Is Vanguard the best for ETFs?
Are Vanguard ETFs a good investment? All investments carry some risk, and Vanguard ETFs are no exception. But Vanguard is a fund provider with a reliable company history, and well-diversified ETFs tend to be safer than individual stocks.
Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO)
VOO can be used in a variety of ways. Traders can use it to speculate on the short-term prospects of the S&P 500 easily, thanks to a very small bid-ask spread, which minimizes the cost of transactions. On the other hand, buy-and-hold investors can benefit from VOO's low 0.03% expense ratio.
Both Fidelity and Vanguard have a wide variety of low-cost mutual funds and ETFs. If you're simply looking at the options offered by each firm, Fidelity has more options available.
The truth is that either broker is suitable for a long-term investor, depending on one's needs. Vanguard could be a better choice for passive investors who want index funds; Charles Schwab offers more features that appeal to active investors. Ultimately, the better brokerage is dependent on how you invest.
VFQY-Vanguard U.S. Quality Factor ETF | Vanguard.
The mutual fund operator has since become the second-largest provider of ETFs (by market cap) behind Blackrock. 3 Vanguard's unique cost structure, the economies of scale it has achieved, and the total number of assets under management (AUM) allow it to offer its ETFs at the lowest cost available in the market.
Our pick for the best overall Vanguard ETF is Vanguard Total World Stock ETF. For a 0.07% expense ratio, Vanguard Total World Stock ETF offers a globally diversified exposure across over 9,500 stocks.
Performance and Cost. As the innovator of index funds, Vanguard offers an impressive range of index funds today with low expense ratios. Fidelity has a comparable selection of funds, but its fees generally aren't as competitive as Vanguard's. That said, Fidelity does offer some zero-cost funds for its customers.
Fidelity is your answer. The tension between these two starts for those investors who are looking to compare mutual funds, fees, account minimums and investment offerings.
(Although Vanguard offers some actively managed funds, too.) Fidelity has a wider range of investment funds if you want active management, and a more robust array of services if you want to buy and sell individual stocks.
Is there a downside to ETFs?
For instance, some ETFs may come with fees, others might stray from the value of the underlying asset, ETFs are not always optimized for taxes, and of course — like any investment — ETFs also come with risk.
| Fund (ticker) | YTD performance | Expense ratio |
|---|---|---|
| Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) | 10.4 percent | 0.03 percent |
| SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) | 10.4 percent | 0.095 percent |
| iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV) | 10.4 percent | 0.03 percent |
| Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) | 8.6 percent | 0.20 percent |
Overall, we found that Schwab is a great choice for self-directed investors and traders who want access to multiple platforms, plenty of tools, and full banking capabilities. Vanguard works well for buy-and-hold investors who may not be as tech-savvy and who want access to professional advice.
- #1. iShares® ESG Advanced MSCI USA ETF USXF.
- #2. Vanguard Growth ETF VUG.
- #3. Direxion NASDAQ-100® Equal Wtd ETF QQQE.
About Vanguard
Vanguard's mission is to "take a stand for all investors, to treat them fairly, and to give them the best chance for investment success."6 It prides itself on its stability, transparency, low costs, and risk management.
| Symbol Symbol | ETF Name ETF Name | % In Top 10 % In Top 10 |
|---|---|---|
| VIG | Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF | 28.88% |
| VYM | Vanguard High Dividend Yield Index ETF | 23.43% |
| VYMI | Vanguard International High Dividend Yield ETF | 15.81% |
| VIGI | Vanguard International Dividend Appreciation ETF | 32.32% |
- Relatively high minimum investment requirements for many fund options.
- Higher-than-average per-contract options fee.
- Slow process to open an account.
- No trading platform for active traders.
- No fractional shares of stocks or ETFs.
ETFs are subject to market fluctuation and the risks of their underlying investments. ETFs are subject to management fees and other expenses. Unlike mutual funds, ETF shares are bought and sold at market price, which may be higher or lower than their NAV, and are not individually redeemed from the fund.
ETFs are most often linked to a benchmarking index, meaning that they are often not designed to outperform that index. Investors looking for this type of outperformance (which also, of course, carries added risks) should perhaps look to other opportunities.
Vanguard S&P 500 ETF holds a Zacks ETF Rank of 2 (Buy), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Because of this, VOO is a great option for investors seeking exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Blend segment of the market.
What is the most actively managed ETF?
- T. Rowe Price Blue Chip Growth ETF (TCHP)
- ARK Innovation ETF (ARKK)
- SPDR DoubleLine Total Return Tactical ETF (TOTL)
- Blackrock Large Cap Value ETF (BLCV)
- Fidelity Magellan ETF (FMAG)
- Invesco Active U.S. Real Estate Fund (PSR)
- JPMorgan Equity Premium Income ETF (JEPI)
Experts agree that for most personal investors, a portfolio comprising 5 to 10 ETFs is perfect in terms of diversification.
The answer depends on you and your investment goals. There's no reason you can't have accounts with both Fidelity and Vanguard (among others). You'll have two (or more) sets of statements to review, multiple phone numbers to remember, several websites to navigate and hundreds of funds to understand and monitor.
If you buy directly through Vanguard, you may benefit from lower fees, better customer service, and additional product research. Buying a Vanguard fund through a broker may involve commissions, loads, or other charges that are imposed by the broker, and not Vanguard directly—although this is not always the case.
"Beginner investors should consider Vanguard funds for their low costs, diversification across asset classes and regions, simplicity, and robust investor education resources," says Sean August, CEO of August Wealth Management Group.
