more than 100 funds holding assets worth more than $560 billion. All of the funds that are members of The Vanguard Group share in the expenses associated with business operations, such as personnel, office space, equipment, and advertising. Vanguard also provides marketing services to the member funds. Although shareholders do not pay sales commissions or 12b-1 distribution fees, each fund pays its allocated share of The Vanguard Group's marketing costs. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PLAIN TALK ABOUT VANGUARD'S UNIQUE CORPORATE STRUCTURE The Vanguard Group is truly a MUTUAL mutual fund company. It is owned jointly by the funds it oversees and thus indirectly by the shareholders in those funds. Most other mutual funds are operated by for-profit management companies that may be owned by one person, by a group of individuals, or by investors who own the management company's stock. By contrast, Vanguard provides its services on an "at-cost" basis, and the funds' expense ratios reflect only these costs. No separate management company reaps profits or absorbs losses from operating the funds. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- INVESTMENT ADVISER The Vanguard Group (Vanguard), P.O. Box 2600, Valley Forge, PA 19482, founded in 1975, through its Quantitative Equity Group, serves as adviser to the Funds. As of December 31, 2000, Vanguard served as adviser for about $386.4 billion in assets. Vanguard manages the Funds on an at-cost basis, subject to the control of the trustees and officers of the Funds. The Funds have authorized Vanguard to choose brokers or dealers to handle the purchase and sale of securities for the Funds, and to get the best available price and most favorable execution from these brokers with respect to all transactions. The Funds may direct Vanguard to use a particular broker for certain transactions in exchange for commission rebates or research services provided to the Funds. 18 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PLAIN TALK ABOUT THE FUNDS' ADVISER The individual responsible for overseeing the investments of each Fund is: GEORGE U. SAUTER, Managing Director of Vanguard and head of Vanguard's Quantitative Equity Group. He has worked in investment management since 1985 and has had primary responsibility for Vanguard's stock indexing and active quantitative investments and strategy since joining the company in 1987. Education: A.B., Dartmouth College; M.B.A., University of Chicago. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DIVIDENDS, CAPITAL GAINS, AND TAXES FUND DISTRIBUTIONS Each Fund distributes to shareholders virtually all of its net income (interest and dividends, less expenses), as well as any capital gains realized from the sale of its holdings. Income dividends for the Total Stock Market Index Fund generally are distributed in March, June, September, and December; income dividends for the Extended Market Index Fund generally are distributed in December. For both funds, capital gains distributions generally occur in December. In addition, the Funds may occasionally be required to make supplemental dividend or capital gains distributions at some other time during the year. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PLAIN TALK ABOUT DISTRIBUTIONS As a shareholder, you are entitled to your share of a fund's income from interest and dividends, and gains from the sale of investments. You receive such earnings as either an income dividend or a capital gains distribution. Income dividends come from both the dividends that the fund earns from its holdings and the interest it receives from its money market and bond investments. Capital gains are realized whenever the fund sells securities for higher prices than it paid for them. These capital gains are either short-term or long-term, depending on whether the fund held the securities for one year or less, or more than one year. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DIVIDEND REINVESTMENT SERVICE Brokers may make available to their customers who own VIPER Shares the DTC book-entry dividend reinvestment service. If this service is available and used, dividend distributions of both income and capital gains will automatically be reinvested in additional whole and fractional VIPER Shares of the same Fund. Without this service, investors would have to take their distributions in cash. To determine whether the dividend reinvestment service is available and whether there is a commission or other charge for using this service, consult your broker. BASIC TAX POINTS Taxable investors should be aware of the following basic tax points: - Distributions are taxable to you for federal income tax purposes whether or not you reinvest these amounts in additional VIPER Shares. - Distributions declared in December--if paid to you by the end of January--are taxable for federal income tax purposes as if received in December. 19 - Any dividends and short-term capital gains that you receive are taxable to you as ordinary income for federal income tax purposes. - Any distributions of net long-term capital gains are taxable to you as long-term capital gains for federal income tax purposes, no matter how long you've owned VIPER Shares. - Capital gains distributions may vary considerably from year to year as a result of the Fund's normal investment activities and cash flows. - A sale of VIPER Shares is a taxable event. This means that you may have a capital gain to report as income, or a capital loss to report as a deduction, when you complete your federal income tax return. - Dividend and capital gains distributions that you receive, as well as your gains or losses from any sale or exchange of VIPER Shares, may be subject to state and local income taxes. NOTE: This prospectus provides general tax information only. If you are investing through a tax-deferred retirement account, such as an IRA, special tax rules apply. Please consult your tax adviser for detailed information about the Fund's tax consequences for you. DAILY PRICING The net asset value, or NAV, of each Fund's VIPER Shares is calculated each business day after the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange, generally 4 p.m., Eastern time. Net asset value per share is computed by dividing the net assets attributed to each share class by the number of shares outstanding for that class. Remember: If you buy or sell VIPER Shares on the secondary market, you will pay or receive the market price, which may be higher or lower than NAV. Your transaction will be priced at NAV only if you purchase or redeem your VIPER Shares in Creation Unit blocks, or if you convert your conventional fund shares into VIPER Shares. When calculating the NAV of a Vanguard fund's shares, stocks held by the fund are valued at their market value when reliable market quotations are readily available. Certain short-term debt instruments used to manage a fund's cash are valued on the basis of amortized cost. When reliable market quotations are not readily available, securities are priced at their fair value, calculated according to procedures adopted by the board of trustees. A fund also may use fair-value pricing if the value of a security it holds is materially affected by events occurring after the close of the primary markets or exchanges on which the security is traded. This most commonly occurs with foreign securities, but may occur in other cases as well. When fair-value pricing is used, the prices of securities used by a fund to calculate its net asset value may differ from quoted or published prices for the same securities. Vanguard's website will show the previous day's closing NAV and closing market price for each Fund's VIPER Shares. The previous day's closing market price also will be published in the business section of most major newspapers in the listing of securities traded on the AMEX. 20 FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS The following financial highlights tables are intended to help you understand each Fund's financial performance for the past five years, and certain information reflects financial results for a single fund share. The total returns in each table represent the rate that an investor would have earned or lost each year on an investment in Investor Shares of the Fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividend and capital gains distributions). This informa- tion has been derived from the financial statements audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, independent accountants, whose report--along with each Fund's financial statements--is included in the Funds' most recent annual report to shareholders. You may have the annual report sent to you without charge by contacting Vanguard. NOTE: This prospectus offers the Funds' VIPER Shares, not the Investor Shares. Information for the Investor Shares is shown here because the Fund's VIPER Shares are new. However, the two share classes are invested in the same portfolio of securities and will have substantially similar financial performance. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PLAIN TALK ABOUT HOW TO READ THE FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS TABLE This explanation uses the Total Stock Market Index Fund Investor Shares as an example. The Fund began fiscal 2000 with a net asset value (price) of $33.22 per share. During the year, the Fund earned $0.331 per share from investment income (interest and dividends). There was a decline of $3.815 per share in the value of investments held or sold by the Fund, resulting in a net decline of $3.484 from investment operations. Shareholders received $0.476 per share in the form of dividend and capital gains distributions. A portion of each year's distributions may come from the prior year's income or capital gains. Investment losses ($3.484 per share) plus the distributions ($0.476 per share) resulted in a share price of $29.26 at the end of the year. This was a decrease of $3.96 per share (from $33.22 at the beginning of the year to $29.26 at the end of the year). For a shareholder who reinvested the distributions in the purchase of more shares, the total return from the Fund was -10.57% for the year. As of December 31, 2000, the Fund had $16.9 billion in net assets. For the year, its expense ratio was 0.20% ($2.00 per $1,000 of net assets); and its net investment income amounted to 1.04% of its average net assets. It sold and replaced securities valued at 7% of its net assets. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 21
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- VANGUARD TOTAL STOCK MARKET INDEX FUND INVESTOR SHARES YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, ------------------------------------------------------------- 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NET ASSET VALUE, BEGINNING OF YEAR $33.22 $27.42 $22.64 $17.77 $15.04 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- INVESTMENT OPERATIONS Net Investment Income .331 .317 .336 .319 .29 Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments (3.815) 6.133 4.898 5.143 2.84 ------------------------------------------------------------- Total from Investment Operations (3.484) 6.450 5.234 5.462 3.13 ------------------------------------------------------------- DISTRIBUTIONS Dividends from Net Investment Income (.336) (.330) (.329) (.322) (.29) Distributions from Realized Capital Gains (.140) (.320) (.125) (.270) (.11) ------------------------------------------------------------- Total Distributions (.476) (.650) (.454) (.592) (.40) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NET ASSET VALUE, END OF YEAR $29.26 $33.22 $27.42 $22.64 $17.77 ===================================================================================== TOTAL RETURN* -10.57% 23.81% 23.26% 30.99% 20.96% ===================================================================================== RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA Net Assets, End of Year (Millions) $16,856 $18,133 $9,308 $5,092 $3,531 Ratio of Total Expenses to Average Net Assets 0.20% 0.20% 0.20% 0.20% 0.22% Ratio of Net Investment Income to Average Net Assets 1.04% 1.15% 1.44% 1.65% 1.86% Turnover Rate 7% 3% 3% 2% 3% =====================================================================================
*Total return figures do not reflect the $10 annual account maintenance fee applied on balances under $10,000.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ VANGUARD EXTENDED MARKET INDEX FUND INVESTOR SHARES YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, ------------------------------------------------------------ 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NET ASSET VALUE, BEGINNING OF YEAR $37.07 $30.63 $30.76 $26.20 $24.07 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ INVESTMENT OPERATIONS Net Investment Income .274 .297 .388 .351 .34 Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments (6.041) 10.101 2.025 6.479 3.85 ------------------------------------------------------------ Total from Investment Operations (5.767) 10.398 2.413 6.830 4.19 ------------------------------------------------------------ DISTRIBUTIONS Dividends from Net Investment Income (.263) (.318) (.373) (.360) (.34) Distributions from Realized Capital Gains (4.430) (3.640) (2.170) (1.910) (1.72) ------------------------------------------------------------ Total Distributions (4.693) (3.958) (2.543) (2.270) (2.06) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NET ASSET VALUE, END OF YEAR $26.61 $37.07 $30.63 $30.76 $26.20 ==================================================================================== TOTAL RETURN* -15.55% 36.22% 8.32% 26.73% 17.65% ==================================================================================== RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL DATA Net Assets, End of Year (Millions) $3,881 $4,221 $2,939 $2,723 $2,099 Ratio of Total Expenses to Average Net Assets 0.25% 0.25% 0.23% 0.23% 0.25% Ratio of Net Investment Income to Average Net Assets 0.81% 1.04% 1.21% 1.30% 1.42% Turnover Rate 33% 26% 27% 15% 22% ====================================================================================
*Total return figures do not reflect the transaction fee on purchases imposed prior to April 1, 2000, or the $10 annual account maintenance fee applied on balances under $10,000. GLOSSARY OF INVESTMENT TERMS ACTIVE MANAGEMENT An investment approach that seeks to exceed the average returns of the financial markets. Active managers rely on research, market forecasts, and their own judgment and experience in selecting securities to buy and sell. AUTHORIZED PARTICIPANT Institutional investors that are permitted to purchase Creation Units directly from, and redeem Creation Units directly with, the fund. To be an Authorized Participant, an entity must be a participant in the Depository Trust Company and must enter into an agreement with the fund's Distributor. CAPITAL GAINS DISTRIBUTION Payment to fund shareholders of gains realized on securities that a fund has sold at a profit, minus any realized losses. COMMON STOCK A security representing ownership rights in a corporation. A stockholder is entitled to share in the company's profits, some of which may be paid out as dividends. CREATION UNIT A large block of a specified number of VIPER shares. Authorized Participants may purchase and redeem VIPER shares from the fund only in Creation Unit-size aggregations. DIVIDEND INCOME Payment to shareholders of income from interest or dividends generated by a fund's investments. EXPENSE RATIO The percentage of a fund's average net assets used to pay its expenses. The expense ratio includes management fees, administrative fees, and any 12b-1 distribution fees. INDEX An unmanaged group of securities whose overall performance is used as a standard to measure investment performance. INVESTMENT ADVISER An organization that makes the day-to-day decisions regarding a fund's investments. PASSIVE MANAGEMENT A low-cost investment strategy in which a fund attempts to match--rather than outperform--a particular stock or bond market index. Also known as indexing. VIPER SHARES Vanguard Index Participation Equity Receipts, which are a class of exchange-traded shares issued by certain Vanguard mutual funds. VIPER Shares can be bought and sold continuously throughout the day at market prices. VOLATILITY The fluctuations in value of a fund or other security. The greater a fund's volatility, the wider the fluctuations between its high and low prices. YIELD Income (interest or dividends) earned by an investment, expressed as a percentage of the investment's price. [SHIP] [THE VANGUARD GROUP LOGO] Institutional Division Post Office Box 2900 Valley Forge, PA 19482-2900 FOR MORE INFORMATION If you'd like more information about Total Stock Market VIPERs or Extended Market VIPERs, the following documents are available free upon request: ANNUAL/SEMIANNUAL REPORTS TO SHAREHOLDERS Additional information about the issuing Funds' investments is available in the Funds' annual and semiannual reports to shareholders. In