VFFSX Mutual Fund — Vanguard 500 Index Institutional Select Shares

Vanguard 500 Index Institutional Select Shares (VFFSX)

Updated October 15, 2026.

VFFSX is a low-cost Mutual Fund. its distribution rate is 1.10%, its trailing-12-month yield is 1.06%, its expense ratio is 0.01%. Dividend Vision Distribution Safety Score™ is 100/100 (Safe). Total return is 348.6% over the past 10.5 years, 3.5 points ahead of SPY at 345.1%.

Vanguard 500 Index Institutional Select Shares is a mutual fund that tracks the Standard & Poor's 500 Index by holding the same large-cap U.S. stocks in the same proportions as the index. The fund has a modest current distribution rate, distributes quarterly, and carries an exceptionally low expense ratio of 0.01%. It appeals to investors seeking broad U.S. equity market exposure with minimal costs.

VFFSX performance versus SPY

Price and return data through 2026-10-15.

Total return is 348.6% over the past 10.5 years, 3.5 points ahead of SPY at 345.1%. Over the past year its total return — price change plus distributions reinvested — is 17.4%. Its deepest 1-year drawdown was 8.9%.

VFFSX key facts

Distribution Safety Score™

100 · Safe

Safety-Adjusted Yield

1.10%

Issuer

Vanguard

Asset type

Mutual Fund

Asset class

Equity

Expense ratio

0.01%

Distribution rate

1.10%

Distribution frequency

Quarterly

Trailing yield

1.06%

Last close

$379.05 (as of 2026-10-15)

NAV

$396.70 as of 2026-09-30; source eodhd (stale)

Premium / discount

N/A (price 2026-10-15, NAV 2026-09-30) (NAV stale)

AUM

$459,294,670,848

Average volume

0.0

Dividend

$0.993

Ex-dividend date

09/28/2026

Payment date

09/29/2026

Beta

1.0

How Dividend Vision calculates yield and returns

Distribution rate (1.10%) uses calculation basis unavailable. Issuer rates can use a different denominator and date, including ex-date NAV. Trailing-12-month yield (1.06%) is the sum of split-adjusted cash distributions with ex-dates in the last 12 months, divided by the published price. It lags a recent raise or cut. Total return uses split-adjusted close with distributions reinvested on the ex-dividend date (a modeling convention, not the cash-settlement date) from the first stored bar on or after inception through the latest bar, compared with the same window on the benchmark. That is the security's total return, not your personal gain/loss.

Yield and safety methodology · Distribution rate methodology · Distribution Safety Score methodology

Sources and review

Primary sources: Vanguard or company page; prices and distributions from Dividend Vision, derived from vendor EOD data.

Reviewed by Bert Sweet, CEO and Co-owner of Dividend Vision. Methodology: Distribution Safety Score.

VFFSX risks and drawbacks

VFFSX's current distribution rate is moderate, not a high-yield payout — the strategy is dividend quality more than maximum income. Payments are quarterly, so cash flow is lumpy versus a monthly fund. The deepest 1-year drawdown on record here is 8.9%.

Who may consider VFFSX — and who may not

VFFSX may suit someone looking for low-cost broad dividend exposure, a high Distribution Safety Score. It is a weaker fit for investors who need monthly cash flow (VFFSX pays quarterly); investors hunting double-digit covered-call yields. This is educational context, not a recommendation to buy or sell.

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Frequently asked questions

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