As we field a full range of advice services for institutional plan sponsors and their employees, Vanguard has partnered with The Economist Group on a three-episode podcast series about how financial advice is evolving to meet investors’ changing needs.
At Vanguard, our number one goal is to help investors reach their financial goals. Because each person who invests in our funds is an owner1, we are keenly focused on improving their outcomes.
Advice is one important way we help people—our investor-owners—navigate the complex, sometimes emotion-laden path to financial well-being.
This podcast series of three 20-minute episodes highlights insights from Vanguard and other financial experts and details results of the recent Economist Impact survey of 1,200 American investors.
Episode 1: The universe of financial choice
Focus: The COVID-19 pandemic has deeply impacted how people feel about finances and receiving investment advice. Additionally, a profound shift in attitudes toward work and saving is driving the investment decisions of young Americans.
Highlights: 52% of American families have direct or indirect investments in the stock market.2
Plus, expert perspectives on: The importance of distinguishing between saving and long-term wealth building when planning for a secure retirement.
No one ever says, ‘How could a doctor help?’ You shouldn’t feel bad about needing help with your finances.
Ryan Barrows
Head of registered investment advisors
Vanguard Financial Advisor Services
Episode 2: The human investor
Focus: As Americans' investment choices and control over investments increase, so does their uncertainty about their ability to manage their finances. Advice can help investors navigate this paradox.
Highlights: Despite the vast sources of information available, most investors rely on financial advisors (52.1%) or family (39.6%) when seeking financial advice.3
Plus, expert perspectives on: When people are most likely to seek and pay for advice.
Investing is emotional . . . It’s hard to get away from that.
Janelle McDonald
Principal and head of Vanguard’s Relationship Management Group
Episode 3: The confident investor
Focus: Financial advice can make investors feel more confident by helping them understand what investment levers they can control to reach their goals, even through market volatility.
Highlights: 60% of investors who rely on advisors think they are ahead of their peers, compared with 28% who rely on the internet.3
Plus, expert perspectives on: How more investors are seeking holistic financial advice to navigate the complex world of wealth management.
Having so much information available at our fingertips can make it difficult for us to make choices.
Amanda Levis
Behavioral economist, Vanguard
1 Vanguard is investor-owned, meaning the fund shareholders own the funds, which in turn own Vanguard.
2 More Than Half of U.S. Households Have Some Investment in the Stock Market. Kim Parker and Richard Fry, Pew Research Center, March 2020.
3 The New American Investor: Finding Confidence in Their Financial Future. Economist Impact, May 2022.
More information
For more information on how Vanguard helps institutional clients’ employees navigate financial complexity, check out:
Vanguard’s Employee Advice Services
Vanguard’s Financial Wellness program
Featuring information on:
- My Financial Wellness online hub that provides employees with a wellness assessment, personalized educationalcontent, relevant tools, and action plans.
- Partnerships with HealthEquity for health savings accounts, Candidly for student loan debt services, Newport Group retirement services for nonqualified plans, and EQ to support equity compensation plans.
Notes:
- All investing is subject to risk, including the possible loss of the money you invest.
- Advice services are provided by Vanguard Advisers, Inc., a registered investment advisor, or by Vanguard National Trust Company, a federally chartered, limited-purpose trust company.
- The Economist and Vanguard podcasts originally appeared in June 2022 as “The expanding universe of choice,” produced by Economist Impact.
Podcast sources:
- “Americans Can’t Get Enough of the Stock Market”, The Wall Street Journal, May 2, 2021.
- The New American Investor: Finding Confidence in Their Financial Future. Economist Impact, The Economist Group, May 2022.
- A Visual Depiction of the Shift from Defined Benefit (DB) to Defined Contribution (DC) Pension Plans in the Private Sector, Congressional Research Service, December 27, 2021.
- The New Map of Life: A Report from The Stanford Center on Longevity, Stanford University, April 2022.
- "Choice Proliferation, Simplicity Seeking, and Asset Allocation". Sheena S. Iyengar and Emir Kamenica, Journal of Public Economics, 2010.