Fund Evaluator:
Vanguard Inflation-Protected Secs I (VIPIX)
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Fund Details
Vanguard Inflation-Protected Secs I Overview
Vanguard Inflation-Protected Secs I (VIPIX) is an actively managed Taxable Bond Inflation-Protected Bond fund. Vanguard launched the fund in 2003.
The investment seeks to provide inflation protection and income consistent with investment in inflation-indexed securities. The fund manager employs an active management approach, investing mainly in investment-grade, inflation-indexed bonds. Under normal circumstances, it invests at least 80% of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in inflation-indexed bonds issued by the U.S. government, its agencies and instrumentalities, and corporations.
About Vanguard Inflation-Protected Secs I (VIPIX)
There are 1 members of the management team with an average tenure of 0.29 years: Brian Quigley (2026). Management tenure is more important for actively managed funds than passive index funds.
The fund has 2 primary benchmarks: Bloomberg US Agg Bond TR USD index with a weighting of 100% and Bloomberg US Treasury US TIPS TR USD index with a weighting of 100%. Vanguard Inflation-Protected Secs I has 65 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 37.1% of the fund’s assets. The fund meets the SEC requirement of being classified as a diversified fund. The fund is not considered to have an ESG focus with its investment selection and management.
Vanguard Inflation-Protected Secs I is part of the Fixed Income global asset class and is within the Taxable Bond fund group. Vanguard Inflation-Protected Secs I has 0.0% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 0.0%. There is 0.0% allocated to foreign stock, and 0.0% is allocated to preferred stocks. The bond allocation as a percentage of total assets is 99.5% (99.5% domestic bond, 0.0% foreign bond and 0.0% convertible bond). Vanguard Inflation-Protected Secs I has 0.5% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $12 billion in total assets, which is above the $869 million average for the Inflation-Protected Bond category. Normally, lower assets under management translates to higher average expense ratios, and greater total assets are desired. However, for some investment categories, such as small-cap investing, it may be difficult for the manager to fully employ the desired active strategy if assets grow too large or too quickly.
VIPIX Performance and Fees
The expense ratio measures how much of a fund’s assets are used for administrative expenses and operating expenses, including adviser fees and fees for the transfer agent and custodial services. The Vanguard Inflation-Protected Secs I expense ratio is low compared to funds in the Inflation-Protected Bond category. Vanguard Inflation-Protected Secs I has an expense ratio of 0.07%, which is 90% lower than its category average, making the fund expense ratio grade a A. While it is difficult to predict returns, it is known that high annual expense ratios reduce your rate of return, and excessive fees are difficult to overcome. Active management normally comes with higher expense ratios than passive index management. Certain investment categories such as small company and foreign also normally have higher expense ratios. It is best to compare fund expense ratios against the category averages for meaningful assessments.
High portfolio turnover can translate to higher expenses and lower aftertax returns. Vanguard Inflation-Protected Secs I has a portfolio turnover rate of 60%, indicating that holds its assets around 0.0 years. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 72% for the Inflation-Protected Bond category.
Recently, in the month of July 2026, Vanguard Inflation-Protected Secs I returned -0.8%, which earned it a grade of C, as the Inflation-Protected Bond category had an average return of -0.8%. The letter grades of A, B, C, D and F are based upon relative rankings within the investment category. A grade of A, for example, would indicate that the return is in the highest 20% for that time period compared to all funds in that category.
Vanguard Inflation-Protected Secs I has a trailing yield of 5.11%, which is above the 4.20% category average. The fund normally distributes its income quarterly and its capital gains annually.
It’s natural to seek the best-performing investments, but you must consider the relationship between risk and return and the impact of costs and taxes on your realized returns.
Vanguard Inflation-Protected Secs I Grades
Year to date, the fund has returned 0.4%, 0.1 percentage points better than the category, which translates into a grade of B. The fund has returned 2.5% over the past year (grade of B), 3.7% over the past three years (grade of B) and 0.3% per year over the past five years (grade of B) and 2.3% per year over the past 10 years (grade of B).
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VIPIX Trailing NAV Total Returns Data as of 7/31/26
| Last Month |
Last Quarter |
Ann'l. 1Yr |
Ann'l. 3Yr |
Ann'l. 5Yr |
Ann'l. 10Yr |
|
| VIPIX Return (NAV) | -0.8% | -1.0% | 2.5% | 3.7% | 0.3% | 2.3% |
| VIPIX Grade | C | B | B | B | B | B |
| +/- Category | 0.0% | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Inflation-Protected Bond Avg | -0.8% | -1.2% | 2.4% | 3.4% | -0.0% | 2.1% |
| VIPIX Tax Cost Ratio | na | na | 2.0% | 1.8% | 2.1% | 1.6% |
VIPIX Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 7/31/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| VIPIX Return (NAV) | 0.4% | 7.0% | 1.9% | 3.8% | -11.9% | 5.7% | 11.0% | 8.2% | -1.4% | 3.0% | 4.6% |
| VIPIX Grade | B | B | C | B | B | B | B | B | B | C | B |
| +/- Category | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.5% | 0.4% | 0.6% | -0.0% | 0.2% | 0.5% | 0.0% | 0.2% |
| Inflation-Protected Bond Avg | 0.2% | 6.7% | 1.8% | 3.4% | -12.3% | 5.1% | 11.1% | 8.0% | -1.9% | 2.9% | 4.5% |
| Risk Measures | |
| Standard Deviation: | 4.3% |
| Total Risk Index: | 0.35 - Low |
| Category Risk Index: | 0.94 - Average |
| Category Risk Grade: | C (46% Rank) |
| Beta: | 0.71 |
| R-Squared: | 89% |
| Leveraged Fund: | No |
| Inverse Fund: | No |
| Portfolio Characteristics | |
| Equity Investment Style: | na |
| Bond Investment Style: | High Quality Moderate Sensitivity |
| Yield: | 5.1% |
| Dividend Distribution: | Quarterly |
| Cap Gains Distribution: | Annually |
| Total Assets: | $28202 Mil |
| Fund Total Assets: | $12,515 Mil |
| Share Class Type: | Inst |
| Portfolio Turnover: | 60% |
Management Team
| Number of Managers: 1 | |||
| Longest Tenure: 0.3 years | |||
| Average Tenure: 0.3 years | |||
| Managers (Year): Quigley Brian (2026) | |||
Portfolio Composition (as of 6/30/26)
| # of Holdings: | 65 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 37.1% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | No |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 0.0% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Stock: | 0.0% |
| Preferred Stock: | 0.0% |
| Domestic Bond: | 99.5% |
| Foreign Bond: | 0.0% |
| Convertible Bond: | 0.0% |
| Other: | 0.0% |
| Cash: | 0.5% |
Purchase Information
| Fund Family: | Vanguard |
| Phone Number: | 800-749-7273 |
| Website: | www.vanguard.com |
| Status: | Open |
| Inception Date: | December 12, 2003 |
| Min. Initial Purchase: | $5,000,000 |
| Min. Initial IRA Purchase: | $ 0 |
| True No-Load: | Yes |
| Front Load Maximum: | 0.00% |
| Deferred Charge Maximum: | 0.00% |
| Redemption Charge Maximum: | 0.00% |
| 12b-1 Fee: | na |
Expenses and Fees | |
| Expense Ratio (%): | 0.07% ( Rating : Low ) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 0.73% |
| Share Class: | Vanguard Inflation-Protected Secs Inv |
| Min. Subsequent Purchase: | $ 1 |
| Min. Subsequent IRA Purchase: | $ 0 |
