To: Veterans and Principals
From: John C. Bogle
Date: June 26, 2014
Recognition for Vanguard and Indexing
The almost overwhelming success of Vanguard and index funds continues to draw attention, not only from investors (over $77 billion of net cash flow so far this year, 95% of which went into our low-cost index funds), but also from the media. Attached are four recent articles noting our success.
- “Bogle Is In The Vanguard Of Mutual Fund Investing,” Investor’s Business Daily, June 12, 2014. This nice profile highlights the triumph of indexing, and Vanguard’s rise to prominence over the last four decades.
- “Facing price wars and robots, wealth managers push advice,” Reuters, June 20, 2014. I recently participated in the Global Wealth Management Summit hosted by Reuters. This article stems from that summit, and focuses on the growing market for web-based financial advisory services, such as Vanguard’s Personal Advisor Services. Of course, the opening line tickled me: “Jack Bogle, the founder of Vanguard Group and the pioneer of low-cost index investing, has won.”
- “Vanguard’s Bogle expects shrinking Wall Street,” Reuters, June 17, 2014. This article about my thoughts on the future of the financial industry also came out of the Reuters event.
- “Philosophy Differs From Strategy,” RickFerri.com, June 16, 2014. Independent financial advisor Rick Ferri writes about how his investment philosophy is based on the realization that trying to beat the markets is “costly and counterproductive,” so his investment strategy relies on low-cost index funds.
With all of Vanguard’s success over our four decades of existence (we’ll celebrate our 40th anniversary on September 24, 2014), it remains critically important that keep our focus on what’s best for our clients. I’ve used this quotation from Shakespeare many times before, “Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.”
Indeed, Vanguard’s rise to the pinnacle of the mutual fund industry places a fragile crown on our heads. We must continue to focus on our founding values of stewardship and trusteeship of the assets entrusted to us by our clients.
Enjoy your summer.
Best, always,
Jack