the Funds' annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Funds' performance during their last fiscal year. STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (SAI) The SAI for the issuing Funds' provides more detailed information about the Funds' VIPER Shares. The current annual and semiannual reports and the SAI are incorporated by reference into (and are thus legally a part of) this prospectus. All market indexes referenced in this prospectus are the exclusive property of their respective owners. To receive a free copy of the latest annual or semiannual report or the SAI, or to request additional information about VIPER Shares, please contact us as follows: THE VANGUARD GROUP INSTITUTIONAL INVESTOR INFORMATION P.O. BOX 2900 VALLEY FORGE, PA 19482-2900 TELEPHONE: 1-866-499-8473 WORLD WIDE WEB: WWW.VANGUARD.COM INFORMATION PROVIDED BY THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION (SEC) You can review and copy information about the issuing Funds (including the SAI) at the SEC's Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. To find out more about this public service, call the SEC at 1-202-942-8090. Reports and other information about the Fund are also available on the SEC's Internet site at http://www.sec.gov, or you can receive copies of this information, for a fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov, or by writing the Public Reference Section, Securities and Exchange Commission, Washington, DC 20549-0102. Fund's Investment Company Act file number: 811-2652 (C) 2001 The Vanguard Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Vanguard Marketing Corporation, Distributor. P970 122001 PART B VANGUARD(R) INDEX FUNDS (THE TRUST) STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION DECEMBER 28, 2001 This Statement is not a prospectus but should be read in conjunction with the Trust's current Prospectuses, as they may be amended from time to time. The Trust's current Prospectuses are dated December 28, 2001 (for the VIPER shares class) and April 30, 2001 (for all share classes).To obtain, without charge, a Prospectus or the most recent Annual Report to Shareholders, which contains the Funds' financial statements as hereby incorporated by reference, please call: VANGUARD INVESTOR INFORMATION DEPARTMENT 1-800-662-7447 TABLE OF CONTENTS DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST.........................................B-1 INVESTMENT POLICIES..............................................B-3 FUNDAMENTAL INVESTMENT LIMITATIONS...............................B-8 PURCHASE OF SHARES...............................................B-9 REDEMPTION OF SHARES.............................................B-10 SHARE PRICE......................................................B-10 PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS...........................................B-11 YIELD AND TOTAL RETURN...........................................B-11 MANAGEMENT OF THE FUNDS..........................................B-14 INFORMATION ABOUT THE VIPER SHARE CLASS..........................B-18 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.............................................B-26 COMPARATIVE INDEXES..............................................B-26 DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST ORGANIZATION The Trust was organized as a Pennsylvania business trust in 1975, and was reorganized as a Delaware business trust in July, 1998. The Trust is registered with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the Commission) under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the 1940 Act) as an open-end, diversified management investment company. It currently offers the following funds and classes of shares: SHARE CLASS ----------- FUND INVESTOR ADMIRAL INSTITUTIONAL VIPER ---- -------- ------- ------------- ----- 500 Index Fund Yes Yes No No Total Stock Market Index Fund Yes Yes Yes Yes Extended Market Index Fund Yes Yes Yes No Mid-Cap Index Fund Yes No Yes No Small-Cap Index Fund Yes Yes Yes No Value Index Fund Yes Yes Yes No Small-Cap Value Index Fund Yes No Yes No Growth Index Fund Yes Yes Yes No Small-Cap Growth Index Fund Yes No Yes No *(EACH, A FUND; COLLECTIVELY, THE FUNDS) B-1 Each of the Funds, except Vanguard Growth Index Fund, is registered as a diversified management investment company. Vanguard Growth Index Fund is registered as a non-diversified management investment company. As the market values of the Growth Index Fund's largest holdings rise and fall, there may be times when the Fund is diversified under SEC standards and other times when it is not. Each Fund has the ability to offer additional funds or classes of shares. There is no limit on the number of full and fractional shares that the Trust may issue for a particular Fund or class of shares. SERVICE PROVIDERS CUSTODIANS. First Union National Bank, PA4943, 530 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106 (Mid-Cap Index, Small-Cap Growth Index, and Small-Cap Value Index Funds), and The Chase Manhattan Bank, N.A., 4 Chase MetroTech Center, Brooklyn, NY 11245 (500 Index, Extended Market Index, Growth Index, Small-Cap Index, Total Stock Market Index, and Value Index Funds), serve as the Funds' custodians. The custodians are responsible for maintaining each Fund's assets and keeping all necessary accounts and records of Fund assets. INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Two Commerce Square, Suite 1700, 2001 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103-7042, serves as the Funds' independent accountants. The accountants audit each Fund's financial statements and provide other related services. TRANSFER AND DIVIDEND-PAYING AGENT. The Funds' transfer agent and dividend-paying agent is The Vanguard Group, Inc., 100 Vanguard Boulevard, Malvern, PA 19355. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE FUNDS' SHARES RESTRICTIONS ON HOLDING OR DISPOSING OF SHARES. There are no restrictions on the right of shareholders to retain or dispose of each Fund's shares, other than the possible future termination of any of the Funds. Each Fund or class may be terminated by reorganization into another mutual fund or class by liquidation and distribution of the assets of the affected Fund or class. Unless terminated by reorganization or liquidation, each Fund and each class will continue indefinitely. SHAREHOLDER LIABILITY. The Funds are organized under Delaware law, which provides that shareholders of a business trust are entitled to the same limitations of personal liability as shareholders of a corporation organized under Delaware law. Effectively, this means that a shareholder of a Fund will not be personally liable for payment of the Fund's debts except by reason of his or her own conduct or acts. In addition, a shareholder could incur a financial loss on account of a Fund obligation only if the Fund itself had no remaining assets with which to meet such obligation. We believe that the possibility of such a situation arising is extremely remote. DIVIDEND RIGHTS. The shareholders of a Fund are entitled to receive any dividends or other distributions declared by the Fund. No shares have priority or preference over any other shares of the same Fund with respect to distributions. Distributions will be made from the assets of a Fund, and will be paid ratably to all shareholders of the Fund (or class) according to the number of shares of such Fund (or class) held by shareholders on the record date. The amount of income dividends per share may vary between separate share classes of the same Fund based upon differences in the net asset values of the classes and the way that expenses are allocated between share classes pursuant to a multiple class plan. VOTING RIGHTS. Shareholders of each Fund are entitled to vote on a matter if: (i) a shareholder vote is required under the 1940 Act; (ii) the matter concerns an amendment to the Declaration of Trust that would adversely affect to a material degree the rights and preferences of the shares of any class or series; or (iii) the trustees determine that it is necessary or desirable to obtain a shareholder vote. The 1940 Act requires a shareholder vote under various circumstances, including to elect or remove trustees upon the written request of shareholders representing 10% or more of a Fund's net assets, and to change any fundamental policy of the Fund. Unless otherwise required by applicable law, shareholders of a Fund receive one vote for each dollar of net asset value owned on the record date, and a fractional vote for each fractional dollar of net asset value owned on the record date. However, only the shares of the Fund affected by a particular matter are entitled to vote on that matter. In addition, each class has exclusive voting rights on any matter submitted to shareholders that relates solely to that class, and each class has separate voting rights on any matter submitted to shareholders in which the interests of one class differ from the interests of another. Voting rights are noncumulative and cannot be modified without a majority vote. B-2 LIQUIDATION RIGHTS. In the event a Fund is liquidated, shareholders of that Fund will be entitled to receive a pro rata share of the Fund's net assets. In the event that a class of shares is liquidated, shareholders of that class will be entitled to receive a pro rata share of the Fund's net assets that are attributable to that class. PREEMPTIVE RIGHTS. There are no preemptive rights associated with shares of each Fund. CONVERSION RIGHTS. Shareholders of a Fund may convert their shares into another class of shares of the same Fund upon the satisfaction of any then applicable eligibility requirements. For additional information about the conversion rights applicable to VIPER Shares, please see "Information about the VIPER Share Class." REDEMPTION PROVISIONS. Each Fund's redemption provisions are described in their current prospectus and elsewhere in this Statement of Additional Information. SINKING FUND PROVISIONS. The Funds have no sinking fund provisions. CALLS OR ASSESSMENT. Each Fund's shares, when issued, are fully paid and non-assessable. TAX STATUS OF THE FUNDS Each Fund intends to continue to qualify as a "regulated investment company" under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code. This special tax status means that a Fund will not be liable for federal tax on income and capital gains distributed to shareholders. In order to preserve its tax status, each Fund must comply with certain requirements. If a Fund fails to meet these requirements in any taxable year, it will be subject to tax on its taxable income at corporate rates, and all distributions from earnings and profits, including any distributions of net tax-exempt income and net long-term capital gains, will be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income. In addition, the Fund could be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay substantial taxes and interest, and make substantial distributions before regaining its tax status as a regulated investment company. INVESTMENT POLICIES The following policies supplement each Fund's investment policies set forth in the Prospectus for each Fund. REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS Each of the Funds may invest in repurchase agreements with commercial banks, brokers, or dealers to generate income from its excess cash balances. A repurchase agreement is an agreement under which a Fund acquires a fixed-income security (generally a security issued by the U.S. Government or an agency thereof, a banker's acceptance or a certificate of deposit) from a commercial bank, broker, or dealer, subject to resale to the seller at an agreed upon price and date (normally, the next business day). A repurchase agreement may be considered a loan collateralized by securities. The resale price reflects an agreed upon interest rate effective for the period the instrument is held by the Fund and is unrelated to the interest rate on the underlying instrument. In these transactions, the securities acquired by the Fund (including accrued interest earned thereon) must have a total value in excess of the value of the repurchase agreement and are held by the Fund's custodian bank until repurchased. In addition, the board of trustees will monitor the Fund's repurchase agreement transactions generally and will establish guidelines and standards for review of the creditworthiness of any bank, broker, or dealer party to a repurchase agreement. The use of repurchase agreements involves certain risks. For example, if the other party to the agreement defaults on its obligation to repurchase the underlying security at a time when the value of the security has declined, the Fund may incur a loss upon disposition of the security. If the other party to the agreement becomes insolvent and subject to liquidation or reorganization under bankruptcy or other laws, a court may determine that the underlying security is collateral for a loan by the Fund not within the control of the Fund and therefore the Fund may not be able to substantiate its interest in the underlying security and may be deemed an unsecured creditor of the other party to the agreement. While the adviser acknowledges these risks, it is expected that they will be controlled through careful monitoring procedures. B-3 LENDING OF SECURITIES Each Fund may lend its investment securities to qualified institutional investors (typically brokers, dealers, banks, or other financial institutions) who need to borrow securities in order to complete certain transactions, such as covering short sales, avoiding failures to deliver securities or completing arbitrage operations. By lending its portfolio securities, a Fund can increase its net investment income through the receipt of interest on the loan. Any gain or loss in the market price of the securities loaned that might occur during the term of the loan would be for the account of the Fund. The terms, the structure, and the aggregate amount of such loans must be consistent with the 1940 Act, and the rules or interpretations of the Commission thereunder. These provisions limit the amount of securities a Fund may lend to 33 1/3% of the Fund's total assets, and require that (a) the borrower pledge and maintain with the Fund collateral consisting of cash, a letter of credit issued by a domestic U.S. bank, or securities issued or guaranteed by the United States Government having at all times not less than 100% of the value of the securities loaned, (b) the borrower add to such collateral whenever the price of the securities loaned rises (i.e., the borrower "marks to the market" on a daily basis), (c) the loan be made subject to termination by the Fund at any time, and (d) the Fund receive reasonable interest on the loan (which may include the Fund's investing any cash collateral in interest bearing short-term investments), any distribution on the loaned securities and any increase in their market value. Loan arrangements made by the Fund will comply with all other applicable regulatory requirements, including the rules of the New York Stock Exchange, which rules presently require the borrower, after notice, to redeliver the securities within the normal settlement time of three business days. All relevant facts and circumstances, including the creditworthiness of the broker, dealer, or institution, will be considered in making decisions with respect to the lending of securities, subject to review by the board of trustees. At the present time, the Staff of the Commission does not object if an investment company pays reasonable negotiated fees in connection with loaned securities, so long as such fees are set forth in a written contract and approved by the investment company's trustees. In addition, voting rights pass with the loaned securities, but if a material event occurs that affects the securities on loan, the Fund must call the loan and vote the securities. VANGUARD INTERFUND LENDING PROGRAM The Commission has issued an exemptive order permitting the Funds and other Vanguard funds to participate in Vanguard's interfund lending program. This program allows the Vanguard funds to borrow money from and loan money to each other for temporary or emergency purposes. The program is subject to a number of conditions, including the requirement that no fund may borrow or lend money through the program unless it receives a more favorable interest rate than is available from a typical bank for a comparable transaction. In addition, a Vanguard fund may participate in the program only if and to the extent that such participation is consistent with the fund's investment objective and other investment policies. The boards of trustees of the Vanguard funds are responsible for ensuring that the interfund lending program operates in compliance with all conditions of the Commission's exemptive order. ILLIQUID SECURITIES Each Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities. Illiquid securities are securities that a Fund may not be able to sell or dispose of in the ordinary