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eToroVanguard Review
Written by Sam Levine, CFA, CMT, Chris McKhann
Edited by Carolyn Kimball
Fact-checked by Steven Hatzakis
Vanguard is aimed squarely at buy-and-hold investors, and its platform reflects that focus. Vanguard is known for its low-cost funds, and the investment platform is really built for those looking to invest solely in mutual funds and ETFs.
-
Minimum Deposit:
$0.00 -
Stock Trades:
$0.00 -
Options (Per Contract):
$1.00
Vanguard pros & cons
Pros
- Vanguard is a well-established name in the retirement space, thanks to its low-cost funds.
- Vanguard offers a variety of tools built around long-term investing and retirement saving.
- Vanguard might be ideal for “sleep well at night” investors.
Cons
- Active traders and investors will find the platform lacking in tools.
- If you are looking to trade anything other than stocks, ETFs or mutual funds, you will need to look elsewhere.
- The mobile app has a few bugs to work out.
Overall summary
| Feature |
Vanguard
|
| Overall |
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| Investment Options |
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| Commissions & Fees |
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| Mobile Trading Apps |
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| Platforms & Tools |
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| Research |
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| Customer Service |
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| Education |
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| Ease Of Use |
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Vanguard trading platform screenshots
Website:
Mobile app:
Customer service
To score Customer Service, StockBrokers.com partners with customer experience research firm Confero to conduct phone tests from locations throughout the United States. For our 2023 Broker Review, 168 customer service tests were conducted over six weeks, with wait times logged for each call.
Customer service representatives were asked for assistance or details in several areas of broker services, including account opening, trading tools, apps, rollovers, active trading, and more. Here are the results for Vanguard.
- Average Connection Time: 2-3 minutes
- Average Net Promoter Score: 6.2 / 10
- Average Professionalism Score: 6.0 / 10
- Overall Score: 6.4 / 10
- Ranking: 12th of 14 brokers
Do you have to use Vanguard to buy Vanguard funds?
No. Though we like Vanguard’s mutual and exchange-traded funds, they can just as easily be bought at higher-rated brokers, including E*TRADE’s no-fee mutual fund marketplace.
Does Vanguard have a trading platform?
Vanguard has a website and a mobile app, neither of which are trader-friendly. The app only covers Vanguard products, and the sparse website won’t please data-obsessed traders. If you’re a trader or want to become one, have a look at the best in our Top Trading Platforms 2023 guide.
Is Vanguard good for beginners?
If you are a long-term investor looking for the basics and low-cost funds, Vanguard could work well for you. Its financial planning educational content is very high quality. If you’re looking for detailed tutorials on trading topics, have a look at Fidelity and TD Ameritrade, who are leaders in this area.
How much do you need to invest in Vanguard?
There is no minimum to open an account. Many of Vanguard’s funds require a minimum of $1,000 and some have minimums of $3,000. That's on the high side compared to industry leaders, especially in today’s environment of low or no fees and minimums. See low-fee leaders in our best brokers for free stock trading.
Is Vanguard a safe company to invest with?
Yes, Vanguard is a very reputable broker with a long track record, having been founded in 1975, and is overseen by the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, and FINRA, both of which are independent regulatory agencies.
Does Vanguard charge account fees?
Yes, Vanguard does charge a $20 per account annual fee for their brokerage account. But this fee will be waived if you accept e-delivery of documents or keep a minimum account value of $1 million. If you're not rocking a mil at Vanguard yet, then go to My Accounts > Account information > Profile and account settings > Mail preferences and alerts > Delivery settings to set up e-delivery of documents.
About Vanguard
Vanguard was launched in 1975 by legendary investor Jack Bogle, whose goal was for the company to be a client-owned mutual fund firm with no outside owners. The company serves over 30 million clients and its assets under management have grown to over $7 trillion. Vanguard is headquartered in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.
