who is better - schwab, fidelity or vanguard

[youbet]

Yeah..... today there is a real time gain-loss report function on the web site so you can see clearly where you stand as you go through the year. It tracks realized and unrealized gains and losses updating the unrealized daily and the realized as they occur. Right now I use the feature as a constant reminder of the sea of red I'm sailing in!

 

[bamsphd]

If you want to buy individual bonds and also mutual funds, who is better,
Schwab, Fidelity or Vanguard ?
Schwab seems to have very knowledgeable advisors.

bamsphd,

The thread is about brokerages, not MF's/ETF's. I agree with you on Vanguard MF's/ETF's. They have some of the best, especially considering the low fees, and I own several. VTI, for example, is my largest holding.

I beg to differ regarding the subject of this thread.

The answer to the original poster's question depends in part on what bonds and what mutual funds the poster desires. If they want treasuries and open-ended index funds, Vanguard is probably the best choice, unless they have some special need for additional customer service.

I also share ERD50's concerns if they need "very knowledgeable advisors" to tell them what to BUY, but they want to use only individual bonds and mutual funds. In that scenario I would worry the non-Vanguard options they list might steer them into much higher cost mutual fund alternatives than the Vangaurd index funds I prefer. I certainly find it hard to image that Schwab's "very knowledgeable advisors" would tell a customer to use a Vanguard index fund!

My point is that if you need a higher level of customer service than Vanguard offers, you can use other brokerages, still own Vanguard funds or their ETF equivalents, and not pay appreciably higher brokerage fees than Vanguard charges. It looks like Vanguard Brokerage is a good fit for you given your investment style and objectives and your personal situation.

I certainly agree that if one is willing to pay more, and knows what one wants, one can buy more customer service without giving up on using Vanguard funds. I've just never wanted "more" customer service enough to pay what seems to be the going rate.

 

[FurBall]

We've used Schwab for years. Once a quarter our assigned "VP" calls us to check in to see if we want any help. We decline. He was useful once when there was a snafu setting up my I401K because Schwab didn't like per stirpes on contingent beneficiaries. One call to the "VP" and he resolved it all.

"VP" is in quotes because they must have zillions of them to make us all feel we are getting high-level help.

 

[youbet]

bamsphd:

It looks like Vanguard Brokerage is a good fit for you given your investment style and objectives and your personal situation.

There, I said it again.