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Vanguard Assets Under Management (AUM)
2023 Vanguard total assets under management (custody). Vanguard AUM: client assets and number of customers (user accounts).
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Vanguard Assets Under Management (AUM)
Vanguard has one of the largest selections of mutual and exchange-traded funds in the world. Because so many investors trust the broker-dealer with their assets, the company has very deep pockets. There are more than 18,000 people who work for the privately-held company. Technically, it is owned by its funds, which in turn are owned by their shareholders.
The company has the following impressive stats:
| Vanguard assets under management |
$8.1 trillion |
| Number of funds |
441 |
| Number of customers |
30 million in about 170 countries |
| Average expense ratio |
0.09% |
Vanguard and Competitors
Overview of Vanguard Pros and Cons
Vanguard is a large brokerage firm that operates some of the world's biggest mutual funds and ETFs.
Let's take a detailed look at this broker and evaluate Vanguard strengths and weaknesses.
Vanguard Pros
- Brokerage accounts have no minimum initial deposit requirement and no minimum balance obligation.
- Small accounts can avoid many fees simply by enrolling in electronic delivery of statements, confirmations, and other documents.
- Retirement accounts at Vanguard have no extra fees.
- The broker has very low expense ratios for its own ETFs and mutual funds. Because this policy is an integral part of the firm, investors can depend on this fee schedule in the future. Vanguard's S&P 500 index ETF, for example, has an expense ratio of just 0.05%.
- Vanguard provides its customers more than 16,000 mutual funds to trade. Many of these come with no load and no transaction fee.
- The broker has one screener that searches for both ETFs and mutual funds. Other firms, such as Fidelity, usually have separate screeners for mutual and exchange-traded funds.
- The broker offers an advisory service for Vanguard customers. The service provides financial plans and investment advice.
- The Vanguard mobile app has some unique features that other brokers don't offer. Account statements and confirmations are available in pdf format. Users can enroll in alerts, which are sent by email or text message. Traders can also print any page in the app.
Vanguard Cons
- The broker's website isn't as user friendly as TD Ameritrade's or Merrill Edge's.
- Vanguard provides analyst reports on stocks from only two companies. Other firms, such as Fidelity or TD Ameritrade, provide third-party reports from more than two parties.
- The broker has very stringent policies for its cash management account. In order to qualify for an account, customers must have at least $500,000 invested in Vanguard funds.
Furthermore, clients must have at least $1,000,000 in Vanguard funds to avoid fees. Other firms, such as Fidelity, have no such requirements for cash management accounts.
- Vanguard does not have an advanced platform, even for active traders.
- Customer service is only available during the week, 8 am to 10 pm, EST. Other brokers, such as TD Ameritrade, have 24/7 customer service.
- Unlike Etrade's app, the Vanguard app has no option to pay bills or transfer funds. Furthermore, there are no educational or news videos, which E*Trade's app does have.
Chad Morris is a financial writer with more than 20 years experience
as both an English teacher and an avid trader. When he isn’t writing
expert content for Brokerage-Review.com, Chad can usually be found
managing his portfolio or building a new home computer.
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