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Show all2023 Review methodology
Our mission at StockBrokers.com is simple: provide thorough and unbiased reviews of online brokers, based on an extraordinary level of hands-on testing and data collection. Our ratings and awards are based on this data and our experts’ deep authority in the field; brokers cannot pay for preferential treatment. Here’s more about trustworthiness at StockBrokers.com.
For the StockBrokers.com 13th Annual Review published in January 2023, a total of 3,332 data points were collected over three months and used to score 17 top brokers. This makes StockBrokers.com home to the largest independent database on the web covering the online broker industry.
As part of our annual review process, all brokers had the opportunity to provide updates and key milestones and complete an in-depth data profile, which we hand-checked for accuracy. Brokers also were offered the opportunity to provide executive time for an annual update meeting.
Our rigorous data validation process yields an error rate of less than .001% each year, providing site visitors quality data they can trust. Learn more about how we test.
Vanguard 2023 results
For the StockBrokers.com 2023 Review, all U.S. equity brokers we reviewed were assessed on 196 different variables across eight areas: Commissions & Fees, Investment Options, Platforms & Tools, Research, Mobile Trading, Education, Ease of Use, and Overall.
StockBrokers.com also presented “Best in Class” awards to brokers for additional categories Beginners, Options Trading, Futures Trading, Active Trading, IRA Accounts, Investor Community, Penny Stock Trading, Banking Services and Customer Service. A “Best in Class” designation means finishing in the top five brokers for that category.
For more information, see how we test.
Primary categories
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Vanguard
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Overall | Commissions & Fees | Research | Platforms & Tools | Mobile Trading Apps | Investment Options | Education | Ease of Use |
| Rating |
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| Rank #1 | ||||||||
| Streak #1 | ||||||||
| Best in Class | ||||||||
| Best in Class Streak |
Vanguard fees and features data
The data collection efforts at StockBrokers.com are unmatched in the industry. The following tables show a deeper dive into the offerings available at this broker. You can also compare its offerings side-by-side with those of other brokers using our Comparison Tool.
In addition to meticulous annual data collection by our in-house analyst, every broker that participates in our review is afforded the opportunity to complete an in-depth data profile. We then audit each data point to ensure its accuracy.
Trading fees
| Feature |
Vanguard
|
| Minimum Deposit | $0.00 |
| Stock Trades | $0.00 |
| Mutual Fund Trade Fee | Varies |
| Options (Base Fee) | $0.00 |
| Options (Per Contract) | $1.00 |
| Futures (Per Contract) | N/A |
| Broker Assisted Trade Fee | $25 |
Account fees
| Feature |
Vanguard
|
| IRA Annual Fee | $20.00 |
| IRA Closure Fee | $0.00 |
| Account Transfer Out (Partial) | $0.00 |
| Account Transfer Out (Full) | $0.00 |
| Options Exercise Fee | $0.00 |
| Options Assignment Fee | $0.00 |
Margin rates
| Feature |
Vanguard
|
| Margin Rate Under $25,000 | 12.75% |
| Margin Rate $25,000 to $49,999.99 | 12.25% |
| Margin Rate $50,000 to $99,999.99 | 11.75% |
| Margin Rate $100,000 to $249,999.99 | 11.25% |
| Margin Rate $250,000 to $499,999.99 | 10.75% |
| Margin Rate $500,000 to $999,999.99 | 9.50% |
| Margin Rate Above $1,000,000 | Varies |
Investment options
| Feature |
Vanguard
|
| Stock Trading | Yes |
| Margin Trading | Yes |
| Fractional Shares | No |
| OTC Stocks | Yes |
| Options Trading | Yes |
| Complex Options Max Legs | 4 |
| Futures Trading | No |
| Forex Trading | No |
| Crypto Trading | No |
| Crypto Trading - Total Coins | 0 |