course of business within seven business days at approximately the value at which they are being carried on the Fund's books. FUTURES CONTRACTS Each Fund may enter into futures contracts, options, warrants, options on futures contracts, convertible securities, and swap agreements for the purpose of simulating full investment and reducing transaction costs. The Funds do not use futures or options for speculative purposes. Each Fund will only use futures and options to simulate full investment in the underlying index while retaining a cash balance for fund management purposes. Futures contracts provide for the future sale by one party and purchase by another party of a specified amount of a specific security at a specified future time and at a specified price. Futures contracts that are standardized as to maturity date and underlying financial instrument are traded on national futures exchanges. Futures B-4 exchanges and trading are regulated under the Commodity Exchange Act by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), a U.S. Government agency. Assets committed to futures contracts will be segregated to the extent required by law. Although futures contracts by their terms call for actual delivery or acceptance of the underlying securities, in most cases the contracts are closed out before the settlement date without the making or taking of delivery. Closing out an open futures position is done by taking an opposite position (buying a contract which has previously been sold, or selling a contract previously purchased) in an identical contract to terminate the position. Brokerage commissions are incurred when a futures contract is bought or sold. Futures traders are required to make a good faith margin deposit in cash or government securities with a broker or custodian to initiate and maintain open positions in futures contracts. A margin deposit is intended to assure completion of the contract (delivery or acceptance of the underlying security) if it is not terminated prior to the specified delivery date. Minimal initial margin requirements are established by the futures exchange and may be changed. Brokers may establish deposit requirements which are higher than the exchange minimums. Futures contracts are customarily purchased and sold on deposits which may range upward from less than 5% of the value of the contract being traded. After a futures contract position is opened, the value of the contract is marked to market daily. If the futures contract price changes to the extent that the margin on deposit does not satisfy margin requirements, payment of additional "variation" margin will be required. Conversely, change in the contract value may reduce the required margin, resulting in a repayment of excess margin to the contract holder. Variation margin payments are made to and from the futures broker for as long as the contract remains open. Each Fund expects to earn interest income on its margin deposits. Traders in futures contracts may be broadly classified as either "hedgers" or "speculators." Hedgers use the futures markets primarily to offset unfavorable changes in the value of securities either held for investment purposes or expected to be acquired by them. Speculators are less inclined to own, or intend to purchase, the securities underlying the futures contracts which they trade, and use futures contracts with the expectation of realizing profits from fluctuations in the prices of underlying securities. The Funds intend to use futures contracts only for bona fide hedging purposes. Regulations of the CFTC applicable to the Funds require that all of their futures transactions constitute bona fide hedging transactions except to the extent that the aggregate initial margins and premiums required to establish any non-hedging positions do not exceed five percent of the value of any Fund's portfolio. A Fund will only sell futures contracts to protect the Fund against declines in the prices of the securities underlying the futures contracts or purchase contracts to protect against an increase in the price of securities it intends to purchase. As evidence of this hedging interest, the Fund expects that the majority of its futures contract purchases will be "completed;" that is, equivalent amounts of related securities will have been purchased or are being purchased by the Fund upon sale of open futures contracts. Although techniques other than the sale and purchase of futures contracts could be used to control a Fund's exposure to market fluctuations, the use of futures contracts may be a more effective means of hedging this exposure. While a Fund will incur commission expenses in both opening and closing out futures positions, these costs are lower than transaction costs incurred in the purchase and sale of the underlying securities. RESTRICTIONS ON THE USE OF FUTURES CONTRACTS. A Fund will not enter into futures contract transactions to the extent that, immediately thereafter, the sum of its initial margin deposits on open contracts exceeds 5% of the market value of the Fund's total assets. In addition, a Fund will not enter into futures contracts to the extent that its outstanding obligations to purchase securities under these contracts would exceed 20% of the Fund's total assets. RISK FACTORS IN FUTURES TRANSACTIONS. Positions in futures contracts may be closed out only on an Exchange which provides a secondary market for such futures. However, there can be no assurance that a liquid secondary market will exist for any particular futures contract at any specific time. Thus, it may not be possible to close a futures position. In the event of adverse price movements, a Fund would continue to be required to make daily cash payments to maintain its required margin. In such situations, if a Fund has insufficient cash, it may have to sell portfolio securities to meet daily margin requirements at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so. In addition, a Fund may be required to make delivery of the instruments underlying B-5 futures contracts it holds. The inability to close options and futures positions also could have an adverse impact on the ability to effectively hedge. Each Fund will minimize the risk that it will be unable to close out a futures contract by only entering into futures which are traded on national futures exchanges and for which there appears to be a liquid secondary market. The risk of loss in trading futures contracts in some strategies can be substantial, due both to the low margin deposits required, and the extremely high degree of leverage involved in futures pricing. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in immediate and substantial loss (as well as gain) to the investor. For example, if at the time of purchase, 10% of the value of the futures contract is deposited as margin, a subsequent 10% decrease in the value of the futures contract would result in a total loss of the margin deposit, before any deduction for the transaction costs, if the account were then closed out. A 15% decrease would result in a loss equal to 150% of the original margin deposit if the contract were closed out. Thus, a purchase or sale of a futures contract may result in losses in excess of the amount invested in the contract. The Funds also bear the risk that the adviser will incorrectly predict future stock market trends. However, because the futures strategy of the Funds is engaged in only for hedging purposes, the Funds' officers do not believe that the Funds are subject to the risks of loss frequently associated with futures transactions. A Fund would presumably have sustained comparable losses if, instead of the futures contract, it had invested in the underlying financial instrument and sold it after the decline. Utilization of futures transactions by a Fund does involve the risk of imperfect or no correlation where the securities underlying futures contracts have different maturities than the portfolio securities being hedged. It is also possible that a Fund could both lose money on futures contracts and also experience a decline in value of its portfolio securities. There is also the risk of loss by a Fund of margin deposits in the event of bankruptcy of a broker with whom the Fund has an open position in a futures contract or related option. Most futures exchanges limit the amount of fluctuation permitted in futures contract prices during a single trading day. The daily limit establishes the maximum amount that the price of a futures contract may vary either up or down from the previous day's settlement price at the end of a trading session. Once the daily limit has been reached in a particular type of contract, no trades may be made on that day at a price beyond that limit. The daily limit governs only price movement during a particular trading day and therefore does not limit potential losses, because the limit may prevent the liquidation of unfavorable positions. Futures contract prices have occasionally moved to the daily limit for several consecutive trading days with little or no trading, thereby preventing prompt liquidation of futures positions and subjecting some futures traders to substantial losses. FEDERAL TAX TREATMENT OF FUTURES CONTRACTS. Each Fund is required for Federal income tax purposes to recognize as income for each taxable year its net unrealized gains and losses on certain futures contracts as of the end of the year as well as those actually realized during the year. In these cases, any gain or loss recognized with respect to a futures contract is considered to be 60% long-term capital gain or loss and 40% short-term capital gain or loss, without regard to the holding period of the contract. Gains and losses on certain other futures contracts (primarily non-U.S. futures contracts) are not recognized until the contracts are closed and are treated as long-term or short-term depending on the holding period of the contract. Sales of futures contracts which are intended to hedge against a change in the value of securities held by a Fund may affect the holding period of such securities and, consequently, the nature of the gain or loss on such securities upon disposition. A Fund may be required to defer the recognition of losses on futures contracts to the extent of any unrecognized gains on related positions held by the Fund. In order for each Fund to continue to qualify for Federal income tax treatment as a regulated investment company, at least 90% of its gross income for a taxable year must be derived from qualifying income; i.e., dividends, interest, income derived from loans of securities, gains from the sale of securities or of foreign currencies, or other income derived with respect to the Fund's business of investing in securities or currencies. It is anticipated that any net gain on futures contracts will be considered qualifying income for purposes of the 90% requirement. A Fund will distribute to shareholders annually any net capital gains which have been recognized for Federal income tax purposes on futures transactions. Such distributions will be combined with distributions of capital gains realized on the Fund's other investments and shareholders will be advised on the nature of the transactions. B-6 FOREIGN INVESTMENTS Each Fund may invest in foreign securities to the extent necessary to carry out its investment strategy of holding all, or a representative sample, of the stocks that comprise the index it tracks. Investors should recognize that investing in foreign companies involves certain special considerations which are not typically associated with investing in U.S. companies. CURRENCY RISK. Since the stocks of foreign companies are frequently denominated in foreign currencies, and since the Funds may temporarily hold uninvested reserves in bank deposits in foreign currencies, the Funds will be affected favorably or unfavorably by changes in currency rates and in exchange control regulations, and may incur costs in connection with conversions between various currencies. The investment policies of the Funds permit them to enter into forward foreign currency exchange contracts in order to hedge a Fund's holdings and commitments against changes in the level of future currency rates. Such contracts involve an obligation to purchase or sell a specific currency at a future date at a price set at the time of the contract. COUNTRY RISK. As foreign companies are not generally subject to uniform accounting, auditing, and financial reporting standards and practices comparable to those applicable to domestic companies, there may be less publicly available information about certain foreign companies than about domestic companies. Securities of some foreign companies are generally less liquid and more volatile than securities of comparable domestic companies. There is generally less government supervision and regulation of stock exchanges, brokers, and listed companies than in the U.S. In addition, with respect to certain foreign countries, there is the possibility of expropriation of confiscatory taxation, political or social instability, or diplomatic developments which could affect U.S. investments in those countries. Although the Funds will endeavor to achieve most favorable execution costs in their portfolio transactions, commissions on many foreign stock exchanges are generally higher than commissions on U.S. exchanges. In addition, it is expected that the expenses for custodian arrangements of the Funds' foreign securities will be somewhat greater than the expenses for the custodian arrangements for handling U.S. securities of equal value. Certain foreign governments levy withholding taxes against dividend and interest income. Although in some countries a portion of these taxes is recoverable, the non-recovered portion of foreign withholding taxes will reduce the income received from foreign companies held by the Funds. However, these foreign withholding taxes are not expected to have a significant impact on the Funds, since each Fund seeks long-term capital appreciation and any income should be considered incidental. FEDERAL TAX TREATMENT OF NON-U.S. TRANSACTIONS. Special rules govern the Federal income tax treatment of certain transactions denominated in terms of a currency other than the U.S. dollar or determined by reference to the value of one or more currencies other than the U.S. dollar. The types of transactions covered by the special rules include the following: (i) the acquisition of, or becoming the obligor under, a bond or other debt instrument (including, to the extent provided in Treasury regulations, preferred stock); (ii) the accruing of certain trade receivables and payables; and (iii) the entering into or acquisition of any forward contract, futures contract, option or similar financial instrument if such instrument is not marked to market. The disposition of a currency other than the U.S. dollar by a taxpayer whose functional currency is the U.S. dollar is also treated as a transaction subject to the special currency rules. However, foreign currency-related regulated futures contracts and nonequity options are generally not subject to the special currency rules if they are or would be treated as sold for their fair market value at year-end under the marking-to-market rules applicable to other futures contracts unless an election is made to have such currency rules apply. With respect to transactions covered by the special rules, foreign currency gain or loss is calculated separately from any gain or loss on the underlying transaction and is normally taxable as ordinary income or loss. A taxpayer may elect to treat as capital gain or loss foreign currency gain or loss arising from certain identified forward contracts, futures contracts and options that are capital assets in the hands of the taxpayer and which are not part of a straddle. The Treasury Department issued regulations under which certain transactions subject to the special currency rules that are part of a "section 988 hedging transaction" (as defined in the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the Treasury regulations) will be integrated and treated as a single transaction or otherwise treated consistently for purposes of the Code. Any gain or loss attributable to the foreign currency component of a transaction engaged in by a Fund which is not subject to the special currency rules (such as foreign equity investments other than certain preferred stocks) will be treated as capital gain or loss and will not be segregated from the B-7 gain or loss on the underlying transaction. It is anticipated that some of the non-U.S. dollar-denominated investments and foreign currency contracts the Funds may make or enter into will be subject to the special currency rules described above. FUNDS MAY REPURCHASE VIPER SHARES Any Fund that issues VIPER Shares may repurchase those shares on the open market at the current market price if doing so would be advantageous for the Fund. A repurchase might be advantageous, for example, because the VIPER Shares are more cost-effective than alternative