Why he is not leaving VG

[Rianne]

Probably never a concern for almost all of us, but as I said, with no obvious advantages to Vanguard, why *not* go to a place with a B&M presence, just in case?
-ERD50

Fair. IMO change is a hassle. It was hard enough creating a Living Trust. Kind of like driving the extra 5 miles to the grocery store that has that one brand of something that no one else has. Is it worth it? Nahhh.

 

[almost there]

I had been with Vanguard for over 30 years. Left them 7 or 8 yrs ago.
Outdated website, the folks that answer the phone were sub par.
They just got passed up.
And a certain fund vgpmx made me walk away all together. Even after leaving VG.
I kept the fund. Then it completely changed its investment strategy and holdings mid course.
Too many better places to go these days. Some hold on, and thats fine.
But for me, I could not wait to get out. And cant blame anyone for looking for a better place to invest. Just my 2.

 

[Koolau]

The 2 times that I needed a Medallion signature (I don't remember why or for what reason) I went to my nearby local Credit Union and obtained them for free. No big deal.
Don't most banks and CU offer this service?

Cheers!

Sorry. Is Medallion Signature same as signature guarantee? I've had to do sig/guar on occasion and just went to a bank - not even MY bank. YMMV

 

[SecondCor521]

Yes we use the" voice is my password" after we finally get that far in the call. It usually takes at least an hour to get that far. We have called all different times, early and late, still takes at least an hour on hold. We have used several different numbers, the one on the website, the one Vanguard gave us by email, one for retirement plans etc. This is all in the last month or so. When was the last time you called?

Not who you asked, but I called the Vanguard fraud number this morning at 8:53 MST and my call was completed in 8 minutes and 46 seconds, which includes any hold time and the actual conversation.

No fraud on my accounts, just some fraud prevention related questions. Answers were sub-par, but at least they answered the phone quickly.

It's a(n anec)datapoint anyway.

 

[MichaelB]

Sorry. Is Medallion Signature same as signature guarantee? I've had to do sig/guar on occasion and just went to a bank - not even MY bank. YMMV

Not the same. In addition to confirming one’s identity, the medallion signature guarantor has financial liability for a determined amount which usually covers the entire amount being transferred. This liability is why it’s not easy to obtain and usually limited to longer term customers.

 

[Koolau]

Not the same. In addition to confirming one’s identity, the medallion signature guarantor has financial liability for a determined amount which usually covers the entire amount being transferred. This liability is why it’s not easy to obtain and usually limited to longer term customers.

Thanks.

Back in the early 90s, I needed a couple of sig/guar and simply stopped at the closest bank - not one I used. The bank exec. did them for me and didn't even charge anything. Based on what has been stated here, I am very surprised. IIRC, I was required to show my DL.

Probably more stringent requirements now. YMMV

 

[Trooper]

...Plus, we sold our bond funds a while back with a small loss and started laddering T-bills and CDs. We did not know how to do that and needed guidance. That took a few calls to walk us through the process until we felt comfortable doing it on our own.

I'm considering doing this also except within our IRAs, since we dont have bond funds in taxable. Did you need the Personal Advisor Service to do this, or can anyone at VG help with that?

 

[RetMD21]

I'm considering doing this also except within our IRAs, since we dont have bond funds in taxable. Did you need the Personal Advisor Service to do this, or can anyone at VG help with that?

You can DIY or call Vanguard for help. I'm doing a TIPS ladder and found Harry Sit's book useful

https://www.amazon.com/Explore-TIPS-Practical-Inflation-Protected-Securities-ebook/dp/B08HN9PYGC

Harry says that you may get better prices than those shown online if you call and this may more than offset the fee for phone transactions.

 

[Rianne]

I'm considering doing this also except within our IRAs, since we dont have bond funds in taxable. Did you need the Personal Advisor Service to do this, or can anyone at VG help with that?

The bond desk helped us. Answered all our questions. You do not need Personal Advisor Service.