Shareholder Fees (USD $)	24 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011
Vanguard Balanced Index Fund | Vanguard Balanced Index Fund - Investor Shares
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment]
Sales charge (load) imposed on purchases	none
Purchase Fee	none
Sales charge (load) imposed on reinvested dividends	none
Redemption Fee	none
Account Service Fee (for fund account balances below $10,000)	$ 20
Vanguard Balanced Index Fund | Vanguard Balanced Index Fund - Admiral Shares
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment]
Sales charge (load) imposed on purchases	none
Purchase Fee	none
Sales charge (load) imposed on reinvested dividends	none
Redemption Fee	none
Account Service Fee (for fund account balances below $10,000)	20
Vanguard Balanced Index Fund | Vanguard Balanced Index Fund - Institutional Shares
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment]
Sales charge (load) imposed on purchases	none
Purchase Fee	none
Sales charge (load) imposed on reinvested dividends	none
Redemption Fee	none
Account Service Fee (for fund account balances below $10,000)	none
Vanguard Balanced Index Fund | Vanguard Balanced Index Fund - Signal Shares
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment]
Sales charge (load) imposed on purchases	none
Purchase Fee	none
Sales charge (load) imposed on reinvested dividends	none
Redemption Fee	none
Account Service Fee (for fund account balances below $10,000)	none
Vanguard Managed Payout Distribution Focus Fund | Vanguard Managed Payout Distribution Focus Fund - Investor Shares
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment]
Sales charge (load) imposed on purchases	none
Purchase Fee	none
Sales charge (load) imposed on reinvested dividends	none
Redemption Fee	none
Account Service Fee (for fund account balances below $10,000)	20
Vanguard Managed Payout Growth and Distribution Fu | Vanguard Managed Payout Growth and Distribution Fund - Investor Shares
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment]
Sales charge (load) imposed on purchases	none
Purchase Fee	none
Sales charge (load) imposed on reinvested dividends	none
Redemption Fee	none
Account Service Fee (for fund account balances below $10,000)	20
Vanguard Managed Payout Growth Focus Fund | Vanguard Managed Payout Growth Focus Fund - Investor Shares
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment]
Sales charge (load) imposed on purchases	none
Purchase Fee	none
Sales charge (load) imposed on reinvested dividends	none
Redemption Fee	none
Account Service Fee (for fund account balances below $10,000)	$ 20