Opinions on Vanguards STAR fund

[dtbach]

Thinking of moving a good percentage of my wife's IRA into this fund as it looks to have excellent diversity and a fairly low expense rate (.36).

Any opinions on this fund? My DW and I have about 40% of our funds in Vanguard and this would constitute about 5% of our total. Most other funds are index stock or bond funds.

 

[Delawaredave5]

Its a good "do all" fund. As you surely know, it is a "fund of funds" - it invests in other VG funds. I'm assuming the expense ratio for VGSTX includes expenses for the Star fund and and expenses Star pays underlying invested funds (Windsor, etc).

I think it has more international than other funds it competes with - but still not much (13%?) - you might want more international exposure.

 

[mickeyd]

Thinking of moving a good percentage of my wife's IRA into this fund as it looks to have excellent diversity and a fairly low expense rate (.36).

Any opinions on this fund? My DW and I have about 40% of our funds in Vanguard and this would constitute about 5% of our total. Most other funds are index stock or bond funds.

As I recall the STAR fund is no more than a fund of funds consisting of 10 VG managed funds. An ER of .36 at VG is pretty steep. Since VG has so many great (cheap) index funds to choose from, I'd snoop around and find a fund or funds that may get you the same thing, but in a less expensive way.

 

[yakers]

DWs IRA is 35% Str and 65% Wellesley. We are retired and it wrks for us. He portfolio has outperformed the one I manage myself.

 

[dtbach]

DWs IRA is 35% Str and 65% Wellesley. We are retired and it wrks for us. He portfolio has outperformed the one I manage myself.

Interesting. That's what I'm thinking myself, sometimes let the pros do the work and sit back and collect the dividends. When I make the move, she will basically just have STAR, Wellesley, Wellington and a Total bond fund left.

 

[grasshopper]

I use STAR as a core fund and fill in with some bond funds and ETF's to make my asset allocation.

 

[Sue J]

I've always been a big chicken when it comes to risk and never had a mutual fund until DH was retiring. I picked the Vanguard STAR fund because I could open it for just $1000. I bought it in April, 2010 and right after that my investment went down to about $935. I was using this to learn how I felt about the risk involved in stocks and mutual funds and what I learned was that I didn't like it at all. But I stuck with it and it's recovered and at the one year point in April, 2011 it was worth $1125 so I'm feeling better about the whole idea.

It's in a Roth IRA so I'm in it for the long run and try not to look at it too often.

 

[travelover]

I've always been a big chicken when it comes to risk ..........

There is more than one kind of risk. Like inflation for instance.

 

[Spanky]

STAR is a good balanced fund. We have about 5% of our portfolio invested in it. As other suggested, there are cheaper alternatives such as index funds.