I used Vanguard the past 2 years. Basically, with Savings Accounts in bank offering such low levels of interest, I decided to hold excess money in Vanguard mutual funds until I needed it. Regular stock/ETF purchases are overpriced on the website imo, but Vanguard-owned mutual funds are free to invest in. On top of that, research will tell you that these are often the best, most inexpensive mutual funds available for beginners and experienced investors. The website is a little clunky and archaic compared to the competition but you should know going in that the website is not geared towards traders that are on the website daily for hours on end. The website is geared towards investors. It took a bit of trial and error, but after setting up monthly scheduled transactions Vanguard automatically invested $ from my Savings account to my Vanguard account on the 18th of every month. If you are attempting to trade or pick specific stocks, Vanguard will not be the right brokerage for you imo, but of you are merely looking to have a diversified portfolio with a long term outlook, I don't think you can go wrong with Vanguard. What is your opinion on Vanguard as a broker?
I have a company roth 401k through Vanguard with a 95% portfolio self brokerage option. My personal roth ira and cg trade accounts are through TD. TD is alot easier to use in Ap form and online. Vanguard seems to have strength in portfolio options, provided your company has given you the appropriate freedoms when they setup the account. They also make it pretty easy to divert funding to suggested preset options, or your brokerage. I can easily send 10% of each check to small caps, international, or midcap funds. There are several retirement plans, and a bond fund to choose from. Its nice for a beginner. At this point I have simply enjoyed being able to trade stocks in my roth 401k brokerage portfolio without ever having to worry about capital gains. This is not an option specific to vanguard, but it does exist. On a side note, I have found that they have an excellent customer service team.