investments, are selling at a discount to net asset value, will cause the Fund to more closely track its index than alternative investments, or some combination of the three. A Fund that repurchases its VIPER Shares may lend those shares to qualified institutional borrowers as part of the Fund's securities lending activities discussed above. INVESTMENT POLICIES RELATING TO THE SALE OF INVESTOR SHARES OF VANGUARD SMALL-CAP AND TOTAL STOCK MARKET INDEX FUNDS IN JAPAN In connection with the offering of the Investor Shares of the Small-Cap and Total Stock Market Index Funds in Japan, the Funds have undertaken to the Japanese Securities Dealers Association that each Fund may not: 1. borrow money, except for temporary or emergency purposes in an amount not exceeding 10% of the Fund's net assets; 2. together with other mutual funds managed by The Vanguard Group, Inc., acquire more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of any issuer; 3. invest more than 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities (which include securities restricted as to resale unless they are determined to be readily marketable in accordance with procedures established by the board of trustees); and 4. sell securities short at any time in excess of its net asset value. If the undertaking is violated, the Fund will, promptly after discovery, take such action as may be necessary to cause the violation to cease, which shall be the only obligation of the Fund and the only remedy in respect of the violation. This undertaking will remain in effect as long as (i) shares of the Fund are qualified for offer or sale in Japan and (ii) the undertaking is required by the "Standards of Selection of Foreign Investment Fund Securities" established under the Rules of Foreign Securities Transactions by the Japanese Securities Dealers Association. FUNDAMENTAL INVESTMENT LIMITATIONS Each Fund is subject to the following fundamental investment limitations, which cannot be changed in any material way without the approval of the holders of a majority of the Fund's shares. For these purposes, a "majority" of shares means the lesser of: (i) 67% or more of the shares voted, so long as more than 50% of a Fund's outstanding shares are present or represented by proxy; or (ii) more than 50% of the Fund's outstanding shares. BORROWING. A Fund may not borrow money, except for temporary or emergency purposes in an amount not exceeding 15% of the Fund's net assets. A Fund may borrow money through banks, reverse repurchase agreements, or Vanguard's interfund lending program only, and must comply with all applicable regulatory conditions. A Fund may not make any additional investments if its outstanding borrowings exceed 5% of net assets. COMMODITIES. A Fund may not invest in commodities, except that it may invest in stock index futures contracts, stock options and options on stock index futures contracts. No more than 5% of a Fund's total assets may be used as initial margin deposit for futures contracts, and no more than 20% of a Fund's total assets may be invested in futures contracts or options at any time. DIVERSIFICATION. With respect to 75% of its total assets, a Fund may not: (i) purchase more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of any one issuer; or (ii) purchase securities of any issuer if, as a result, more than 5% of the Fund's total assets would be invested in that issuer's securities. This limitation does not apply to obligations of the United States Government, its agencies, or instrumentalities. B-8 ILLIQUID SECURITIES. A Fund may not acquire any security if, as a result, more than 15% of its net assets would be invested in securities that are illiquid. From time to time, the Funds' board of trustees may determine that certain restricted securities known as Rule 144A securities are liquid and not subject to the 15% limitation. INDUSTRY CONCENTRATION. A Fund may not invest more than 25% of its total assets in any one industry. INVESTING FOR CONTROL. A Fund may not invest in a company for purposes of controlling its management. INVESTMENT COMPANIES. A Fund may not invest in any other investment company, except through a merger, consolidation or acquisition of assets, or to the extent permitted by Section 12 of the 1940 Act. Investment companies whose shares a Fund acquires pursuant to Section 12 must have investment objectives and investment policies consistent with those of the Fund. LOANS. A Fund may not lend money to any person except by purchasing fixed-income securities that are publicly distributed, lending its portfolio securities, or through Vanguard's interfund lending program. MARGIN. A Fund may not purchase securities on margin or sell securities short, except as permitted by the Fund's investment policies relating to commodities. OIL, GAS, MINERALS. A Fund may not invest in interests in oil, gas or other mineral exploration or development programs. PLEDGING ASSETS. A Fund may not pledge, mortgage or hypothecate more than 15% of its net assets. PUTS/CALLS. A Fund may not purchase or sell put, call, straddle or spread options, except as permitted by the Fund's investment policies relating to commodities. REAL ESTATE. A Fund may not invest directly in real estate, although it may invest in securities of companies that deal in real estate. SENIOR SECURITIES. A Fund may not issue senior securities, except in compliance with the 1940 Act. UNDERWRITING. A Fund may not engage in the business of underwriting securities issued by other persons. The Fund will not be considered an underwriter when disposing of its investment securities. The above-mentioned investment limitations are considered at the time investment securities are purchased. None of these limitations prevents a Fund from participating in The Vanguard Group (Vanguard). Because each Fund is a member of the Group, the Funds may own securities issued by Vanguard, make loans to Vanguard, and contribute to Vanguard's costs or other financial requirement. See "Management of the Funds" for more information. PURCHASE OF SHARES The Funds reserve the right in their sole discretion (i) to suspend the offerings of a Fund's shares, (ii) to reject purchase or exchange orders when in the judgment of management such rejection is in the best interest of a Fund, (iii) impose a transaction fee on a purchase of a Fund's shares if the purchase, in the opinion of Vanguard, would disrupt the efficient management of the Fund, and (iv) to reduce or waive the minimum investment for, or any other restrictions on, initial and subsequent investments as well as redemption fees for certain fiduciary accounts or under circumstances where certain economies can be achieved in sales of a Fund's shares. EXCHANGE OF SECURITIES FOR SHARES OF A FUND (other than VIPER Shares). In certain circumstances, shares of a Fund may be purchased "in-kind," i.e., in exchange for securities, rather than for cash. The securities tendered as part of an in-kind purchase must be included in the Index tracked by the Fund and must have a total market value of $1 million or more. In addition, each position must have a market value of $10,000 or more. Such securities also must be liquid securities which are not restricted as to transfer and have a value that is readily ascertainable as evidenced by a listing on the American Stock Exchange, the New York Stock Exchange or NASDAQ. Securities accepted by the Fund will be valued as set forth under "Share Price" in the Fund's prospectus as of the time of the next determination of net asset value after such acceptance. Shares of each Fund are issued at net asset value determined as of the same time. "IN-KIND" PURCHASES OF THE SMALL-CAP VALUE INDEX AND SMALL-CAP GROWTH INDEX FUNDS WILL NOT BE SUBJECT TO THEIR NORMAL TRANSACTION FEE OF 0.5%. All dividend, subscription, or other rights that are reflected in the market price of accepted securities at B-9 the time of valuation become the property of the Fund and must be delivered to the Fund by the investor upon receipt from the issuer. A gain or loss for Federal income tax purposes would be realized by the investor upon the exchange depending upon the cost of the securities tendered. A Fund will not accept securities in exchange for its shares unless: (1) such securities are, at the time of the exchange, eligible to be held by the Fund; (2) the transaction will not cause the Fund's weightings to become imbalanced with respect to the weightings of the stocks included in the corresponding Index; (3) the investor represents and agrees that all securities offered to the Fund are not subject to any restrictions upon their sale by the Fund under the Securities Act of 1933, or otherwise; (4) such securities are traded in an unrelated transaction with a quoted sales price on the same day the exchange valuation is made; (5) the quoted sales price used as a basis of valuation is representative (e.g., one that does not involve a trade of substantial size that artificially influences the price of the security); and (6) the value of any such security being exchanged will not exceed 5% of the Fund's net assets immediately prior to the transaction. Investors interested in purchasing Fund shares in-kind should contact Vanguard. REDEMPTION OF SHARES Each Fund may suspend redemption privileges or postpone the date of payment (i) during any period that the New York Stock Exchange is closed, or trading on the Exchange is restricted as determined by the Commission, (ii) during any period when an emergency exists as defined by the Commission as a result of which it is not reasonably practicable for the Fund to dispose of securities owned by it, or fairly to determine the value of its assets, and (iii) for such other periods as the Commission may permit. Each Fund has made an election with the Commission to pay in cash all redemptions requested by any shareholder of record limited in amount during the 90-day period to the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of the net assets of the Fund at the beginning of such period. This election does not apply to a Fund's VIPER Shares. With the exception of VIPER Shares, no charge is made by any of the Funds for redemptions. Shares redeemed may be worth more or less than what was paid for them, depending on the market value of the securities held by the Fund. SHARE PRICE The net asset value for each share class of each Fund is calculated by dividing the net assets attributable to each such share class by the total number of shares outstanding for that share class. The net asset value is determined as of the regular close of the New York Stock Exchange (generally 4 p.m., Eastern time) on each day the Exchange is open for trading. Portfolio securities for which market quotations are readily available (includes those securities listed on national securities exchanges, as well as those quoted on the NASDAQ Stock Market) will be valued at the last quoted sales price or the official closing price on the day the valuation is made. Such securities which are not traded on the valuation date are valued at the mean of the bid and ask prices. Price information on exchange-listed securities is taken from the exchange where the security is primarily traded. Securities may be valued on the basis of prices provided by a pricing service when such prices are believed to reflect the fair market value of such securities. Short-term instruments (those with remaining maturities of 60 days or less) may be valued at cost, plus or minus any amortized discount or premium, which approximates market value. Bonds and other fixed-income securities may be valued on the basis of prices provided by a pricing service when such prices are believed to reflect the fair market value of such securities. The prices provided by a pricing service may be determined without regard to bid or last sale prices of each security, but take into account institutional-size transactions in similar groups of securities as well as any developments related to specific securities. Foreign securities are valued at the last quoted sales price, or the most recently determined closing price calculated according to local market convention, available at the time a Fund is valued. Prices are obtained from the broadest and most representative market on which the securities trade. If events which materially affect the B-10 value of a Fund's investments occur after the close of the securities markets on which such securities are primarily traded, those investments may be valued by such methods as the board of trustees deems in good faith to reflect fair value. In determining a Fund's net asset value per share, all assets and liabilities initially expressed in foreign currencies will be converted into U.S. dollars using the officially quoted daily exchange rates used by Morgan Stanley Capital International in calculating various benchmarking indexes. This officially quoted exchange rate may be determined prior to or after the close of a particular securities market. If such quotations are not available or do not reflect market conditions at the time the Fund is valued, the rate of exchange will be determined in accordance with policies established in good faith by the board of trustees. Other assets and securities for which no quotations are readily available or which are restricted as to sale (or resale) are valued by such methods as the board of trustees deems in good faith to reflect fair value. Vanguard fund share prices can be found daily in the mutual fund listings of most major newspapers under various "Vanguard" headings. The closing market price of a Fund's VIPER Shares is published in the business section of most major newspapers in the listing of stocks traded on the American Stock Exchange. PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS In placing portfolio transactions on behalf of a Fund, The Vanguard Group uses its best judgment to choose the broker most capable of providing the brokerage services necessary to obtain the best available price and most favorable execution. The full range and quality of brokerage services available are considered in making these determinations. In those instances where it is reasonably determined that more than one broker can offer the brokerage services needed to obtain the best available price and most favorable execution, consideration is given to those brokers which supply statistical information and provide other services in addition to execution services to the Fund. Since the Funds do not market their shares through intermediary brokers or dealers, it is not the Funds' practice to allocate brokerage or principal business on the basis of sales of their shares which may be made through such firms. However, a Fund may place portfolio orders with qualified broker-dealers who recommend the Fund to clients, and may, when a number of brokers and dealers can provide best price and execution on a particular transaction, consider the sale of Fund shares by a broker or dealer in selecting among broker dealers. During the fiscal years ended December 31, 1998, 1999, and 2000, the Funds paid brokerage commissions in the following amounts: FUND 1998 1999 2000 ---- ---- ---- ---- Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund $1,104,000 $2,163,000 $1,422,000 Vanguard 500 Index Fund.............. 4,181,000 6,008,000 4,374,000 Vanguard Extended Market Index Fund.. 966,000 1,122,000 1,366,000 Vanguard Mid-Cap Index Fund.......... 110,000 223,000 436,000 Vanguard Small-Cap Index Fund........ 1,649,000 2,284,000 2,453,000 Vanguard Value Index Fund... 255,000 552,000 510,000 Vanguard Small-Cap Value Index Fund.. 88,000 166,000 202,000 Vanguard Growth Index Fund........... 827,000 2,959,000 1,979,000 Vanguard Small-Cap Growth Index Fund. 62,000 49,000 202,000 B-11 YIELD AND TOTAL RETURN The annualized yield of each Fund for the 30-day period ended December 31, 2000, is set forth below for the then-available share classes. SHARE CLASS ----------- FUND INVESTOR ADMIRAL INSTITUTIONAL ---- -------- ------- ------------- 500 Index Fund.................... 1.03% 1.09% N/A Total Stock Market Index Fund..... 1.12 1.17 1.23% Extended Market Index Fund........ 0.87 0.92 1.02 Mid-Cap Index Fund................ 0.83 N/A 0.96 Small-Cap Index Fund.............. 1.34 1.41 1.48 Value Index Fund.................. 1.45 1.50 1.55 Small-Cap Value Index Fund........ 0.90 N/A 1.04 Growth Index Fund................. 0.39 0.45 0.49 Small-Cap Growth Index Fund....... 0.01 N/A 0.15 The average annual total return of each Fund for the one-, five-, and ten-year periods ended December 31, 2000, or since inception, is set forth below. 1 YEAR ENDED 5 YEARS ENDED 10 YEARS ENDED INVESTOR SHARES(1) 12/31/2000 12/31/2000(3) 12/31/2000(4) --------------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 500 Index Fund................. -9.06% 18.31% 17.35% Total Stock Market Index Fund.. -10.57 16.68 15.83 Extended Market Index Fund..... -15.55 13.19 16.13 Mid-Cap Index Fund............. 18.10 16.13 -- Small-Cap Index Fund........... -2.67 11.43 16.19 Value Index Fund............... 6.08 16.70 17.04 Small-Cap Value Index Fund(2).. 