Expert insight

A new Vanguard research paper outlines an approach to determining life insurance needs that could save thousands of dollars while minimizing the chances that coverage falls short of those needs.

Not converting to a Roth because you expect to be in a lower tax bracket at retirement? An analysis using the break-even tax rate (BETR) finds that you may be missing out on tax advantages.

How advisors can add alpha through services such as financial planning, discipline, and guidance.

Updated Vanguard research highlights three key steps to help people choose Medicare coverage options.

Vanguard managing director John James describes how simple it can be to start saving for retirement, from taking advantage of the company match within an employer plan to considering a target-date fund.

The traditional target-date fund might be too conservative for some retirees in poor health. Such investors might consider personalized advice.

Vanguard research shows that inflation doesn’t affect optimal Social Security claiming strategies.

Planning a charitable gifting strategy? Here’s what to know about the complexity, tax consequences, and timeline—whether you’re donating cash, corporate stock, or an antique automobile.

The prospect of saving for long-term financial planning goals can be overwhelming at times given its enormity and uncertainty. Vanguard’s guide to financial wellness offers a blueprint for achieving financial flexibility to meet both short- and long-term goals.

A small commodities position may improve an investor’s outcome while adding resilience to a portfolio.

Investing success can mean different things to different investors. Determining what success means is essential to understanding what path to take.

An account with tax-deferred investment growth, employer contributions, and tax-free qualified withdrawals? An HSA can do all that.

What are asset managers missing? According to our analysis, it’s what should be step one in the process. 

Vanguard’s Julie Virta shared five simple tax tips for new year planning with readers of Kiplinger.

Money is a stressor for many Americans. These tips can reduce the strain this Financial Wellness Month and beyond.

The lasting impact of a father’s disciplined investing on his family and the steps to make such discipline easier.

The start of the year is a great opportunity to get aligned with Vanguard’s four timeless principles for investing success.

Paired with our low-cost funds, advice can be an impactful tool for achieving financial goals, according to Vanguard’s CEO.

A semiannual review of fund industry cash flows finds below-average year-end levels of investors’ risk appetite.

Tax costs can be controlled in many instances. Investors just need to know how.

To celebrate 529 Day, we feature some of our best perspectives to help investors tackle college expenses.

This paper explores how investors can build additional wealth through tax savings by using a 529 plan for K–12 tuition.

Vanguard research explores whether investors can build additional wealth by using 529 plans for K–12 tuition.

Vanguard research on setting expectations and maximizing the probability of success when using a tax-loss-harvesting strategy.

Vanguard research considers the key factors for success in a tax-loss harvesting-strategy.

401(k) savers are saving more than ever before, thanks in large part to plan design improvements over the past 20 years.

Investors can employ diversification strategies beyond just asset allocation. Think about taxes and longevity risk, too.

What’s the strategy with the lowest tax liability when making withdrawals from an inherited IRA?

Five financial planning strategies that investors can use throughout the year to lower their tax bill.

Revisit Vanguard research and commentary on financial wellness and time-tested approaches to investing.

Even when tested by fear and uncertainty, Vanguard’s Jon Cleborne says, investors should be mindful of these key ideas.

Our updated research examines saving and investing behavior in 1.9 million 529 plan education savings accounts.

Key components for efficient tax savings: threshold planning, capital gains, income exclusions, and deductions.

The benefits of HSAs aren’t limited to just covering medical expenses, according to updated Vanguard research.

In this paper, Vanguard espouses four simple and enduring principles to help investors achieve long-term success. Goals: Create clear, appropriate investment goals. Balance: Keep a balanced and diversified mix of investments. Costs: Minimize costs. Discipline: Maintain perspective and long-term discipline.

Investors have opportunities to reduce taxable income. Learn more about how tax analysis techniques can enable savings.

Our research outlines practical steps for investors to balance their financial needs with investment goals.

We test our framework for where to invest assets intended for a child’s future college education.

High-income super savers will benefit from new provisions around RMDs, 529 plans, and more.

Those on the road to retirement (or already there) may benefit from one or more of the changes in SECURE 2.0.

More investors are seeking holistic financial advice to navigate the complex world of wealth management.

New provisions can help young savers who are saving for retirement and also trying to meet nearer-term goals.

Experts look at when investors are most likely to seek and pay for advice.

Experts distinguish between saving and long-term wealth-building when planning for a secure retirement.

Our research explores practical ways to build savings for an emergency while balancing long-term financial goals.

April is Financial Literacy Month and a great time to review ways investors can access financial planning and wellness tools.

April is Financial Literacy Month. More money know-how increases the likelihood of reaching financial goals.

Our research offers a framework to help maximize wealth by taking advantage of your investment options alongside repaying debt.

Our guide can help investors overcome struggles and develop long-term strategies to maintain financial wellness.

What would Vanguard Chief Investment Officer Greg Davis share with his younger self about investing? Ignore the hot stock and focus on the importance of asset diversification.

What should investors know about financial advice? Tom Rampulla, managing director of Vanguard Financial Advisor Services, explains how a hands-off approach can keep you on track and isn’t that expensive.

Vanguard Financial Advice Model (VFAM) is a new approach to financial planning, assessing combinations of strategies and their relative value for an investor.

Americans donated $471 billion to charitable organizations in 2020. Vanguard research explores the three key elements of a successful giving plan: When to give, what to give, and how to give.

Parents and students face distinct challenges when financing higher education expenses. This research paper discusses financial aid options, tax credits, and 529 savings plans and other savings vehicles, as well as the need to plan strategically and understand how college spending decisions affect one's broader financial situation.

Tax-loss harvesting (TLH) has been promoted as a “free lunch” for increasing investment returns. Vanguard researchers explore the potential for TLH and demonstrate how to customize a TLH strategy for optimal benefits. A case study is also featured that illustrates how the benefits of TLH can vary considerably from investor to investor.

For many families, planning for college costs is a top financial priority. A Byzantine landscape of consumer choices, loans, tuition discounting, and public and private aid, however, makes it difficult to answer key questions like "How much will this cost us?” This is especially so for young families, for whom future spending needs are necessarily vague. Vanguard researchers explore how understanding the dynamics of financial aid and net pricing can help parents set a realistic savings target early on and shape a savings plan that evolves with them. 

Investors typically decide whether to convert to a Roth IRA from a traditional IRA by comparing their current and expected future marginal tax rates. The traditional wisdom has been that higher future tax rates make conversion more desirable and lower ones make it less so. Vanguard researchers describe a break-even tax rate (BETR) that yields a more accurate view of what future tax rate would make an investor indifferent to a conversion.

Growth in pension liabilities, along with new disclosure requirements and market-based accounting standards, have led defined benefit pension plan sponsors to consider corporate finances as they manage their plans. This paper discusses how pension plan risk can affect corporate finances and the strategies sponsors can use to mitigate that risk.