Vanguard

Cannot beat their low cost but their service stinks. I have had all my assets there for a number of years but am seriously considering going elsewhere. They just do not seem coordinated. As I am deaf when I have a question, I contact them on-line. More often than not, it seems that they do not even read my question and reply with one of those one size fits all canned answers. Most everyone knows that RMDs for IRAs have been suspended for 2009, yet they sent me a notification concerning my IRA RMD for 2009 and it arrived in April, long after the suspension became law. Those less informed that do not know about the suspension will be taking RMDs that they did not need to take. I could go on and on about my dissatisfaction with them but I do not have the time to write a book.

Funds are great.  Low cost and good performance.  Been doing business with them for over 20 years so you know I'm satisfied.

I have been very impressed with Vanguard's consistently low fees and extensive product selection.  They have been very helpful while I have been rolling assets over from Fidelity.  I have nothing good to say about Fidelity.

Giving advice/reviews concerning investment firms is dicey at best- but I have to admit that after being with Vanguard for a few years, I would suggest that anyone looking for a decent place to stash your cash give this place a look. . .several of their funds have been consistent winners over the years and Vanguard's expenses are some of the lowest in the industry. . .very good (and easy-to-use) website is helpful for novice investors. . .yes, there are other places to put your money- but Vanguard will make anyone's top 5 finalists for best firms to invest with. . .give it a long look even if you invest elsewhere. . .

I've had a 401k at Vanguard for 5 years. I'm very pleased with the index funds. After using other brokers for non tax deferred mutual funds and paying high front end and service fees I opened a non tax deferred account with Vanguard to store money during the winter (I am a farmer.) I made 10% in 5 months. I opened the account online. The money was transferred from my checking account a day after Vanguard entered the money in my mutual fund account. When I sold the mutual fund the money was back in my checking account in 48 hours! No fees! No waiting! I love doing business with Vanguard.

After 16 months of moving four funds over to Vanguard (from Fidelity), I am pleased. From 2001-2005, on average Fidelity funds performed 1.5 - 2.5% less then an equal fund from Vanguard. I also feel that Vanguard's web site offers more informative information readily available and the customer service has been good. Bottom line: Fidelity underperformed. Fidelity also made me feel like a small fish in a large pond (w/ $230,000 in fund assets).

Pros: Low costs, good selection of decent funds, competent fund managers. Cons: They will likely make mistakes. Trades may not always go through. They may charge fees that should be waived (due to account balances, etc.). They fail to honor commitments. They screw up trades. They lose forms. And on and on. If you do run into problems, management is sometimes incredibly arrogant. They are known to be insulting, condescending, hostile, foot-dragging, and unethical. In short, their low fees come at the cost of significant hassles if you're unlucky enough to encounter their mistakes. I know that it is conventional wisdom to tout Vanguard, but those with a great deal of experience (and those who have worked at Vanguard) will tell you that there are some significant issues within the company. It is not the same company since Jack Bogle retired. Not even close. That being said, I do invest a portion of my assets there because their costs are the lowest in the industry overall. B... Read more

Low cost, excellent service, quality fixed income funds, and index funds, what else do you need. Let's not be greedy.

The lowest fees, excellent customer service, and easy easy personal fund management online. Much better than any other mutual fund families I've had, I only put money into Vanguard now.

I think if you're going to invest in mutual funds, the best advice is to pick two fund families and stick with them. One of the families should be a supermarket like Fidelity or Vanguard, and the other should be a boutique with more specialized funds, like Janus. And in terms of picking the supermarket, I think Vanguard is the way to go. Their focus on cost control and their wide range of index funds makes them the smart choice.