I want to make a few comments on Vanguard. I have been a Vanguard client since the late 1970's when I opened an account and started buying Vanguard funds.? As my savings grew I opened IRA's and by the?mid 1990's I had invested enough to qualify for? Flagship status. At the time that offered some useful benefits. I had an assigned contact at Vanguard, I was provided free stock transactions, I was able?to have a review of my investment portfolio by a Registered CFP, I could purchase Vanguard Admirals class funds that?had higher?minimums and lower costs than the Investor class,?I was able to invest in funds that were closed to non-Flagship investors. Over the last two years one by one these advantages have disappeared to where now nothing?works very well for me. Customer service is pretty much?non-existent, everybody gets free stock trades, options trading is more expensive than most of the other brokers, no review of portfolio available but I am inundated with pleas to sign up for Vanguard Advisor services. That?service has competitive?fee structures but so far the reviews have not been great and maybe you get what you pay for. Lastly, the biggest reason I am?so?unhappy with Vanguard is the pathetic excuse for trading?platforms provided by Vanguard with their Web platform and pretty much useless mobile offerings. In any case I am done with Vanguard and will be moving my accounts to Schwab before the end of the year. I currently use TD Ameritrade ThinkorSwim (TOS) platform and love it and now?that Schwab?has acquired?TD Ameritrade I have even more reasons to move.
