Vanguard Target Retirement 2035 Fund
Figures last verified October 31, 2026
Glide-path fund of four Vanguard index funds, currently around 70% stocks / 30% bonds.
The 2035 fund sits at the inflection point of Vanguard's glide path — still growth-dominant at roughly 70% stocks, but with the bond ballast becoming noticeable. For a saver in their early-to-mid fifties, that's about where decades of research on sequence-of-returns risk says you should be, whether or not it's where your risk appetite says you should be.
The construction is the same four-index-fund chassis as the whole series: total US stock, total international stock, total US bond, total international bond, rebalanced automatically for 0.08% all-in. The entire value proposition is never having to think about it again — which, judging by investor-behavior studies showing target-date owners trade less and earn closer to fund returns, is worth more than most clever portfolios.
Mid-career savers retiring in the mid-2030s.
VTTHX alternatives & comparable funds
If you’re weighing VTTHX against the field, these are the funds most investors line it up against — same job, different provider, slightly different terms.
| Fund | Family | Expense Ratio | Minimum |
|---|---|---|---|
| VTTHX — Vanguard Target Retirement 2035 Fund | Vanguard | 0.08% | $1,000 |
| VTHRX — Vanguard Target Retirement 2030 Fund | Vanguard | 0.08% | $1,000 |
| VFORX — Vanguard Target Retirement 2040 Fund | Vanguard | 0.08% | $1,000 |
| FXIFX — Fidelity Freedom Index 2030 Fund | Fidelity | 0.12% | $0 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the expense ratio of VTTHX?
VTTHX (Vanguard Target Retirement 2035 Fund) has an expense ratio of 0.08%, which works out to roughly $8 per year for every $10,000 invested. That is very low by industry standards, where the average fund still charges well over 0.40%.
What is the minimum investment for VTTHX?
VTTHX requires a minimum initial investment of $1,000.
What does VTTHX invest in?
Glide-path fund of four Vanguard index funds, currently around 70% stocks / 30% bonds. It falls in the target-date category and is a target-date fund.
What are good alternatives to VTTHX?
The funds most often compared with VTTHX are VTHRX, VFORX, FXIFX — broadly similar exposure from different providers, with small differences in fee, minimum, and portability that usually come down to which brokerage holds your account.
Expense ratio and minimum for VTTHX drawn from Vanguard fund documentation; last verified October 31, 2026. Figures change — confirm against the official prospectus before investing. This review is editorial opinion, not investment advice.