Yay Vanguard!

[sabrinamari]

Next week, I'm going to do a post on Wiccans and spending inspired by bohemianeditor and I will walk you through starting a great IRA online all by yourself.

I'm going to recommend that you do so with Vanguard, although I will provide links to a number of other good options, too.

Look at the short paragraph below and you will see why I suggest starting with Vanguard funds. Interestingly, quite a few of my financially strategic Pagan friends already have Vanguard accounts (although this alone is not a good enough reason for you to do it, too!):

catpaw67, elphaba_of_oz, glenmarshall (I think), shades_of_nyx, and seedmoon have all taken advantage of Vanguard's low, low costs and great long-term indexing options.

Oh, and me and my brother, somacandra and my honey mage_imbroglio.

I love Vanguard. They are da bomb.

******

January 15, 2008

Forbes "Best Buys" list honors Vanguard funds
More than three dozen Vanguard® mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) appear on the latest Forbes "Best Buys" list—almost a third of the 113 funds on the list and by far the most of any fund family. Vanguard funds appeared in 17 of the magazine's 24 categories, swept the index fund category, and dominated the bond and ETF categories.


Funds on the list "combine good risk-adjusted six-year returns and low expenses (loads, overhead, and portfolio trading costs)," Forbes' editors wrote.

"We're pleased to remain ahead of the competition in Forbes' fund ranking," said Joseph Brennan, who heads Vanguard's Portfolio Review Department. "Vanguard funds have been able to boast a long-term track record of strong performance relative to our competitors thanks to our significant expense advantage and the shareholder-focused efforts of our investment managers. It's gratifying to see this record recognized by Forbes, just as it was by Money magazine a few days ago."

You can read the full report—including a detailed explanation of the ranking criteria—in Forbes' January 28, 2008, edition or on Forbes.com.

Comments

[glenmarshall.livejournal.com]

In Vanguard I own Intermediate-Term Treasury (VFITX), Intermediate-Term Investment-Grade (VFICX), Mid-Cap Index (VIMAX), and Global Equity (VHGEX) funds plus my IRA in Target Retirement 2015 (VTXVX).

In E*Trade I also invest in the Fidelity International Discovery (FIGRX) and the Janus Fundamental Equity (JAEIX) funds plus individual stocks.

[shades-of-nyx.livejournal.com]

That is exactly where I will go when the surplus $$ become more than they are now.

glenmarshall has a couple of years on me. We can hope my income will grow to a point where I'll be able to max my workplace plan and then begin investing post-tax $$.

[jasminewind.livejournal.com]

Will be partaking in the wonder of Vanguard (have my target retirement date plan all picked out) as soon as life settles around the home sale/purchase issue. Vanguard - almost as cool as sabrinamari!

[ninjaslug.livejournal.com]

Agreed and agreed!

Vanguard is fantastic. I've had both IRA and a "regular" accounts with them over the course of time, and I can only relate good things about their funds. :D

[siobhra.livejournal.com]

Vanguard is the company my employer has set up for the employee IRA pension plan.

Yup, yup.

[shades-of-nyx.livejournal.com]

I have some even better ones that are now closed, so I'm sitting on stuff from an old job and not even rolling it over.
Sighs...
Magellan was fabulous.

OMG I have so much to say about this I cant do it here!

[(Anonymous)]

This is NOT a put down of Vanguard, quite the contrary. However, there is a lot to say on the subject of investing, fees, returns, and so much else! (I am sitting in my chair, jumping up and down and trying hard to stifle myself!)

Re: OMG I have so much to say about this I cant do it here!

[(Anonymous)]

I agree! Feel free to jump in when you have something specific you'd like to share.

[bnicely.livejournal.com]

Completely looking forward to this help guide! I just went to do it on my own. Fuddled around I think pretty well. Did some of Vanguard's questionaires and am pretty sure that I am looking at a traditional IRA. However got stuck towards end. initial 3k startup. I should have known better, but I suppose I thought that it would be a little something closer to the $50 / month thing you mentioned later on with TD.

Soon there will be the lump to invest, was just excited to start small with a monthly.

Could be I'm putting the cart before the horse, and I know I should wait till we chat...... but you know me!!!

[(Anonymous)]

You've hit on Vangaurd's one drawback. But I have some ideas...there is one good funfd that only requires $1000---the STAR fund, which isis an automatically diversified fund-of-funds, and on Forbes' best deal list.

it's a great "Vanguard starter fund," but I am also going to check out some options that are lower in cost.

I've been pointed to T. Rowe Price as a possibility for super low-cost entry, and Morningstar also has a great article on starter funds that I'm going to revisit.

For the adventurous, there's also the little-known option of opening an IRA directly with a non-index fund company. Sometimes they'll let you dollar cost in at $50 to $100 a month.

So you still have some good options, my dear. I'll get 'em up here as soon as I catch up at work a little bit and can put in a couple of evenings of research at home---one of my favorite pastimes!

[sabrinamari.livejournal.com]

Sorry, that reply was me. :)