21.27 3.61 -- Growth Index Fund.............. -22.21 19.17 16.90 Small-Cap Growth Index Fund(2). 1.08 5.60 -- 1 YEAR ENDED 5 YEARS ENDED 10 YEARS ENDED INSTITUTIONAL SHARES(1) 12/31/2000(5) 12/31/2000(3) 12/31/2000(4) -------------------- ---------- ---------- ---------- Total Stock Market Index Fund.. -10.46% 12.05% -- Extended Market Index Fund..... -15.41 10.13 -- Mid-Cap Index Fund............. 18.39 16.30 -- Small-Cap Index Fund........... -2.56 7.95 -- Value Index Fund............... 6.19 7.74 -- Small-Cap Value Index Fund(2).. 21.43 23.17 -- Growth Index Fund.............. -22.14 7.58 -- Small-Cap Growth Index Fund (2) 4.37 -- -- --------- (1) Total return figures do not reflect the $10 annual account maintenance fee for accounts under $10,000 or transaction fees no longer in effect. (2) Total return figures reflect a 0.50% transaction fee on share purchases. (3) Average annual total returns since inception for: Mid-Cap Index Fund (5/21/1998); Small-Cap Value Index Fund Investor Shares (5/21/1998); Small-Cap Growth Index Fund Investor Shares (5/21/1998); Total Stock Market Index Fund Institutional Shares (7/7/ 1997); Extended Market Index Fund Institutional Shares (7/7/1997); Mid-Cap Index Fund Institutional Shares (5/21/1998); Small-Cap Index Fund Institutional Shares (7/7/1997); Value Index Fund Institutional Shares (7/2/1998); Small-Cap Value Index Fund Institutional Shares (12/7/1999); and Growth Index Fund Institutional Shares (5/14/1998). (4) Average annual total returns since inception for: Total Stock Market Index Fund Investor Shares (4/27/1992); Value Index Fund Investor Shares (11/2/1992); and Growth Index Fund Investor Shares (11/2/1992). (5) Average annual total returns since inception for: Small-Cap Growth Index Fund Institutional Shares (5/24/2000). B-12 The Admiral Shares of the Funds and the VIPER Shares of Total Stock Market Index Fund and Extended Market Index Fund had no average annual total returns to report as of December 31, 2000. AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURN Average annual total return is the average annual compounded rate of return for the periods of one year, five years, ten years or the life of the Fund, all ended on the last day of a recent month. Average annual total return quotations will reflect changes in the price of the Fund's shares and assume that all dividends and capital gains distributions during the respective periods were reinvested in Fund shares. Average annual total return is calculated by finding the average annual compounded rates of return of a hypothetical investment over such periods according to the following formula (average annual total return is then expressed as a percentage): T = (ERV/P)1/N - 1 Where: T = average annual total return P = a hypothetical initial investment of $1,000 n = number of years ERV = ending redeemable value: ERV is the value, at the end of the applicable period, of a hypothetical $1,000 investment made at the beginning of the applicable period AVERAGE ANNUAL AFTER-TAX TOTAL RETURN QUOTATION We calculate the Fund's average annual after-tax total return by finding the average annual compounded rate of return over the 1-, 5-, and 10-year periods (or for periods of the Fund's operations) that would equate the initial amount invested to the after-tax value, according to the following formulas: After-tax return: P (1 + T)N = ATV Where: P = a hypothetical initial payment of $1,000 T = average annual after-tax total return n = number of years ATV = after-tax value at the end of the 1-,5-, or 10-year periods of a hypothetical $1,000 payment made at the beginning of the time period, assuming no liquidation of the investment at the end of the measurement periods Instructions: 1. Assume all distributions by each Fund are reinvested--less the taxes due on such distributions--at the price on the reinvestment dates during the period. Adjustments may be made for subsequent re-characterizations of distributions. 2. Calculate the taxes due on distributions by each Fund by applying the highest federal marginal tax rates to each component of the distributions on the reinvestment date (e.g., ordinary income, short-term capital gain, long-term capital gain, etc.). For periods after December 31, 1997, the federal marginal tax rates used for the calculations are 39.6% for ordinary income and short-term capital gains and 20% for long-term capital gains. Note that the applicable tax rates may vary over the measurement period. Assume no taxes are due on the portions of any distributions classified as exempt interest or non-taxable (i.e., return of capital). Ignore any potential tax liabilities other than federal tax liabilities (e.g., state and local taxes). 3. Include all recurring fees that are charged to all shareholder accounts. For any account fees that vary with the size of the account, assume an account size equal to the Fund's mean (or median) account size. Assume that no additional taxes or tax credits result from any redemption of shares required to pay such fees. 4. State the total return quotation to the nearest hundredth of one percent. B-13 CUMULATIVE TOTAL RETURN Cumulative total return is the cumulative rate of return on a hypothetical initial investment of $1,000 for a specified period. Cumulative total return quotations reflect changes in the price of the Fund's shares and assume that all dividends and capital gains distributions during the period were reinvested in Fund shares. Cumulative total return is calculated by finding the cumulative rates of a return of a hypothetical investment over such periods, according to the following formula (cumulative total return is then expressed as a percentage): C = (ERV/P) - 1 Where: C = cumulative total return P = a hypothetical initial investment of $1,000 ERV = ending redeemable value: ERV is the value, at the end of the applicable period, of a hypothetical $1,000 investment made at the beginning of the applicable period SEC YIELDS Yield is the net annualized yield based on a specified 30-day (or one month) period assuming semiannual compounding of income. Yield is calculated by dividing the net investment income per share earned during the period by the maximum offering price per share on the last day of the period, according to the following formula: YIELD = 2[((A - B)/CD + 1)6 - 1] Where: a = dividends and interest earned during the period. b = expenses accrued for the period (net of reimbursements). c = the average daily number of shares outstanding during the period that were entitled to receive dividends. d = the maximum offering price per share on the last day of the period. MANAGEMENT OF THE FUNDS OFFICERS AND TRUSTEES The officers of the Funds manage its day-to-day operations and are responsible to the each Fund's board of trustees. The trustees set broad policies for each Fund and choose their officers. The following is a list of the trustees and officers of the Funds and a statement of their present positions and principal occupations during the past five years. As a group, the Funds' trustees and officers own less than 1% of the outstanding shares of each Fund. Each trustee (except Mr. MacLaury) serves as a director of The Vanguard Group, Inc. In addition, each trustee serves as a trustee of each of the 109 funds administered by Vanguard (107 in the case of Mr. Malkiel and 99 in the case of Mr. MacLaury). The mailing address of the trustees and officers of each Fund is Post Office Box 876, Valley Forge, PA 19482. JOHN J. BRENNAN, (DOB: 7/29/1954) Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, and Trustee* Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Director of The Vanguard Group, Inc., and Trustee of each of the investment companies in The Vanguard Group. CHARLES D. ELLIS, (DOB: 10/23/1937) Trustee Retired Managing Partner of Greenwich Associates (International Business Strategy Consulting); Successor Trustee of Yale University; Overseer of the Stern School of Business at New York University; Trustee of the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research. JOANN HEFFERNAN HEISEN, (DOB: 1/25/1950) Trustee Vice President, Chief Information Officer, and member of the Executive Committee of Johnson & Johnson (Pharmaceuticals/Consumer Products), Director of Johnson & Johnson*MERCK Consumer Pharmaceuticals Co., The Medical Center at Princeton, and Women's Research and Education Institute. B-14 BRUCE K. MACLAURY, (DOB: 5/7/1931) Trustee President Emeritus of The Brookings Institution (Independent Non-Partisan Research Organization); Director of American Express Bank, Ltd., The St. Paul Companies, Inc. (Insurance and Financial Services), and National Steel Corp. BURTON G. MALKIEL, (DOB: 8/28/1932) Trustee Chemical Bank Chairman's Professor of Economics, Princeton University; Director of Prudential Insurance Co. of America, Banco Bilbao Argentaria, Gestion, BKF Capital (Investment Management), The Jeffrey Co. (Holding Company), NeuVis, Inc. (Software Company), and Select Sector SPDR Trust (Exchange-Traded Mutual Fund). ALFRED M. RANKIN, JR., (DOB: 10/8/1941) Trustee Chairman, President, Chief Executive Officer, and Director of NACCO Industries (Machinery/Coal/Appliances); and Director of The BFGoodrich Co. (Aircraft Systems/Manufacturing/Chemicals). JAMES O. WELCH, JR., (DOB: 5/13/1931) Trustee Retired Chairman of Nabisco Brands, Inc. (Food Products); retired Vice Chairman and Director of RJR Nabisco (Food and Tobacco Products); Director of TECO Energy, Inc., and Kmart Corp. J. LAWRENCE WILSON, (DOB: 3/2/1936) Trustee Retired Chairman and CEO of Rohm & Haas Co. (Chemicals); Director of Cummins Engine Co. (Diesel Engines), The Mead Corp. (Paper Products); and AmeriSource Health Corp. (Pharmaceutical Distribution); and Trustee of Vanderbilt University. R. GREGORY BARTON, (DOB: 4/25/1951) Secretary* Managing Director and General Counsel of The Vanguard Group, Inc.; Secretary of The Vanguard Group, Inc. and of each of the investment companies in The Vanguard Group. THOMAS J. HIGGINS, (DOB: 5/21/1957) Treasurer* Principal of The Vanguard Group, Inc.; Treasurer of each of the investment companies in The Vanguard Group. --------- *Officers of the Funds are "interested persons" as defined in the 1940 Act. THE VANGUARD GROUP Each Fund is a member of The Vanguard Group of Investment Companies, which consists of more than 100 funds. Through their jointly-owned subsidiary, The Vanguard Group, Inc. (Vanguard), the Funds and the other funds in The Vanguard Group obtain at cost virtually all of their corporate management, administrative, and distribution services. Vanguard also provides investment advisory services on an at-cost basis to several of the Vanguard Funds. Vanguard employs a supporting staff of management and administrative personnel needed to provide the requisite services to the Funds and also furnishes the Funds with necessary office space, furnishings and equipment. Each Fund pays its share of Vanguard's total expenses which are allocated among the Funds under methods approved by the board of trustees of the Funds. In addition, each Fund bears its own direct expenses such as legal, auditing and custodian fees. The Funds' officers are officers of Vanguard. No officer or employee owns, or is permitted to own, any securities of any external adviser for the Funds. Vanguard has adopted a Code of Ethics designed to prevent employees who may have access to nonpublic information about the trading activities of the Funds (access persons) from profiting from that information. The Code permits access persons to invest in securities for their own accounts, including securities that may be held by the Funds, but places substantive and procedural restrictions on their trading activities. For example, the Code requires that access persons of the Funds receive advance approval for every securities trade to ensure that there is no conflict with the trading activities of the Funds. Vanguard was established and operates under an Amended and Restated Funds' Service Agreement which was approved by the shareholders of each of the funds. The Amended and Restated Funds' Service Agreement provides that each Vanguard fund may be called upon to invest up to 0.40% of its current net assets in Vanguard as contributions to Vanguard's capitalization, and that there is no limit on the dollar amount that each Vanguard fund may contribute to Vanguard's capitalization. The amounts which each of the funds has invested are B-15 adjusted from time to time in order to maintain the proportionate relationship between each fund's relative net assets and its contribution to Vanguard's capital. At December 31, 2000, each of the U.S. Stock Index Funds had contributed capital to Vanguard representing 0.02% of its net assets. The total amount contributed by the Funds was $28,776,000, which represented 28.9% of Vanguard's capitalization. MANAGEMENT. Corporate management and administrative services include: (1) executive staff; (2) accounting and financial; (3) legal and regulatory; (4) shareholder account maintenance; (5) monitoring and control of custodian relationships; (6) shareholder reporting; and (7) review and evaluation of advisory and other services provided to the funds by third parties. DISTRIBUTION. Vanguard Marketing Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Vanguard, provides all distribution and marketing activities for the funds in the Group. The principal distribution expenses are for advertising, promotional materials and marketing personnel. Distribution services may also include organizing and offering to the public, from time to time, one or more new investment companies which will become members of The Vanguard Group. The trustees and officers of Vanguard determine the amount to be spent annually on distribution activities, the manner and amount to be spent on each fund, and whether to organize new investment companies. One half of the distribution expenses of a marketing and promotional nature is allocated among the various Vanguard funds based upon relative net assets. The remaining one half of those expenses is allocated among the funds based upon each fund's sales for the preceding 24 months relative to the total sales of the funds as a group; provided, however, that no fund's aggregate quarterly rate of contribution for distribution expenses of a marketing and promotional nature shall exceed 125% of the average distribution expense rate for Vanguard, and that no fund shall incur annual distribution expenses in excess of 0.20 of 1% of its average month-end net assets. With respect to the funds which have two classes of shares, expenses paid to Vanguard for marketing and distribution activities will be allocated to the class of shares of the fund on behalf of which the expenses were incurred by making such allocations to each share class as if each such class were a separate Vanguard fund. With respect to the funds which have two classes of shares, expenses associated with Vanguard's provision of shareholder account services will be allocated to each share class on the basis of the amount incurred by each share class. During the fiscal years ended December 31, 1998, 1999, and 2000, the Funds incurred the following approximate amounts of Vanguard's management (including transfer agency), distribution, and marketing expenses: FUND 1998 1999 2000 ---- ---- ---- ---- Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund $15,330,000 $27,815,000 $42,133,000 Vanguard 500 Index Fund............... 108,134,000 156,491,000 183,574,000 Vanguard Extended Market Index Fund... 6,534,000 8,139,000 12,662,000 Vanguard Mid-Cap Index Fund........... 174,000* 907,000 2,611,000 Vanguard Small-Cap Index Fund......... 6,369,000 6,812,000 10,743,000 Vanguard Value Index Fund............. 4,562,000 6,692,000 8,172,000 Vanguard Small-Cap Value Index Fund... 102,000* 316,000 560,000 Vanguard Growth Index Fund............ 8,785,000 23,861,000 33,486,000 Vanguard Small-Cap Growth Index Fund.. 65,000* 203,000 798,000 --------- * Since Inception, April 20, 1998. B-16 INVESTMENT ADVISORY SERVICES. The Funds that comprise Vanguard Index Trust receive all investment advisory services from Vanguard. These services are provided on an at-cost basis from a money management staff employed directly by Vanguard. The compensation and other expenses of this staff are paid by the Vanguard funds utilizing these services. During the fiscal years ended December 31, 1998, 1999, and 2000, the Funds incurred expenses for investment advisory services in the following amounts: FUND 1998 1999 2000 ---- ---- ---- ---- Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund $82,000 $120,000 $153,000 Vanguard 500 Index Fund............... 80,000 100,000 152,000 Vanguard Extended Market Index Fund... 73,000 120,000 46,000 Vanguard Mid-Cap Index Fund........... 20,000* 67,000 46,000 Vanguard Small-Cap Index Fund......... 100,000 167,000 153,000 Vanguard Value Index Fund............. 37,000 67,000 46,000 Vanguard Small-Cap Value Index Fund... 20,000 53,000 46,000 Vanguard Growth Index Fund............ 37,000 67,000 153,000 Vanguard Small-Cap Growth Index Fund.. 20,000* 53,000 46,000 --------- *Since Inception, April 20, 1998. TRUSTEE COMPENSATION The same individuals serve as trustees of all Vanguard funds (with two exceptions, which are noted in the table below), and each fund pays a proportionate share of the trustees' compensation. The funds employ their officers on a shared basis, as well. However, officers are compensated by The Vanguard Group, Inc., not the funds. INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES. The funds compensate their independent trustees--that is, the ones who are not also officers of the funds--in three ways: - The independent trustees receive an annual fee for their service to the funds, which is subject to reduction based on absences from scheduled board meetings. - The independent trustees are reimbursed for the travel and other expenses that they incur in attending board meetings. - Upon retirement, the independent trustees receive an aggregate annual fee of $1,000 for each year served on the board, up to fifteen years of service. This annual fee is paid for ten years following retirement, or until each trustee's death. "INTERESTED" TRUSTEE. Mr. Brennan serves as trustee, but is not paid in this capacity. He is however, paid in his role as officer of The Vanguard Group, Inc. COMPENSATION TABLE. The following table provides compensation details for each of the trustees. We list the amounts paid as compensation and accrued as retirement benefits by the U.S. Stock Index Funds for each trustee. In addition, the table shows the total amount of benefits that we expect each trustee to receive from all Vanguard funds upon retirement, and the total amount of compensation paid to each trustee by all Vanguard funds. B-17 VANGUARD INDEX TRUST COMPENSATION TABLE
