Vanguard Intermediate-Term Tax-Exempt Fund Summary Prospectus

February 27, 2020

Investor Shares & Admiral™ Shares

Vanguard Intermediate-Term Tax-Exempt Fund Investor Shares (VWITX)

Vanguard Intermediate-Term Tax-Exempt Fund Admiral Shares (VWIUX)

The Fund's statutory Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information dated February 27, 2020, as may be amended or supplemented, are incorporated into and made part of this Summary Prospectus by reference.

Before you invest, you may want to review the Fund's Prospectus, which contains more information about the Fund and its risks. You can find the Fund's Prospectus and other information about the Fund online at www.vanguard.com/prospectus. You can also obtain this information at no cost by calling 800-662-7447 or by sending an email request to online@vanguard.com.

See the inside front cover for important information about access to your fund's annual and semiannual shareholder reports.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

Important information about access to shareholder reports

Beginning on January 1, 2021, as permitted by regulations adopted by the SEC, paper copies of your fund's annual and semiannual shareholder reports will no longer be sent to you by mail, unless you specifically request them. Instead, you will be notified by mail each time a report is posted on the website and will be provided with a link to access the report.

If you have already elected to receive shareholder reports electronically, you will not be affected by this change and do not need to take any action. You may elect to receive shareholder reports and other communications from the fund electronically by contacting your financial intermediary (such as a broker-dealer or bank) or, if you invest directly with the fund, by calling Vanguard at one of the phone numbers on the back cover of this prospectus or by logging on to vanguard.com.

You may elect to receive paper copies of all future shareholder reports free of charge. If you invest through a financial intermediary, you can contact the intermediary to request that you continue to receive paper copies. If you invest directly with the fund, you can call Vanguard at one of the phone numbers on the back cover of this prospectus or log on to vanguard.com. Your election to receive paper copies will apply to all the funds you hold through an intermediary or directly with Vanguard.

Investment Objective

The Fund seeks to provide a moderate and sustainable level of current income that is exempt from federal personal income taxes.

Fees and Expenses

The following table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold Investor Shares or Admiral Shares of the Fund.

Shareholder Fees

(Fees paid directly from your investment)

 

Investor Shares

Admiral Shares

Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases

None

None

 

 

 

Purchase Fee

None

None

 

 

 

Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends

None

None

 

 

 

Redemption Fee

None

None

 

 

 

Account Service Fee (for certain fund account balances below

$20/year

$20/year

$10,000)

 

 

 

 

 

1

Annual Fund Operating Expenses

(Expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

 

Investor Shares

Admiral Shares

Management Fees

0.15%

0.08%

 

 

 

12b-1 Distribution Fee

None

None

 

 

 

Other Expenses

0.02%

0.01%

 

 

 

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

0.17%

0.09%

 

 

 

Examples

The following examples are intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund's Investor Shares or Admiral Shares with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. They illustrate the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over various periods if you were to invest $10,000 in the Fund's shares. These examples assume that the shares provide a return of 5% each year and that total annual fund operating expenses remain as stated in the preceding table. You would incur these hypothetical expenses whether or not you were to redeem your investment at the end of the given period. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

 

1 Year

3 Years

5 Years

10 Years

Investor Shares

$17

$55

$96

$217

 

 

 

 

 

Admiral Shares

$9

$29

$51

$115

 

 

 

 

 

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in more taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the previous expense examples, reduce the Fund's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 8% of the average value of its portfolio.

Principal Investment Strategies

The Fund has no limitations on the maturity of individual securities but is expected to maintain a dollar-weighted average maturity of 6 to 12 years. At least 75% of the securities held by the Fund are municipal bonds in the top three credit-rating categories as determined by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization (NRSRO) (e.g., Aaa, Aa, and A by Moody's Investors Service, Inc. (Moody's)) or, if

2

unrated, determined to be of comparable quality by the advisor. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in medium-grade quality bonds, as determined by an NRSRO (e.g., Baa by Moody's) or by the advisor. The remaining 5% may be invested in securities with lower credit ratings or, if unrated, determined to be of comparable quality by the advisor.

Principal Risks

An investment in the Fund could lose money over short or long periods of time. You should expect the Fund's share price and total return to fluctuate within a wide range. The Fund is subject to the following risks, which could affect the Fund's performance:

Income risk, which is the chance that the Fund's income will decline because of falling interest rates. Income risk is generally moderate for intermediate-term bond funds, so investors should expect the Fund's monthly income to fluctuate accordingly.

Interest rate risk, which is the chance that bond prices will decline because of rising interest rates. Interest rate risk should be moderate for the Fund because it invests primarily in short- and intermediate-term bonds, whose prices are less sensitive to interest rate changes than are the prices of long-term bonds.

Call risk, which is the chance that during periods of falling interest rates, issuers of callable bonds may call (redeem) securities with higher coupon rates or interest rates before their maturity dates. The Fund would then lose any price appreciation above the bond's call price and would be forced to reinvest the unanticipated proceeds at lower interest rates, resulting in a decline in the Fund's income. Such redemptions and subsequent reinvestments would also increase the Fund's portfolio turnover rate. Call risk is generally moderate for intermediate-term bond funds.