| Mutual Funds (No Load) | N/A |
| Mutual Funds (Total) | N/A |
| Bonds (US Treasury) | Yes |
| Bonds (Corporate) | Yes |
| Bonds (Municipal) | Yes |
| Advisor Services | Yes |
| International Countries (Stocks) | 0 |
Order types
| Feature |
Vanguard
|
| Order Type - Market | Yes |
| Order Type - Limit | Yes |
| Order Type - After Hours | Yes |
| Order Type - Stop | Yes |
| Order Type - Trailing Stop | No |
| Order Type - OCO | No |
| Order Type - OTO | No |
| Order Type - Broker Assisted | Yes |
Beginners
| Feature |
Vanguard
|
| Education (Stocks) | Yes |
| Education (ETFs) | No |
| Education (Options) | No |
| Education (Mutual Funds) | No |
| Education (Bonds) | No |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes |
| Retirement Calculator | Yes |
| Investor Dictionary | No |
| Paper Trading | No |
| Videos | Yes |
| Webinars | No |
| Webinars (Archived) | No |
| Progress Tracking | No |
| Interactive Learning - Quizzes | No |
Stock trading apps
| Feature |
Vanguard
|
| iPhone App | Yes |
| Android App | Yes |
| Apple Watch App | No |
| Trading - Stocks | Yes |
| Trading - After-Hours | No |
| Trading - Simple Options | No |
| Trading - Complex Options | No |
| Order Ticket RT Quotes | Yes |
| Order Ticket SRT Quotes | No |
Stock app features
| Feature |
Vanguard
|
| Market Movers (Top Gainers) | No |
| Stream Live TV | No |
| Videos on Demand | No |
| Stock Alerts | No |
| Option Chains Viewable | No |
| Watch List (Real-time) | No |
| Watch List (Streaming) | No |
| Watch Lists - Create & Manage | No |
| Watch Lists - Column Customization | No |
| Watch Lists - Total Fields | 9 |
Stock app charting
| Feature |
Vanguard
|
| Charting - After-Hours | No |
| Charting - Can Turn Horizontally | No |
| Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes |
| Charting - Technical Studies | 0 |
| Charting - Study Customizations | No |
| Charting - Stock Comparisons | No |
Trading platforms overview
| Feature |
Vanguard
|
| Active Trading Platform | N/A |
| Desktop Trading Platform | No |
| Desktop Platform (Mac) | No |
| Web Trading Platform | Yes |
| Paper Trading | No |
| Trade Journal | No |
| Watch Lists - Total Fields | 9 |
Trading platform stock chart features
| Feature |
Vanguard
|
| Charting - Adjust Trades on Chart | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 9 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 0 |
| Charting - Notes | No |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes |
| Charting - Historical Trades | No |
| Charting - Corporate Events | Yes |
| Charting - Custom Date Range | No |
| Charting - Custom Time Bars | No |
| Charting - Automated Analysis | No |
| Charting - Save Profiles | No |
| Trade Ideas - Technical Analysis | No |
| Charting - Study Customizations | 1 |
| Charting - Custom Studies | No |
Day trading features
| Feature |
Vanguard
|
| Streaming Time & Sales | No |
| Streaming TV | No |
| Direct Market Routing - Stocks | No |
| Ladder Trading | No |
| Trade Hot Keys | No |
| Level 2 Quotes - Stocks | No |
| Trade Ideas - Backtesting | No |
| Trade Ideas - Backtesting Adv | No |
| Short Locator | No |
| Order Liquidity Rebates | No |
Investment research overview
| Feature |
Vanguard
|
| Research - Stocks | Yes |
| Research - ETFs | Yes |
| Research - Mutual Funds | Yes |
| Research - Pink Sheets / OTCBB | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | Yes |
| Screener - Stocks | Yes |
| Screener - ETFs | Yes |
| Screener - Mutual Funds | Yes |
| Screener - Bonds | Yes |
| Misc - Portfolio Allocation | Yes |
Stock research features
| Feature |
Vanguard
|
| Stock Research - PDF Reports | 2 |
| Stock Research - Earnings | Yes |
| Stock Research - Insiders | No |
| Stock Research - Social | No |
| Stock Research - News | Yes |
| Stock Research - ESG | No |
| Stock Research - SEC Filings | No |
ETF research features
| Feature |
Vanguard
|
| ETFs - Strategy Overview | No |
| ETF Fund Facts - Inception Date | No |
| ETF Fund Facts - Expense Ratio | No |
