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    Vanguard

    Index fund pioneer. Lowest fees.

    Why Vanguard?

    • Pioneered index funds — Jack Bogle's creation.
    • Lowest expense ratios in industry.
    • Owned by its fund shareholders.
    • $0 stock commissions.
    • Excellent target-date retirement funds.
    • Best for buy-and-hold investors.

    Best Vanguard funds for seniors

    • Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (VTI).
    • Vanguard Total International Stock (VXUS).
    • Vanguard Total Bond Market (BND).
    • Wellesley Income (VWINX) — conservative income.
    • Wellington (VWELX) — balanced 60/40.
    • Target Retirement Income — for current retirees.

    Vanguard Personal Advisor

    • Human advisor for $50K+ in assets.
    • 0.30% annual fee (very low for human advisor).
    • Personalized retirement planning.
    • Help with RMDs, taxes, withdrawals.
    • Hybrid model — robo + human.
    • Worth the fee for $250K+ accounts.

    App features

    • Account aggregation — see total net worth.
    • Performance tracking + analytics.
    • Required Minimum Distributions tools.
    • Beneficiary management.
    • Tax document downloads.
    • Cash management features.

    Vanguard vs Fidelity

    • Vanguard — slightly lower fees on funds.
    • Fidelity — better app + customer service.
    • Both have $0 stock commissions.
    • Both have excellent index funds.
    • Stick with whichever you currently use.
    • Both fine choices for retirees.

    Senior considerations

    • Set up RMD distributions before age 73.
    • Rebalance to more bonds as you age.
    • Update beneficiaries after life changes.
    • Review allocation annually.
    • Consider partial Roth conversions.
    • Talk to advisor about tax-efficient withdrawal order.

    Stick with simple at retirement

    In retirement, complexity hurts. Many financial advisors recommend simplifying to 2–3 Vanguard index funds: total stock market (VTI), total bond market (BND), and possibly international stock (VXUS). Set the allocation, rebalance once a year, take RMDs as needed. Decades of research show this beats most active investors. Vanguard makes it easiest.