PENSION OR RETIREMENT TOTAL BENEFITS COMPENSATION AGGREGATE ACCRUED AS ESTIMATED FROM ALL COMPENSATION PART OF THESE ANNUAL VANGUARD FROM THESE FUNDS' BENEFITS UPON FUNDS PAID TO NAMES OF TRUSTEES FUNDS(1) EXPENSES(1) RETIREMENT TRUSTEES(2) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- John J. Brennan. . . . . . . . . . . None None None None Charles D. Ellis(3). . . . . . . . . N/A N/A N/A N/A JoAnn Heffernan Heisen . . . . . . . $33,173 $1,462 $15,000 $100,000 Bruce K. MacLaury. . . . . . . . . . 34,317 2,441 12,000 95,000 Burton G. Malkiel. . . . . . . . . . 33,362 2,415 15,000 100,000 Alfred M. Rankin, Jr.. . . . . . . . 32,509 1,769 15,000 98,000 John C. Sawhill(4) . . . . . . . . . 14,756 0 N/A 44,483 James O. Welch, Jr.. . . . . . . . . 32,509 2,585 15,000 98,000 J. Lawrence Wilson . . . . . . . . . 33,173 1,867 15,000 100,000
--------- (1) The amounts shown in this column are based on the Funds' fiscal year ended December 31, 2000. (2) The amounts reported in this column reflect the total compensation paid to each trustee for his or her service as trustee of 109 Vanguard funds (107 in the case of Mr. Malkiel; 99 in the case of Mr. MacLaury) for the 2000 calendar year. (3) Mr. Ellis joined the Funds' board effective January 1, 2001. (4) Mr. Sawhill died in May, 2000. INFORMATION ABOUT THE VIPER SHARE CLASS Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund and Vanguard Extended Market Index Fund (the VIPER Funds) offer and issue an exchange-traded class of shares called VIPER Shares. Each VIPER Fund issues VIPER Shares in bundles of 50,000, known as "Creation Units." To purchase or redeem a Creation Unit, you must be an Authorized Participant or you must do so through a broker that is an Authorized Participant. An Authorized Participant is a participant in the Depository Trust Company (DTC) that has executed a Participant Agreement with Vanguard Marketing Corporation, the Funds' Distributor. Each VIPER Fund issues Creation Units in kind, in exchange for a basket of stocks that are part of--or soon to be part of--its target index (Deposit Securities). Each VIPER Fund also redeems Creation Units in kind; an investor who tenders a Creation Unit will receive, as redemption proceeds, a basket of stocks that are part of the Fund's portfolio holdings (Redemption Securities). The Deposit Securities and the Redemption Securities will usually, but may not necessarily always, be the same. As part of any creation or redemption transaction, the investor will either pay or receive some cash in addition to the securities, as described more fully below. Each VIPER Fund reserves the right to issue Creation Units for cash, rather than in kind, although each has no current intention of doing so. EXCHANGE LISTING AND TRADING Total Stock Market VIPERs and Extended Market VIPERs have been approved for listing on the American Stock Exchange (AMEX) and will trade on the AMEX at market prices that may differ from net asset value. There can be no assurance that, in the future, VIPER Shares will continue to meet all of the AMEX's listing requirements. The AMEX may, but is not required to, delist a Fund's VIPER Shares from listing if: (1) following the initial 12-month period beginning upon the commencement of trading, there are fewer than 50 beneficial owners of the VIPER Shares for 30 or more consecutive trading days; (2) the value of the target index tracked by the Fund (the Wilshire 5000 Index for Total Stock Market VIPERs or the Wilshire 4500 Completion Index for Extended Market VIPERs) is no longer calculated or available; or (3) such other event shall occur or condition exist that, in the opinion of the AMEX, makes further dealings on the AMEX inadvisable. The AMEX will also delist a Fund's VIPER Shares upon termination of the VIPER Share class. As with any stock traded on an exchange, purchases and sales of VIPER Shares will be subject to usual and customary brokerage commissions. B-18 CONVERSIONS AND EXCHANGES Owners of conventional shares issued by a VIPER Fund (Investor, Admiral, and Institutional Shares) may convert those shares into VIPER Shares of equivalent value of the same fund. Note: Investors who own conventional shares through a 401(k) plan or other employer-sponsored retirement or benefit plan may not convert those shares into VIPER Shares. Vanguard will impose a charge on conversion transactions and reserves the right, in the future, to limit or terminate the conversion privilege. VIPER Shares, whether acquired through a conversion or purchased in the secondary market, cannot be converted into shares of another class of the same fund. NOTE FOR INVESTORS IN VANGUARD INSTITUTIONAL TOTAL STOCK MARKET INDEX FUND: Owners of shares issued by Vanguard Institutional Total Stock Market Index Fund CANNOT convert their shares into VIPER Shares of Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund because the Funds are separate and distinct. Vanguard Institutional Total Stock Market Index Fund does not issue VIPER Shares. Investors that are not Authorized Participants must hold VIPER Shares in a brokerage account. Thus, before converting conventional shares into VIPER Shares, an investor must have an existing, or open a new, brokerage account. To initiate a conversion of conventional shares into VIPER Shares, an investor must contact her broker. The broker may charge a fee, over and above Vanguard's fee, to process a conversion request. Converting conventional shares into VIPER Shares generally is accomplished as follows. First, after the broker notifies Vanguard of an investor's request to convert, Vanguard will transfer conventional shares from the investor's account with Vanguard to the broker's omnibus account with Vanguard (an account maintained by the broker on behalf of all its customers who hold conventional Vanguard fund shares through the broker). At this point, Vanguard will no longer have any record of the investor; her ownership of conventional shares and VIPER Shares will be known only to her broker. Next, the broker will instruct Vanguard to convert the appropriate amount of conventional shares in its omnibus account into VIPER Shares of equivalent value. These shares will be held in an account at Vanguard in the name of DTC. (DTC will keep track of which VIPER Shares belong to the broker and the broker, in turn, will keep track of which VIPER Shares belong to its customers.) Because DTC is unable to handle fractional shares, only whole shares will be converted. For example, if the investor owned 300.250 conventional shares, and this was equivalent in value to 90.750 VIPER Shares, the DTC account would receive 90 VIPER Shares. Conventional shares worth 0.750 VIPER Shares (in this example, that would be 2.481 conventional shares) would remain in the broker's omnibus account with Vanguard. The broker then could either (i) take certain internal actions necessary to credit the investor's account with 0.750 VIPER Shares rather than 2.481 conventional shares, or (ii) redeem the 2.481 conventional shares at net asset value, in which case the investor would receive cash in lieu of those shares. If the broker chooses to redeem the conventional shares, the investor will realize a gain or loss on the redemption that must be reported on her tax return (unless she holds the shares in an IRA or other tax-deferred account). Investors should consult their brokers for information on how the brokers will handle the conversion process, including whether they will impose a fee to process a conversion. The conversion process works differently if the investor opts to hold VIPER Shares through an account at Vanguard Brokerage Services (VBS). If the investor converts her conventional shares to VIPER Shares through VBS, all conventional shares for which she requests conversion will be converted into the equivalent amount of VIPER Shares. Because no fractional shares will have to be sold, the transaction will be 100% tax-free. Here are some important points to keep in mind when converting conventional shares of a VIPER Fund into VIPER Shares: - The conversion transaction is nontaxable except, as applicable, to the limited extent described above. - The conversion process can take anywhere from several days to several weeks, depending on the broker. Vanguard generally will process conversion requests, once received, on the same or next business day, although processing may take up to three business days depending on when the conversion request is received. - During the conversion process, the investor will remain fully invested in the Fund's conventional shares, and her investment will increase or decrease in value in tandem with the net asset value of those shares. B-19 - During the conversion process, the investor will be able to liquidate all or part of her investment by instructing Vanguard or her broker (depending on whether her shares are held in her own account or her broker's omnibus account) to redeem her conventional shares. After the conversion process is complete, the investor will be able to liquidate all or part of her investment by instructing her broker to sell her VIPER Shares. BOOK ENTRY ONLY SYSTEM Total Stock Market VIPERs and Vanguard Extended Market VIPERs are registered in the name of the DTC or its nominee, Cede & Co., and deposited with, or on behalf of, DTC. DTC is a limited-purpose trust company that was created to hold securities of its participants (the DTC Participants) and to facilitate the clearance and settlement of securities transactions among the DTC Participants in such securities through electronic book-entry changes in accounts of the DTC Participants, thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of securities certificates. DTC Participants include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and certain other organizations, some of whom (and/or their representatives) own DTC. More specifically, DTC is owned by a number of its DTC Participants and by the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), the AMEX and the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD). Access to the DTC system is also available to others such as banks, brokers, dealers, and trust companies that clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a DTC Participant, either directly or indirectly (the Indirect Participants). Beneficial ownership of VIPER Shares is limited to DTC Participants, Indirect Participants, and persons holding interests through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants. Ownership of beneficial interests in VIPER Shares (owners of such beneficial interests are referred to herein as Beneficial Owners) is shown on, and the transfer of ownership is effected only through, records maintained by DTC (with respect to DTC Participants) and on the records of DTC Participants (with respect to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners that are not DTC Participants). Beneficial Owners will receive from or through the DTC Participant a written confirmation relating to their purchase of VIPER Shares. Each VIPER Fund recognizes DTC or its nominee as the record owner of all VIPER Shares for all purposes. Beneficial Owners of VIPER Shares are not entitled to have VIPER Shares registered in their names, and will not receive or be entitled to physical delivery of share certificates. Each Beneficial Owner must rely on the procedures of DTC and any DTC Participant and/or Indirect Participant through which such Beneficial Owner holds its interests, to exercise any rights of a holder of VIPER Shares. Conveyance of all notices, statements, and other communications to Beneficial Owners is effected as follows. DTC will make available to the Trust upon request and for a fee a listing of the VIPER Shares of each Fund held by each DTC Participant. The Trust shall obtain from each such DTC Participant the number of Beneficial Owners holding VIPER Shares, directly or indirectly, through such DTC Participant. The Trust shall provide each such DTC Participant with copies of such notice, statement, or other communication, in such form, number and at such place as such DTC Participant may reasonably request, in order that such notice, statement or communication may be transmitted by such DTC Participant, directly or indirectly, to such Beneficial Owners. In addition, the Trust shall pay to each such DTC Participant a fair and reasonable amount as reimbursement for the expenses attendant to such transmittal, all subject to applicable statutory and regulatory requirements. Share distributions shall be made to DTC or its nominee as the registered holder of all VIPER Shares. DTC or its nominee, upon receipt of any such distributions, shall credit immediately DTC Participants' accounts with payments in amounts proportionate to their respective beneficial interests in VIPER Shares of the appropriate Fund as shown on the records of DTC or its nominee. Payments by DTC Participants to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners of VIPER Shares held through such DTC Participants will be governed by standing instructions and customary practices, as is now the case with securities held for the accounts of customers in bearer form or registered in a "street name," and will be the responsibility of such DTC Participants. The Trust has no responsibility or liability for any aspects of the records relating to or notices to Beneficial Owners, or payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests in such VIPER Shares, or for maintaining, supervising, or reviewing any records relating to such beneficial ownership interests, or for any other aspect of the relationship between DTC and the DTC Participants or the relationship between such DTC Participants and the Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners owning through such DTC Participants. B-20 DTC may determine to discontinue providing its service with respect to VIPER Shares at any time by giving reasonable notice to the Trust and discharging its responsibilities with respect thereto under applicable law. Under such circumstances, the Trust shall take action either to find a replacement for DTC to perform its functions at a comparable cost or, if such replacement is unavailable, to issue and deliver printed certificates representing ownership of VIPER Shares, unless the Trust makes other arrangements with respect thereto satisfactory to the AMEX (or such other exchange on which VIPER Shares may be listed). PURCHASE AND ISSUANCE OF VIPER SHARES IN CREATION UNITS The VIPER Funds issue and sell VIPER Shares only in Creation Units on a continuous basis through the Distributor, without a sales load, at their net asset value next determined after receipt, on any Business Day, of an order in proper form. The VIPER Funds will not issue fractional Creation Units. A Business Day is any day on which the NYSE is open for business. As of the date of the Prospectus, the NYSE observes the following holidays: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents' Day (Washington's Birthday), Good Friday, Memorial Day (observed), Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. FUND DEPOSIT The consideration for purchase of a Creation Unit from a VIPER Fund generally consists of the in-kind deposit of a designated