| ETF Fund Facts - Net Assets | No |
| ETF Fund Facts - Total Holdings | No |
| ETFs - Top 10 Holdings | No |
| ETFs - Sector Exposure | No |
| ETFs - Risk Analysis | No |
| ETFs - Ratings | No |
| ETFs - Morningstar StyleMap | No |
| ETFs - PDF Reports | No |
Mutual fund research features
| Feature |
Vanguard
|
| Mutual Funds - Strategy Overview | Yes |
| Mutual Funds - Performance Chart | Yes |
| Mutual Funds - Performance Analysis | Yes |
| Mutual Funds - Prospectus | Yes |
| Mutual Funds - 3rd Party Ratings | No |
| Mutual Funds - Fees Breakdown | Yes |
| Mutual Funds - Top 10 Holdings | Yes |
| Mutual Funds - Asset Allocation | No |
| Mutual Funds - Sector Allocation | Yes |
| Mutual Funds - Country Allocation | No |
| Mutual Funds - StyleMap | Yes |
Options trading overview
| Feature |
Vanguard
|
| Option Chains - Basic View | Yes |
| Option Chains - Strategy View | No |
| Option Chains - Streaming | No |
| Option Chains - Total Columns | 9 |
| Option Chains - Greeks | 0 |
| Option Chains - Quick Analysis | No |
| Option Analysis - P&L Charts | No |
| Option Probability Analysis | No |
| Option Probability Analysis Adv | No |
| Option Positions - Greeks | No |
| Option Positions - Greeks Streaming | No |
| Option Positions - Adv Analysis | No |
| Option Positions - Rolling | No |
| Option Positions - Grouping | No |
Banking features
| Feature |
Vanguard
|
| Bank (Member FDIC) | No |
| Checking Accounts | No |
| Savings Accounts | No |
| Credit Cards | No |
| Debit Cards | No |
| Mortgage Loans | No |
Customer service options
| Feature |
Vanguard
|
| Phone Support (Prospect Customers) | Yes |
| Phone Support (Current Customers) | Yes |
| Email Support | Yes |
| Live Chat (Prospect Customers) | No |
| Live Chat (Current Customers) | No |
| 24/7 Support | No |
About the Editorial Team
Sam Levine is a longtime writer, investor and educator with nearly three decades of experience in the investing industry. His specialty is making even the most complicated investing concepts easy to understand for beginning and intermediate investors. He holds two of the most widely recognized certifications in the investment management industry, the Chartered Financial Analyst and the Chartered Market Technician designations. Previously, he was a contributing editor at BetterInvesting Magazine and a contributor to The Penny Hoarder and other media outlets.
Chris McKhann has been in the industry for more than 20 years. He has worked for many of the top names in the online trading space, including TD Ameritrade and optionMONSTER, which later became part of E*TRADE. His work has been cited in the Wall Street Journal, Reuters, the Financial Times, Forbes, CNBC, Nasdaq.com and Nikkei. He has also been an advisor and outside trader for several hedge funds. He was one of the first traders to delve into the VIX tradable products and to write about them (back in 2006). Chris is also an educator who teaches high school statistics, finance and computer science.
Carolyn Kimball is managing editor for Reink Media and the lead editor for the StockBrokers.com Annual Review. Carolyn has more than 20 years of writing and editing experience at major media outlets including NerdWallet, the Los Angeles Times and the San Jose Mercury News. She specializes in coverage of personal financial products and services, wielding her editing skills to clarify complex (some might say befuddling) topics to help consumers make informed decisions about their money.
Steven Hatzakis is the Global Director of Research for ForexBrokers.com. Steven previously served as an Editor for Finance Magnates, where he authored over 1,000 published articles about the online finance industry. Steven is an active fintech and crypto industry researcher and advises blockchain companies at the board level. Over the past 20 years, Steven has held numerous positions within the international forex markets, from writing to consulting to serving as a registered commodity futures representative.