OH... and BTW, Vanguard also forced them to lower their costs to be more competitive..... so Fido and Schwab would not be as low cost to the clients without Vanguard... so if you are there you still need to thank Vanguard for putting more money in your pocket....
And if you are at Vanguard, you need to thank Chuck and Fidelity for pressuring
Vanguard's mediocre customer support and archaic website to improve.
I don't have a fanboi attitude about any of them. All of them have drawbacks.
I get much better customer service from both Schwab and Fidelity. They don't
try and sell me anything, but I suspect I put off a vibe that I'm not interested in
"sold" products. I left Vanguard as an account custodian about 4 years ago and
have not the slightest regret. I still use Vanguard ETFs for about 1/2 my investments.
I don't really think it is Vanguard bashing to note the widely reported deficits
in their customer service - anymore than it is Schwab and Fidelity bashing to
note they may try and sell you something. Part of the territory with dealing
with imperfect account custodians.
If you know what you want and aren't liable to light sales pressure, you'll be happier
at a for profit discount brokerage over Vanguard. If you need some assistance,
I think you are vulnerable to substandard advice from Vanguard and a tendency for
conflict of interest sales at a for profit outfit. Your best bet is to seek a
fiduciary separate from your custodian.