portfolio of equity securities (the Deposit Securities) and an amount of cash (the Cash Component) consisting of a Balancing Amount (described below) and a Transaction Fee (also described below). Together, the Deposit Securities and the Cash Component constitute the Fund Deposit. The Balancing Amount is an amount equal to the difference between the net asset value (NAV) of a Creation Unit and the market value of the Deposit Securities (the Deposit Amount). It ensures that the NAV of a Fund Deposit (not including the Transaction Fee) is identical to the NAV of the Creation Unit it is used to purchase. If the Balancing Amount is a positive number (i.e., the NAV per Creation Unit exceeds the market value of the Deposit Securities), then that amount will be paid by the purchaser to the Fund in cash. If the Balancing Amount is a negative number (i.e., the NAV per Creation Unit is less than the market value of the Deposit Securities), then that amount will be paid by the Fund to the purchaser in cash (except as offset by the Transaction Fee, described below). Vanguard, through the National Securities Clearing Corporation (NSCC) (discussed below), makes available on each Business Day, immediately prior to the opening of business on the AMEX (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern time), a list of the names and the required number of shares of each Deposit Security to be included in the current Fund Deposit for each VIPER Fund (based on information at the end of the previous Business Day). The Fund Deposit is applicable, subject to any adjustments as described below, in order to effect purchases of Creation Units of a VIPER Fund until such time as the next-announced Fund Deposit composition is made available. Each VIPER Fund reserves the right to accept a nonconforming Fund Deposit. The identity and number of shares of the Deposit Securities required for a Fund Deposit may change to reflect rebalancing adjustments and corporate actions by a Fund, or in response to adjustments to the weighting or composition of the component stocks of the relevant target index. In addition, the Trust reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of an amount of cash--i.e., a "cash in lieu" amount--to be added to the Cash Component to replace any Deposit Security that may not be available in sufficient quantity for delivery, may not be eligible for transfer through the Clearing Process (discussed below), or may not be eligible for trading by an Authorized Participant (as defined below) or the investor for which an Authorized Participant is acting. Brokerage commissions incurred in connection with acquisition of Deposit Securities not eligible for transfer through the systems of DTC and hence not eligible for transfer through the Clearing Process (discussed below) will be an expense of the Fund. However, Vanguard may adjust the Transaction Fee (described below) to protect existing shareholders from this expense. All questions as to the number of shares of each security in the Deposit Securities and the validity, form, eligibility, and acceptance for deposit of any securities to be delivered shall be determined by the appropriate VIPER Fund, and the Fund's determination shall be final and binding. B-21 PROCEDURES FOR PURCHASING CREATION UNITS To be eligible to place orders with the Distributor and to purchase Creation Units from a VIPER Fund, you must be an Authorized Participant, i.e., a DTC Participant that has executed an agreement with the Trust's Distributor governing the purchase and redemption of Creation Units (the Participant Agreement). Investors who are not Authorized Participants must make appropriate arrangements with an Authorized Participant in order to purchase or redeem a Creation Unit. If your broker is not a DTC Participant or has not executed a Participant Agreement, it will have to place your order through an Authorized Participant, which may result in additional charges to you. For a current list of Authorized Participants, contact the Distributor. An Authorized Participant may place an order to purchase (or redeem) Creation Units of a VIPER Fund either (i) through the Continuous Net Settlement (CNS) clearing processes of NSCC as such processes have been enhanced to effect purchases (and redemptions) of Creation Units, such processes being referred to herein as the Clearing Process, or (ii) outside the Clearing Process. To purchase or redeem through the Clearing Process, an Authorized Participant must be a member of NSCC that is eligible to use the Continuous Net Settlement system. Purchases (and redemptions) of Creation Units cleared through the Clearing Process will be subject to a lower Transaction Fee than those cleared outside the Clearing Process. To initiate a purchase order for a Creation Unit, whether through the Clearing Process or outside the Clearing Process, an Authorized Participant must give notice to the Distributor. The order must be in proper form and must be received by the Distributor prior to the closing time of the regular trading session on the NYSE (Closing Time) (ordinarily 4 p.m., Eastern time) to receive that day's NAV. The date on which an order to purchase (or redeem) Creation Units is placed is referred to as the Transmittal Date. Orders must be transmitted by an Authorized Participant by a transmission method acceptable to the Distributor pursuant to procedures set forth in the Participation Agreement. Purchase orders effected outside the Clearing Process are likely to require transmittal by the Authorized Participant earlier on the Transmittal Date than orders effected using the Clearing Process. Those persons placing orders outside the Clearing Process should ascertain the deadlines applicable to DTC and the Federal Reserve Bank wire system by contacting the operations department of the broker or depository institution effectuating such transfer of Deposit Securities and Cash Component. Neither the Trust, the Distributor, nor any affiliated party will be liable to an investor who is unable to submit a purchase (or redemption) order by Closing Time, even if the problem is the responsibility of one of those parties (e.g., the Distributor's phone systems or fax machines were not operating properly.) If you are not an Authorized Participant, you must place your purchase order with an Authorized Participant in a form acceptable to such Authorized Participant. In addition, the Authorized Participant may request that you make certain representations or enter into agreements with respect to the order, e.g., to provide for payments of cash when required. You should afford sufficient time to permit proper submission of the order by the Authorized Participant to the Distributor prior to Closing Time on the Transmittal Date. PLACEMENT OF PURCHASE ORDERS USING CLEARING PROCESS For purchase orders placed through the Clearing Process, the Authorized Participant Agreement authorizes the Distributor to transmit through the Transfer Agent or Index Receipt Agent to NSCC, on behalf of an Authorized Participant, such trade instructions as are necessary to effect the Authorized Participant's purchase order. Pursuant to such trade instructions to NSCC, the Authorized Participant agrees to deliver the requisite Deposit Securities and the Cash Component to the appropriate VIPER Fund, together with such additional information as may be required by the Distributor. An order to purchase Creation Units through the Clearing Process is deemed received on the Transmittal Date if (i) such order is received by the Distributor not later than the Closing Time on such Transmittal Date, and (ii) all other procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement are properly followed. Such order will be effected based on the NAV of the Fund next determined on that day. An order to purchase Creation Units through the Clearing Process made in proper form but received after Closing Time on the Transmittal Date will be deemed received on the next Business Day immediately following the Transmittal Date and will be effected at the NAV next determined on that day. The Deposit Securities and the Cash Component will be transferred by the third NSCC Business Day following the date on which the purchase request is deemed received. B-22 PLACEMENT OF PURCHASE ORDERS OUTSIDE CLEARING PROCESS An Authorized Participant that wishes to place an order to purchase Creation Units outside the Clearing Process must state that it is not using the Clearing Process and that the purchase instead will be effected through a transfer of securities and cash directly through DTC. An order to purchase Creation Units outside the Clearing Process is deemed received by the Distributor on the Transmittal Date if (i) such order is received by the Distributor not later than the Closing Time on such Transmittal Date; and (ii) all other procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement are properly followed. If a Fund's custodian does not receive the Deposit Securities and Cash Component by the settlement date (T+3 unless otherwise agreed), the Fund shall be entitled to cancel the purchase order and/or charge the purchaser for any costs (including investment losses, attorney's fees, and interest) sustained by the Fund as a result of the late delivery or failure to deliver. A VIPER Fund may issue Creation Units to a purchaser before receiving some or all of the Deposit Securities if the purchaser deposits, in addition to the available Deposit Securities and the Cash Component, cash totaling at least 115% of the market value of the undelivered Deposit Securities (the Additional Cash Deposit). The order shall be deemed to be received on the Business Day on which the order is placed provided that the order is placed in proper form prior to Closing Time on such date and federal funds in the appropriate amount are deposited with the Custodian by 11 a.m., Eastern time, the following Business Day. If the order is not placed in proper form by 4 p.m. or federal funds in the appropriate amount are not received by 11 a.m. the next Business Day, then the Fund may reject the order and the investor shall be liable to the Fund for losses, if any, resulting therefrom. Pending delivery of the missing Deposit Securities, the purchaser must deposit additional cash with the Fund to the extent necessary to maintain the Additional Cash Deposit in an amount at least equal to 115% of the daily marked-to-market value of the missing Deposit Securities. If the purchaser fails to deliver missing Deposit Securities by 1 p.m. on the third Business Day following the day on which the purchase order is deemed received by the Distributor, or fails to pay additional money to maintain the Additional Cash Deposit at 115% of the marked-to-market value of the missing securities within one Business Day following notification by the Distributor that such a payment is required, the Fund may use the cash on deposit to purchase the missing Deposit Securities. Authorized Participants will be liable to the Fund for the costs incurred by the Fund in connection with any such purchases. These costs will be deemed to include the amount by which the actual purchase price of the Deposit Securities exceeds the market value of such Deposit Securities on the day the purchase order was deemed received by the Distributor, plus the brokerage and related transaction costs associated with such purchases. The Fund will return any unused portion of the Additional Cash Deposit once all of the missing Deposit Securities have been properly received by the Custodian or purchased by the Fund. In addition, the Fund will be entitled to collect a transaction fee of $4,000 in all such cases. The delivery of Creation Units so purchased will occur no later than the third Business Day following the day on which the purchase order is deemed received by the Distributor. REJECTION OF PURCHASE ORDERS Each of the VIPER Funds reserves the absolute right to reject a purchase order transmitted to it by the Distributor. By way of example, and not limitation, a VIPER Fund will reject a purchase order if: - the order is not in proper form; - the investor(s), upon obtaining the VIPER Shares ordered, would own 80% or more of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock issued by the Fund; - the Deposit Securities delivered are not as disseminated through the facilities of the AMEX for that date by the Custodian, as described above; - acceptance of the Deposit Securities would have certain adverse tax consequences to the Fund; - acceptance of the Fund Deposit would, in the opinion of counsel, be unlawful; - acceptance of the Fund Deposit would otherwise, in the discretion of the Fund or Vanguard, have an adverse effect on the Fund or any of its shareholders; or B-23 - circumstances outside the control of the Fund, the Transfer Agent, the Custodian, the Distributor, and Vanguard make it for all practical purposes impossible to process the order. Examples of such circumstances include acts of God; public service or utility problems such as fires, floods, extreme weather conditions, and power outages resulting in telephone, telecopy, and computer failures; market conditions or activities causing trading halts; systems failures involving computer or other information systems affecting the Trust, Vanguard, the Distributor, DTC, NSCC, or any other participant in the purchase process, and similar extraordinary events. The Distributor shall notify the prospective purchaser of a Creation Unit, and/or the Authorized Participant acting on the purchaser's behalf, of its rejection of the purchaser's order. The VIPER Funds, the Transfer Agent, the Custodian, and the Distributor are under no duty, however, to give notification of any defects or irregularities in the delivery of a Fund Deposit, nor shall any of them incur any liability for the failure to give any such notification. TRANSACTION FEE ON PURCHASES OF CREATION UNITS Each of the VIPER Funds imposes a transaction fee (payable to the Fund) to compensate the Fund for the transfer and other transaction costs associated with the issuance of Creation Units. For purchases effected through the Clearing Process, the Transaction Fee is $5,500, regardless of how many Creation Units are purchased. An additional charge of up to $5,500 may be imposed for purchases effected outside the Clearing Process. When a VIPER Fund permits a purchaser to substitute cash in lieu of depositing one or more Deposit Securities, the purchaser will be assessed an additional variable charge on the "cash in lieu" portion of its investment. The amount of this variable charge shall be determined by the Fund in its sole discretion, but shall not be more than is reasonably needed to compensate the Fund for the brokerage costs associated with purchasing the relevant Deposit Securities and, if applicable, the estimated market impact costs of purchasing such securities. REDEMPTION OF VIPER SHARES IN CREATION UNITS VIPER Shares may be redeemed only in Creation Units; a Fund will not redeem VIPER Shares tendered in less than Creation Unit-size aggregations. Investors should expect to incur brokerage and other costs in connection with assembling a sufficient number of VIPER Shares to constitute a redeemable Creation Unit. There can be no assurance, however, that there will be sufficient liquidity in the public trading market at any time to permit assembly of a Creation Unit. Redemption requests in good order will receive the NAV next determined after the request is made. An investor tendering a Creation Unit generally will receive redemption proceeds consisting of (1) a basket of Redemption Securities, plus (2) a Cash Redemption Amount equal to the difference between (x) the NAV of the Creation Unit being redeemed, as next determined after receipt of a request in proper form, and (y) the value of the Redemption Securities, less (3) a Redemption Transaction Fee (described below). If the Redemption Securities have a value greater then the NAV of a Creation Unit, the redeeming investor would pay the Cash Redemption Amount to the Fund, rather than receiving such amount from the Fund. Vanguard, through the NSCC, makes available immediately prior to the opening of business on the AMEX (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern time) on each Business Day, the identity of the Redemption Securities that will be used (subject to possible amendment or correction) to satisfy redemption requests received in proper form (as defined below) on that day. The basket of Redemption Securities provided to an investor redeeming a Creation Unit may not be identical to the basket of Deposit Securities required of a investor purchasing a Creation Unit. If a Fund and a redeeming investor mutually agree, the Fund may provide the investor with a basket of Redemption Securities that differs from the composition of the redemption basket published through NSCC. TRANSACTION FEES ON REDEMPTIONS OF CREATION UNITS Each of the VIPER Funds imposes a transaction fee (payable to the Fund) to compensate the Funds for the transfer and other transaction