Office address: 100 Vanguard Blvd Valley Forge, PA 19482
Website: www.vanguard.com
Year established: 1975
Company type: investment advisor firm
Employees: 20,000+
Expertise: mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, asset management, sub-advisory services, finance, investment management, technology, IT, healthcare, employee wellness, sustainability, ESG, human resources, talent management
Parent company: N/A
Key people: Salim Ramji (CEO), Greg Davis (president), Matthew Benchener (MD), Joseph Brennan (CRO), Lauren Valente (CHRO), Michael Rollings (CFO), Nitin Tandon (CIO)
Financing status: N/A
The Vanguard Group, based in Pennsylvania, offers investments, advice, and retirement services to over 50 million investors. Owned by its member funds and their shareholders, Vanguard serves individual investors, institutions, and financial professionals worldwide. With over 20,000 employees and $9.3 trillion in assets as of May 2024, the company operates globally, providing a broad range of financial services.
The Vanguard Group was founded in 1975 by John C. Bogle to create an investor-owned mutual fund company focused on long-term value. Their origins go back to the Wellington Fund, launched in 1929 by Wellington Management, which later became part of Vanguard. In 1976, Vanguard introduced the first index mutual fund, revolutionizing low-cost investing.
The company expanded in the 1990s, opening offices in Arizona and North Carolina, and its first international office in Australia in 1996. In 2001, the firm launched ETFs, offering affordable access to index funds, and in 2015 introduced Personal Advisor Services for tailored advice. The Vanguard Group joined the World Economic Forum's Global Parity Alliance to advance DEI in 2022 and appointed their first outsider CEO in 2024. (Vanguard was previously known for promoting from within its ranks.)
Vanguard offers a wide range of investment products and services designed to meet the diverse needs of its clients. Key offerings include:
The Vanguard Group’s mission is to provide low-cost, client-focused products that support long-term financial goals. From advice to investments, the company emphasizes clear insights and a commitment to helping clients succeed.
The Vanguard Group fosters a culture of participation, inclusion, and innovation, where diverse teams thrive and new ideas are encouraged. The company offers opportunities for professional development and recognizes individual contributions.
Vanguard supports long-term employee success with a comprehensive rewards package that includes these benefits:
The company’s sustainability efforts include reducing its carbon footprint and managing climate-related risks through a comprehensive strategy. It aims to minimize its environmental impact by reducing emissions, electricity and water usage, and diverting waste from landfills by 2025. The Vanguard Group also engages its employees in these efforts and pursues sustainable business practices:
The Vanguard Group is committed to creating an inclusive workplace where employees can thrive and contribute. The company has expanded its DEI efforts with stronger processes and accountability. Vanguard also promotes equity within its community, supply chain, and client services through:
Vanguard focuses on supporting the communities where its employees and clients live, prioritizing early childhood development and financial well-being. The company works with nonprofit and corporate leaders to address key community needs. Their philanthropic efforts reflect its long-term mission to create lasting, positive impacts.
Salim Ramji was appointed CEO of Vanguard in 2024. He has held leadership roles throughout his 25 years of experience, including:
Ramji holds a BA in economics and politics from the University of Toronto and an MA in law from the University of Cambridge.
These are some of the key leaders overseeing The Vanguard Group divisions and their specific responsibilities:
The Vanguard Group is expanding its fixed-income offerings by introducing two new actively managed municipal bond ETFs, focusing on tax-exempt investments. These funds aim to offer low-cost, diversified exposure to high-quality municipal bonds, appealing to investors seeking stability and long-term growth. This move strengthens Vanguard's position in the fixed-income ETF market, complementing its existing lineup of municipal bond products.
Vanguard Charitable recently achieved a major milestone in its support for nonprofit organizations since its founding in 1997. This achievement highlights the growing role of donor-advised funds, which help donors support charitable causes over time. By facilitating philanthropy, The Vanguard Group continues to advance its mission of maximizing donors' impact and expanding its influence in the charitable sector.
In yet another example of “innumeracy” when it comes to retirement adequacy, the Bipartisan Policy Center — which insists that affluent people will retire rich and don't deserve tax breaks — has proposed tackling the deficit by halving the amount that employers and employees can contribute to 401(k) accounts
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Like a lot of firms, Russell Investment has been waiting a long time for the SEC to approve its request to launch an actively managed exchange-traded fund. Today, Russell took the bull by the horns, purchasing U.S. One -- and with it, the RIA's actively managed ETF.
BlackRock Inc. is losing its tight grip on the $927 billion U.S. ETF market — potentially costing the company hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue — and the competition is just starting to heat up
Financial advisers and mutual fund executives are increasingly worried that the latest insider trading probe will result in regulations limiting how active fund managers are allowed to use outside research, hurting returns and prompting investors to flock to index funds.
A few weeks ago, The Vanguard Group Inc.'s chief executive, William McNabb, received an e-mail from one of his sales representatives that a longtime client wanted to have lunch with him.
Wellington Management Co. LLP issued a statement Friday saying it had been told it isn't a target in the current insider trading probe, despite having received a subpoena last week as part of the investigation.
The Vanguard Group Inc. is looking to expand its non-U.S. exchange-traded-fund business in the next five years. Specifically, the firm intends to enter Hong Kong and Canada next year, said F. William McNabb II, president and CEO.
Obervers say the advisory industry is spooked by the probes of Diamondback Capital and Level Global Investors. But the bigger concern may be the subpoena of Wellington Management, which is a subadviser to marquee firms like Vanguard, The Hartford, and John Hancock.
In trying to clarify who can give advice to 401(k) plan participants and under what circumstances, the Labor Department appears to have antagonized just about everybody.
Exchange-traded funds that follow the same index should provide almost identical returns. But they don't, thus complicating the financial adviser's job of choosing among the 1,000-plus ETFs for sale in the United States.
Offerings from American Funds, Fidelity Investments and The Vanguard Group Inc. had the biggest net outflows last year, according to Morningstar Inc.
American Funds No. 1, but some surprises on the list as well
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Two former chief executives of mutual fund companies that built their businesses on the direct-sold model are in the position to make money as a result of the pending LPL Investment Holdings Inc. initial public offering.