Extension risk, which is the chance that during periods of rising interest rates, certain debt securities will be paid off substantially more slowly than originally anticipated, and the value of those securities may fall. Extension risk is generally moderate for intermediate-term bond funds.

Credit risk, which is the chance that a bond issuer will fail to pay interest or principal in a timely manner or that negative perceptions of the issuer's ability to make such payments will cause the price of that bond to decline. In general, credit risk should be relatively low for the Fund because it invests primarily in bonds that are considered to be of high quality.

Liquidity risk, which is the chance that the Fund may not be able to sell a security in a timely manner at a desired price.

Manager risk, which is the chance that poor security selection will cause the Fund to underperform relevant benchmarks or other funds with a similar investment objective.

Tax risk, which is the chance that all or a portion of the tax-exempt income from municipal bonds held by the Fund will be declared taxable, possibly with retroactive

3

effect, because of unfavorable changes in tax laws, adverse interpretations by the Internal Revenue Service or state or local tax authorities, or noncompliant conduct of a bond issuer.

An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.

Annual Total Returns

The following bar chart and table are intended to help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the performance of the Fund's Investor Shares has varied from one calendar year to another over the periods shown. The table shows how the average annual total returns of the share classes presented compare with those of a relevant market index, which has investment characteristics similar to those of the Fund. Keep in mind that the Fund's past performance (before and after taxes) does not indicate how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available on our website at vanguard.com/performance or by calling Vanguard toll-free at 800-662-7447.

Annual Total Returns — Vanguard Intermediate-Term Tax-Exempt Fund Investor Shares

 

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

 

 

30%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

20%

 

 

9.62

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10%

 

 

5.70

 

 

7.25

 

 

 

 

4.53

 

 

6.78

 

 

2.13

 

 

 

 

2.86

0.08

1.25

 

 

0%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-10%

 

 

 

 

 

 

-1.56

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-20%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

During the periods shown in the bar chart, the highest return for a calendar quarter was 3.45% (quarter ended June 30, 2011), and the lowest return for a quarter was –3.60% (quarter ended December 31, 2010).

4

Average Annual Total Returns for Periods Ended December 31, 2019

 

1 Year

5 Years

10 Years

Vanguard Intermediate-Term Tax-Exempt Fund Investor Shares

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Return Before Taxes

6.78%

3.07%

3.81%

 

 

 

 

Return After Taxes on Distributions

6.78

3.07

3.81

 

 

 

 

Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares

5.13

3.00

3.66

 

 

 

 

Vanguard Intermediate-Term Tax-Exempt Fund Admiral Shares

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Return Before Taxes

6.87%

3.16%

3.90%

 

 

 

 

Bloomberg Barclays 1-15 Year Municipal Bond Index

 

 

 

(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)

6.44%

3.01%

3.66%

 

 

 

 

Actual after-tax returns depend on your tax situation and may differ from those shown in the preceding table. When after-tax returns are calculated, it is assumed that the shareholder was in the highest individual federal marginal income tax bracket at the time of each distribution of income or capital gains or upon redemption. State and local income taxes are not reflected in the calculations. Please note that after-tax returns are shown only for the Investor Shares and may differ for each share class. After-tax returns are not relevant for a shareholder who holds fund shares in a tax- deferred account, such as an individual retirement account or a 401(k) plan. Also, figures captioned Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares may be higher than other figures for the same period if a capital loss occurs upon redemption and results in an assumed tax deduction for the shareholder.

Investment Advisor

The Vanguard Group, Inc. (Vanguard)

Portfolio Manager

James M. D'Arcy, CFA, Portfolio Manager at Vanguard. He has managed the Fund since 2013.

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

You may purchase or redeem shares online through our website (vanguard.com), by mail (The Vanguard Group, P.O. Box 1110, Valley Forge, PA 19482-1110), or by telephone (800-662-2739). The minimum investment amount required to open and maintain a Fund account for Investor Shares or Admiral Shares is $3,000 or $50,000, respectively. The minimum investment amount required to add to an existing Fund account is generally $1. Financial intermediaries, institutional clients, and Vanguard-advised clients should contact Vanguard for information on special eligibility rules that may apply to them regarding Admiral Shares. If you are investing through an intermediary, please contact that firm directly for more information regarding your eligibility.

5

Tax Information

The Fund's distributions may be taxable as ordinary income or capital gain. A majority of the income dividends that you receive from the Fund are expected to be exempt from federal income taxes. However, a portion of the Fund's distributions may be subject to federal, state, or local income taxes or the federal alternative minimum tax.

Payments to Financial Intermediaries

The Fund and its investment advisor do not pay financial intermediaries for sales of Fund shares.

Vanguard Intermediate-Term Tax-Exempt Fund Investor Shares—Fund Number 42

Vanguard Intermediate-Term Tax-Exempt Fund Admiral Shares—Fund Number 542

CFA® is a registered trademark owned by CFA Institute.