costs associated with the redemption of Creation Units. For redemptions effected through the Clearing Process, the Transaction Fee is $5,500, regardless of how many Creation Units are B-24 redeemed. An additional charge of up to $5,500 may be imposed for redemptions effected outside the Clearing Process. When a VIPER Fund permits a redeeming investor to receive cash in lieu of one or more Redemption Securities, the investor will be assessed an additional variable charge on the "cash in lieu" portion of its redemption. The amount of this variable charge shall be determined by the Fund in its sole discretion, but shall not be more than is reasonably needed to compensate the Fund for the brokerage costs associated with selling portfolio securities to raise the necessary cash and, if applicable, the estimated market impact costs of selling such securities. PLACEMENT OF REDEMPTION ORDERS USING CLEARING PROCESS An order to redeem Creation Units through the Clearing Process is deemed received on the Transmittal Date if (i) such order is received by the Distributor not later than the Closing Time on such Transmittal Date, and (ii) all other procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement are properly followed. Such order will be effected based on the NAV of the Fund next determined on that day. An order to redeem Creation Units through the Clearing Process made in proper form but received by a Fund after Closing Time on the Transmittal Date will be deemed received on the next Business Day immediately following the Transmittal Date and will be effected at the NAV next determined on that day. The Redemption Securities and the Cash Redemption Amount will be transferred by the third NSCC Business Day following the date on which the redemption request is deemed received. PLACEMENT OF REDEMPTION ORDERS OUTSIDE CLEARING PROCESS An Authorized Participant that wishes to place an order to redeem a Creation Unit outside the Clearing Process must state that it is not using the Clearing Process and that redemption instead will be effected through a transfer of VIPER Shares directly through DTC. An order to redeem a Creation Unit of a VIPER Fund outside the Clearing Process is deemed received on the Transmittal Date if (i) such order is received by the Fund's Transfer Agent prior to the Closing Time on such Transmittal Date; and (ii) all other procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement are properly followed. If the Fund's custodian does not receive the required number of VIPER Shares from the redeeming investor by the settlement date (T+3 unless otherwise agreed), the Fund shall be entitled to charge the redeeming investor for any costs (including investment losses, attorney's fees, and interest) sustained by the Fund as a result of the late delivery or failure to deliver. After the Transfer Agent has deemed an order for redemption outside the Clearing Process received, the Transfer Agent will initiate procedures to transfer the Redemption Securities and the Cash Redemption Amount to the Authorized Participant on behalf of the redeeming Beneficial Owner by the third Business Day following the Transmittal Date on which such redemption order is deemed received by the Transfer Agent. The calculation of the value of the Redemption Securities and the Cash Redemption Amount to be delivered upon redemption will be made by the Custodian according to the procedures set forth under "Calculation of Net Asset Value," computed on the Business Day on which a redemption order is deemed received by the Transfer Agent. Therefore, if a redemption order in proper form is submitted to the Transfer Agent by an Authorized Participant prior to the Closing Time on the Transmittal Date, then the value of the Redemption Securities and the Cash Redemption Amount will be determined by the Custodian on such Transmittal Date. Each of the VIPER Funds reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to require or permit a redeeming investor to receive its redemption proceeds in cash. In such cases, the investor would receive a cash payment equal to the net asset value of its VIPER Shares based on the NAV of those shares next determined after the redemption request is received in proper form (minus a transaction fee, including a charge for cash redemptions, described above). If a redeeming investor (or an Authorized Participant through which it is acting) is subject to a legal restriction with respect to a particular stock included in the basket of Redemption Securities, such investor may be paid an equivalent amount of cash in lieu of the stock. In addition, each VIPER Fund reserves the right to redeem Creation Units partially for cash to the extent that the Fund could not lawfully deliver one or more Redemption Securities or could not do so without first registering such securities under federal or state law. B-25 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS The Funds' Financial Statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2000, appearing in the Vanguard U.S. Stock Index Funds 2000 Annual Reports to Shareholders and inserts thereto, and the reports thereon of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, independent accountants, also appearing therein, are incorporated by reference in this Statement of Additional Information. For a more complete discussion of the performance, please see the Funds' Annual Reports to Shareholders, which may be obtained without charge. COMPARATIVE INDEXES Vanguard may use reprinted material discussing The Vanguard Group, Inc. or any of the member funds of The Vanguard Group of Investment Companies. Each of the investment company members of The Vanguard Group, including Vanguard U.S. Stock Index Funds, may from time to time, use one or more of the following unmanaged indexes for comparative performance purposes. STANDARD & POOR'S 500 COMPOSITE STOCK PRICE INDEX--includes stocks selected by Standard & Poor's Index Committee to include leading companies in leading industries and to reflect the U.S. stock market. STANDARD & POOR'S 500/BARRA VALUE INDEX--consists of the stocks in the Standard & Poor's 500 Composite Stock Price Index (S&P 500) with the lowest price-to-book ratios, comprising 50% of the market capitalization of the S&P 500. STANDARD & POOR'S 500/BARRA GROWTH INDEX--consists of the stocks in the S&P 500 with the highest price-to-book ratios, comprising 50% of the market capitalization of the S&P 500. STANDARD & POOR'S MIDCAP 400 INDEX--is composed of 400 medium sized domestic stocks. STANDARD & POOR'S SMALLCAP 600/BARRA VALUE INDEX--contains stocks of the S&P SmallCap 600 Index which have a lower than average price-to-book ratio. STANDARD & POOR'S SMALLCAP 600/BARRA GROWTH INDEX--contains stocks of the S&P SmallCap 600 Index which have a higher than average price-to-book ratio. RUSSELL 1000 VALUE INDEX--consists of the stocks in the Russell 1000 Index (comprising the 1,000 largest U.S.-based companies measured by total market capitalization) with the lowest price-to-book ratios, comprising 50% of the market capitalization of the Russell 1000. WILSHIRE 5000 TOTAL MARKET INDEX--consists of more than 6,600 common equity securities, covering all stocks in the U.S. for which daily pricing is available. WILSHIRE 4500 COMPLETION INDEX--consists of all stocks in the Wilshire 5000 except for the 500 stocks in the S&P 500 Index. BOND BUYER MUNICIPAL BOND INDEX--is a yield index on current coupon high-grade general obligation municipal bonds. RUSSELL 2000 STOCK INDEX--is composed of approximately 2,000 small capitalization stocks. MERRILL LYNCH CORPORATE & GOVERNMENT BOND INDEX--consists of over 4,500 U.S. Treasury, agency and investment grade corporate bonds. MORGAN STANLEY CAPITAL INTERNATIONAL EAFE INDEX--is an arithmetic, market value-weighted average of the performance of over 900 securities listed on the stock exchanges of countries in Europe, Australia, Asia and the Far East. GOLDMAN SACHS 100 CONVERTIBLE BOND INDEX--currently includes 71 bonds and 29 preferred stocks. The original list of names was generated by screening for convertible issues of $100 million or greater in market capitalization. The index is priced monthly. SALOMON BROTHERS GNMA INDEX--includes pools of mortgages originated by private lenders and guaranteed by the mortgage pools of the Government National Mortgage Association. B-26 SALOMON BROTHERS HIGH-GRADE CORPORATE BOND INDEX--consists of publicly issued, non-convertible corporate bonds rated Aa or Aaa. It is a value-weighted, total return index, including approximately 800 issues with maturities of 12 years or greater. SALOMON BROTHERS BROAD INVESTMENT-GRADE BOND INDEX--is a market-weighted index that contains approximately 4,700 individually priced investment-grade corporate bonds rated BBB or better, U.S. Treasury/ agency issues and mortgage pass-through securities. LEHMAN BROTHERS LONG-TERM TREASURY BOND INDEX--is a market weighted index that contains individually priced U.S. Treasury securities with maturities of ten years or greater. NASDAQ INDUSTRIAL INDEX--is composed of more than 3,000 industrial issues. It is a value-weighted index calculated on price change only and does not include income. COMPOSITE INDEX--70% S&P 500 Index and 30% NASDAQ Industrial Index. COMPOSITE INDEX--65% S&P 500 Index and 35% Lehman Brothers Credit A or Better Bond Index. COMPOSITE INDEX--65% Lehman Brothers Long Credit AA or Better Bond Index and a 35% weighting in a blended equity composite (75% S&P 500/BARRA Value Index, 12.5% S&P Utilities Index and 12.5% S&P Telephone Index). LEHMAN BROTHERS LONG CREDIT AA OR BETTER BOND INDEX--consists of all publicly issued, fixed rate, non-convertible investment grade, dollar-denominated, SEC-registered corporate debt rated AA or AAA. LEHMAN BROTHERS AGGREGATE BOND INDEX--is a market-weighted index that contains individually priced U.S. Treasury, agency, corporate, and mortgage pass-through securities corporate rated Baa- or better. The Index has a market value of over $5 trillion. LEHMAN BROTHERS CREDIT A OR BETTER BOND INDEX--consists of all publicly issued, investment grade corporate bonds rated A or better, of all maturity levels. LEHMAN BROTHERS MUTUAL FUND SHORT (1-5) GOVERNMENT/CREDIT INDEX--is a market-weighted index that contains individually priced U.S. Treasury, agency, and corporate investment grade bonds rated BBB- or better with maturities between one and five years. The index has a market value of over $1.6 trillion. LEHMAN BROTHERS MUTUAL FUND INTERMEDIATE (5-10) GOVERNMENT/CREDIT INDEX--is a market-weighted index that contains individually priced U.S. Treasury, agency, and corporate securities rated BBB- or better with maturities between five and ten years. The index has a market value of over $800 billion. LEHMAN BROTHERS LONG (10+) GOVERNMENT/CREDIT INDEX--is a market-weighted index that contains individually priced U.S. Treasury, agency, and corporate securities rated BBB- or better with maturities greater than ten years. The index has a market value of over $1.1 trillion. LEHMAN BROTHERS CREDIT (BAA) BOND INDEX--all publicly offered fixed-rate, non-convertible domestic corporate bonds rated Baa by Moody's, with a maturity longer than one year and with more than $100 million outstanding. This index includes over 1,500 issues. LEHMAN BROTHERS LONG CREDIT BOND INDEX--is a subset of the Lehman Brothers Credit Bond Index covering all corporate, publicly issued, fixed-rate nonconvertible U.S. debt issues rated at least Baa, with at least $100 million principal outstanding and maturity greater than ten years. B-27 SAI040 122001 PART C VANGUARD INDEX TRUST OTHER INFORMATION ITEM 23. EXHIBITS (a) Declaration of Trust* (b) By-Laws* (c) Reference is made to Articles III and V of the Registrant's Declaration of Trust (d) Not applicable (e) Not applicable (f) Reference is made to the section entitled "Management of the Funds" in the Registrant's Statement of Additional Information (g) Custodian Agreement+ (h) Amended and Restated Funds' Service Agreement* (i) Legal Opinion* (j) Consent of Independent Accountants+ (k) Not Applicable (l) Not Applicable (m) Not Applicable (n) Not Applicable (o) Rule 18f-3 Plan* (p) Code of Ethics* *Filed previously **Filed herewith +To be filed by amendment ITEM 24. PERSONS CONTROLLED BY OR UNDER COMMON CONTROL WITH REGISTRANT Registrant is not controlled by or under common control with any person. ITEM 25. INDEMNIFICATION The Registrant's organizational documents contain provisions indemnifying Trustees and officers against liability incurred in their official capacity. Article VII, Section 2 of the Declaration of Trust provides that the Registrant may indemnify and hold harmless each and every Trustee and officer from and against any and all claims, demands, costs, losses, expenses, and damages whatsoever arising out of or related to the performance of his or her duties as a Trustee or officer. However, this provision does not cover any liability to which a Trustee or officer would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office. Article VI of the By-Laws generally provides that the Registrant shall indemnify its Trustees and officers from any liability arising out of their past or present service in that capacity. Among other things, this provision excludes any liability arising by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or the reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of the Trustee's or officer's office with the Registrant. ITEM 26. BUSINESS AND OTHER CONNECTIONS OF INVESTMENT ADVISER Investment advisory services are provided to the Registrant on an at-cost basis by The Vanguard Group, Inc., a jointly-owned subsidiary of the Registrant and the other funds in The Vanguard Group of Investment Companies. See the information concerning The Vanguard Group, Inc. set forth in Parts A and B. For information as to any other business, vocation or employment of a substantial nature in which each director or officer of the Registrant's investment advisor is or has been engaged for his own account or in the capacity of officer, employee, partner or trustee, reference is made to Form ADV (File #801-11953) filed by it under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. C-1 ITEM 27. PRINCIPAL UNDERWRITERS a. Not Applicable b. Not Applicable c. Not Applicable ITEM 28. LOCATION OF ACCOUNTS AND RECORDS The books, accounts and other documents required by Section 31(a) under the 1940 Act and the Rules thereunder will be maintained at the offices of Registrant; Registrant's Transfer Agent, The Vanguard Group, Inc., 100 Vanguard Boulevard, Malvern, PA 19355; and the Registrant's Custodians, First Union National Bank, PA4943, 530 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106, and The Chase Manhattan Bank, N.A., 4 Chase MetroTech Center, Brooklyn, NY 11245. ITEM 29. MANAGEMENT SERVICES Other than as set forth under the description of The Vanguard Group in Part B of this Registration Statement, the Registrant is not a party to any management-related service contract. ITEM 30. UNDERTAKINGS Not Applicable C-2 SIGNATURES Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Registrant hereby certifies that it meet all requirements for effectiveness of this Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 485(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, and it has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the Town of Valley Forge and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, on the 10th day of December, 2001. VANGUARD INDEX FUNDS BY:_____________(signature)________________ (HEIDI STAM) JOHN J. BRENNAN* CHAIRMAN AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Post-Effective Amendment to the Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the date indicated: SIGNATURE TITLE DATE -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By:/S/ JOHN J. BRENNAN President, Chairman, Chief December 10, 2001 ---------------------------Executive Officer, and Trustee (Heidi Stam) John J. Brennan* By:/S/ CHARLES D. ELLIS Trustee December 10, 2001 --------------------------- (Heidi Stam) Charles D. Ellis* By:/S/ JOANN HEFFERNAN HEISEN Trustee December 10, 2001 --------------------------- (Heidi Stam) JoAnn Heffernan Heisen* By:/S/ BRUCE K. MACLAURY Trustee December 10, 2001 --------------------------- (Heidi Stam) Bruce K. MacLaury* By:/S/ BURTON G. MALKIEL Trustee December 10, 2001 --------------------------- (Heidi Stam) Burton G. Malkiel* By:/S/ ALFRED M. RANKIN, JR. Trustee December 10, 2001 --------------------------- (Heidi Stam) Alfred M. Rankin, Jr.* By:/S/ JAMES O. WELCH, JR. Trustee December 10, 2001 --------------------------- (Heidi Stam) James O. Welch, Jr.* By:/S/ J. LAWRENCE WILSON Trustee December 10, 2001 --------------------------- (Heidi Stam) J. Lawrence Wilson* By:/S/ THOMAS J. HIGGINS Treasurer, Principal Financial December 10, 2001 ---------------------------Officer, and Principal (Heidi Stam) Accounting Officer Thomas J. Higgins* *By Power of Attorney. See File Number 33-32548, filed on July 24,2001. Incorporated by Reference.