It's also worth noting that Vanguard's index funds are usually offered to the general public in two share classes: the "Investor" shares, and the "Admiral" shar

It's also worth noting that Vanguard's index funds are usually offered to the general public in two share classes: the "Investor" shares, and the "Admiral" shares. The Admiral shares have lower expense ratios, and generally require a $10k minimum investment -- down from something like $50k several years ago. Some of Vanguard's funds have corresponding ETFs, which hold the exact same investments the funds do, and usually offer the low expense ratio of the Admiral fund shares with no minimum investment.