BLOOMBERG is a trademark and service mark of Bloomberg Finance L.P. BARCLAYS is a trademark and service mark of Barclays Bank Plc, used under license. Bloomberg Finance L.P. and its affiliates, including Bloomberg Index Services Limited (BISL) (collectively, Bloomberg), or Bloomberg's licensors, own all proprietary rights in the Bloomberg Barclays 1-15 Year Municipal Bond Index (the Index or Bloomberg Barclays Index).

Neither Barclays Bank Plc, Barclays Capital Inc., or any affiliate (collectively Barclays) or Bloomberg is the issuer or producer of the Intermediate-Term Tax-Exempt Fund and neither Bloomberg nor Barclays has any responsibilities, obligations or duties to investors in the Intermediate-Term Tax-Exempt Fund. The Index is licensed for use by The Vanguard Group, Inc. (Vanguard) as the sponsor of the Intermediate-Term Tax-Exempt Fund. Bloomberg and Barclays' only relationship with Vanguard in respect to the Index is the licensing of the Index, which is determined, composed and calculated by BISL, or any successor

thereto, without regard to the Issuer or the Intermediate-Term Tax-Exempt Fund or the owners of the Intermediate-Term Tax- Exempt Fund.

Additionally, Vanguard may for itself execute transaction(s) with Barclays in or relating to the Index in connection with the Intermediate-Term Tax-Exempt Fund. Investors acquire the Intermediate-Term Tax-Exempt Fund from Vanguard and investors neither acquire any interest in the Index nor enter into any relationship of any kind whatsoever with Bloomberg or Barclays upon making an investment in the Intermediate-Term Tax-Exempt Fund. The Intermediate-Term Tax-Exempt Fund is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by Bloomberg or Barclays. Neither Bloomberg nor Barclays makes any representation or warranty, express or implied regarding the advisability of investing in the Intermediate-Term Tax-Exempt Fund or the advisability of investing in securities generally or the ability of the Index to track corresponding or relative market performance. Neither Bloomberg nor Barclays has passed on the legality or suitability of the Intermediate-Term Tax-Exempt Fund with respect to any person or entity. Neither Bloomberg nor Barclays is responsible for and has not participated in the determination of the timing of, prices at, or quantities of the Intermediate-Term Tax-Exempt Fund to be issued. Neither Bloomberg nor Barclays has any obligation to take the needs of the Issuer or the owners of the Intermediate-Term Tax-Exempt Fund or any other third party into consideration in determining, composing or calculating the Index. Neither Bloomberg nor Barclays has any obligation or liability in connection with administration, marketing or trading of the Intermediate-Term Tax- Exempt Fund.

The licensing agreement between Bloomberg and Barclays is solely for the benefit of Bloomberg and Barclays and not for the benefit of the owners of the Intermediate-Term Tax-Exempt Fund, investors or other third parties. In addition, the licensing agreement between Vanguard and Bloomberg is solely for the benefit of Vanguard and Bloomberg and not for the benefit of the owners of the Intermediate-Term Tax-Exempt Fund, investors or other third parties.

NEITHER BLOOMBERG NOR BARCLAYS SHALL HAVE ANY LIABILITY TO THE ISSUER, INVESTORS OR TO OTHER THIRD PARTIES FOR THE QUALITY, ACCURACY AND/OR COMPLETENESS OF THE BLOOMBERG BARCLAYS INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN OR FOR INTERRUPTIONS IN THE DELIVERY OF THE BLOOMBERG BARCLAYS INDEX. NEITHER BLOOMBERG NOR BARCLAYS MAKES ANY WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS TO RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY THE ISSUER, THE INVESTORS OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY FROM THE USE OF THE BLOOMBERG BARCLAYS INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. NEITHER BLOOMBERG NOR BARCLAYS MAKES ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, AND EACH HEREBY EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE WITH RESPECT TO THE BLOOMBERG BARCLAYS INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. BLOOMBERG RESERVES THE RIGHT TO CHANGE THE METHODS OF CALCULATION OR PUBLICATION, OR TO CEASE THE CALCULATION OR PUBLICATION OF THE BLOOMBERG BARCLAYS INDEX, AND NEITHER BLOOMBERG NOR BARCLAYS SHALL BE LIABLE FOR ANY MISCALCULATION OF OR ANY INCORRECT, DELAYED OR INTERRUPTED PUBLICATION WITH RESPECT TO THE BLOOMBERG BARCLAYS INDEX. NEITHER BLOOMBERG NOR BARCLAYS SHALL BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY SPECIAL, INDIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, OR ANY LOST PROFITS AND EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH, RESULTING FROM THE USE OF A BLOOMBERG BARCLAYS INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN OR WITH RESPECT TO THE INTERMEDIATE-TERM TAX-EXEMPT FUND.

None of the information supplied by Bloomberg or Barclays and used in this publication may be reproduced in any manner without the prior written permission of both Bloomberg and Barclays Capital, the investment banking division of Barclays Bank Plc. Barclays Bank Plc is registered in England No. 1026167. Registered office 1 Churchill Place London E14 5HP.

To request additional information about the Fund, please visit vanguard.com or contact us at 800-662-7447.

© 2020 The Vanguard Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Vanguard Marketing Corporation, Distributor.

SP 42 022020

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