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.
Interest in Section 529 college savings plans that are backed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. is picking up amid the stock market's downturn.
Congress should enact legislation mandating that all investment advisers and money managers come under fiduciary standards, John Bogle, founder and former chief executive of The Vanguard Group Inc. of Malvern, Pa., said today.
Shareholder resolutions calling for the adoption of a “genocide-free” investing policy might be withdrawn before Vanguard’s July 2 shareholders’ meeting because the firm has established a formal policy.
Congress should permanently push back the age at which retirement savings account holders must take withdrawals, the head of the Investment Company Institute testified last week.
President Obama’s proposal to raise taxes on affluent households, detailed in his budget plan today, could be a boon for tax-managed mutual funds.
Big-name mutual fund companies leery of jumping into exchange traded funds have finally received the signal that they need to make a major push into that arena.
Find out what advisers think about leveraged ETFs and ETF providers, plus more, in this latest <i>InvestmentNews</i> ETF Survey. And get some insight into what the future holds for ETFs at The Vanguard Group.
Despite the fact that 2008 saw a record 46 exchange traded funds close, the total number of ETFs actually increased year-over-year to 747, from 629, according to a report released today by State Street Global Advisors of Boston.
Historically low interest rates, coupled with a torrent of new cash from investors, are forcing many mutual fund companies to close the doors on their Treasury money market funds.
Although most funds performed dismally last year, a Vanguard fund and its exchange traded fund share class bucked the trend with spectacular results, returning more than 50%.
What do you say to clients when their recent investment experiences have been traumatic and the outlook is uncertain, at best, and frightening at worst?
Net outflows were down 63% across the mutual fund industry in November, but most money managers still bled billions in assets, according to research released last week by Morningstar Inc.
A popular argument for using exchange traded funds is that investors receive more bang for their buck because ETFs are generally cheaper than mutual funds. In some cases, however, the bang is being muted because of the way ETF returns are reported.
In an effort to maintain a tight grip on retirement assets, some major 401(k) providers — including The Charles Schwab Corp. — are considering lowering the investment management fees they charge to employers.
