Vanguard Investor Review
Low-cost ready-made investment portfolios. Huge global player. Fair. Good choice to get started as a default option. It’s still a bit lacking in help and support.
What we say
Holly's View
Holly has accounts with all the providers on our website and independently reviews all of them.
Vanguard have been growing at a rapid rate in the UK, with money flowing into their SIPPs since they launched their pension offering in Feb 2020. The introduction of drawdown now means these guys offer a very credible, no frills, low-cost pension which is good for both those saving up and those in retirement. Be warned – it is not for people who like assembling a pick and mix pension. The website and associated information is sparse, but these guys are rock solid and cheap. If you want a good, ready-made, balanced, passive fund – look no further.
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Overall Summary
Mobile & Apps
Vanguard Investor are yet to launch a mobile app, but the site is quite simple to use on mobile. They have a mobile app for US customers so we would expect an app to be launching in the UK in the near future.
Behind the scenes
Vanguard is a weird exception to the rule in that the site is better once logged in than the other way around. It works smoothly enough and the screens are easy to read, compute and move around. Trading and funding the account were easy.
The 'Geeky' Details
Provider details
Vanguard is one of the world's largest asset management groups, with Vanguard Investor so investors can buy its funds directly. When you hear Vanguard you should immediately think “low charges”. The account fee is 0.15% per year, capped at £375. Effectively, this means no platform fees on anything over £250k.
This low-cost service won’t offer research and shares, bells or whistles, but with its LifeStrategy range of funds it will manage your money in a decent portfolio, spread around lots of global investments which are picked and run for you, for around 0.41% all-in or £4.10 on a £1,000 investment. You can only hold Vanguard's investments – so you can’t access other fund managers or buy shares here.
Vanguard recently launched pension drawdown options for those looking to take payments from their pot. This drawdown service comes at no additional cost to investors.
Important Facts & Figures
Provider size:
New investment service from one of the world's largest asset managers.
Minimum amounts:
£500 minimum lump sum investment
£100 minimum monthly investment
Vanguard