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Vanguard Group Case Study

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The Vanguard Group turned 42 years old this year and its mission statement remains the same - To take a stand for all investors, treat them fairly, and give them the best chance for investment success. It pioneered the industry first index fund and is one of the largest asset management companies in the world. Year after year Vanguard dominates in cash flows and client advocacy. Part of its success can be attributed to its unique corporate structure... The Vanguard Group is owned by its funds which are owned by investors, and the board of directors is tasked to commit to the best interests of the clients. With such a great brand recognition and strong foothold in the industry, what are the components in Vanguard 's value chain? Vanguard is …show more content…

Since its inception, Vanguard has offered multi-channel services to all investors. This includes deferred compensation/benefit plans (401K, 403B, 457, pension), plans for children (529, UGMA/UTMA, ESA), and individual savings accounts (retail, IRA). Strategically, it does not offer high cost products like annuities and transactional funds. This is because these investments tend to be expensive for the client recurring commissions are paid to the broker who sold the products. In addition, they are difficult for the client to understand the fees and payout. As part of its commitment to all investors, which includes low income and finance illiterate individuals, Vanguard only offer products that it feels adds value to all types of portfolios. The services that Vanguard provides are usually best in class or among the top competitors in those. In the world of deferred compensation plans (pensions), Vanguard held a very small market share relative to its competitors. Unless individual accounts or 401k plans, it is extremely hard for companies to move their pension plans from one record-keeper to another. Three years ago, Vanguard fall out of the top 15 pension record-keepers in terms of assets under management. Since it couldn 't take advantage of the economies of scale, Vanguard decided to get out of the pension business and began migrating those assets to a few competitors. This is an example of Vanguard 's commitment to its competitive advantages, and

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