Your Vanguard Page
Your Vanguard Page
How often do you visit your Vanguard account page and what pages do you visit?
Lately I have been visiting the page daily to check how the total balance is doing.
Then I go to cost basis view to see how much I have lost, in what funds, and short term or long term.
Then I go to portfolio watch page to see how my asset allocations are doing.
Then I check when I can make exchanges - the 30 days and 60 days parameters.
What do you do?
Lately I have been visiting the page daily to check how the total balance is doing.
Then I go to cost basis view to see how much I have lost, in what funds, and short term or long term.
Then I go to portfolio watch page to see how my asset allocations are doing.
Then I check when I can make exchanges - the 30 days and 60 days parameters.
What do you do?
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Re: Your Vanguard Page
The more I look at my Vanguard account, the more I’m tempted to “do something” for no good reason, so I’m trying to forget about it as much as possible.
- oldcomputerguy
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Re: Your Vanguard Page
From someone who used to look two or three times a day, a word of advice: You need to stop looking. It will drive you crazy and make it that more probable that you’ll make some behavioral mistake.
I log on once a month to download my statements (and to make sure that haven’t been hacked), otherwise I leave it alone.
I log on once a month to download my statements (and to make sure that haven’t been hacked), otherwise I leave it alone.
Re: Your Vanguard Page
I've looked a bunch in the past week, as I've been switching banks and had to set up the account link and then auto-investing.
Otherwise, I tend to look about once every other month, to make sure all of the auto-investments went through correctly (my retirement funds are in Target-Date funds, so no rebalancing needed)
Otherwise, I tend to look about once every other month, to make sure all of the auto-investments went through correctly (my retirement funds are in Target-Date funds, so no rebalancing needed)
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Re: Your Vanguard Page
Once per month, never more.
Re: Your Vanguard Page
Once a week at most.
Re: Your Vanguard Page
I log on to Vanguard several times a week but what's an account page?
A scientist looks for THE answer to a problem, an engineer looks for AN answer and lawyers ONLY have opinions. Investing is not a science.
Re: Your Vanguard Page
I check it bi weekly or monthly just to make sure automatic investments are going through and dividends are being reinvested properly, mainly because I had an issue a few times with these things. Otherwise, though, I don't really look into too much detail. When I first started out I looked at those things more, but I eventually realized, as others have mentioned, that it makes you want to take action, and usually the best thing to do is nothing.
Re: Your Vanguard Page
I rarely login to my Vanguard account unless I know something has changed. The only changes are ones that I expect:
1. Quarterly distributions, so that is 4 logins per year to check them.
2. Roth IRA contribution, so that is once per year.
3. Tax documents appear, so that is once more per year.
I do browse Vanguard.com occasionally to answer questions for people at bogleheads.org.
Otherwise, I keep track of the portfolio using other ways that do not require that I check my Vanguard account.
1. Quarterly distributions, so that is 4 logins per year to check them.
2. Roth IRA contribution, so that is once per year.
3. Tax documents appear, so that is once more per year.
I do browse Vanguard.com occasionally to answer questions for people at bogleheads.org.
Otherwise, I keep track of the portfolio using other ways that do not require that I check my Vanguard account.
Re: Your Vanguard Page
I log in 4 times per year to Vanguard when the quarterly statements are ready.
I have all of my investments (Fidelity + Vanguard) loaded into a Morningstar portfolio that I check daily. I try to avoid logging into Vanguard or Fidelity. I don't want to be tempted to do something stupid.
I have all of my investments (Fidelity + Vanguard) loaded into a Morningstar portfolio that I check daily. I try to avoid logging into Vanguard or Fidelity. I don't want to be tempted to do something stupid.
Re: Your Vanguard Page
I check it frequently to make sure transactions occur as they are suppose to and glad that I did - this year Vanguard reinvested distributed dividends from VTI that were suppose to go to cash and my settlement account per instructions in the account causing a wash sale for shares that I had sold a week earlier to tax loss harvest. They are in the process of correcting it and I will look closely at the 1099 to make sure they didn't include the wash sale.asif408 wrote: ↑Wed Jan 09, 2019 1:11 pm I check it bi weekly or monthly just to make sure automatic investments are going through and dividends are being reinvested properly, mainly because I had an issue a few times with these things. Otherwise, though, I don't really look into too much detail. When I first started out I looked at those things more, but I eventually realized, as others have mentioned, that it makes you want to take action, and usually the best thing to do is nothing.
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Re: Your Vanguard Page
The idea of setting it and forgetting it, and peeking as infrequently as possible, makes good sense from a certain perspective but it directly conflicts with Vanguard's expectation, offered from the perspective of maintaining account security, that an account holder "monitor" his/her account on a regular basis. Vanguard expresses the same in print and in the video found via the link just below. To monitor an account on a regular basis, one has to access it on the same basis.
https://investor.vanguard.com/security/video
https://investor.vanguard.com/security/video
- Doom&Gloom
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Re: Your Vanguard Page
Let's see now; have I ever done any of that?PinotGris wrote: ↑Wed Jan 09, 2019 2:40 am How often do you visit your Vanguard account page and what pages do you visit?
Lately I have been visiting the page daily to check how the total balance is doing.
Then I go to cost basis view to see how much I have lost, in what funds, and short term or long term.
Then I go to portfolio watch page to see how my asset allocations are doing.
Then I check when I can make exchanges - the 30 days and 60 days parameters.
What do you do?
1) Not nearly daily.
2) Nope.
3) Not on that page, but I only check AA after large moves to see if I need to re-balance.
4) Nope.
5) Get more enjoyment out of life than I would by doing those things every day.
- Phineas J. Whoopee
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Re: Your Vanguard Page
Once a week, to be sure we agree because if we don't the time to take action is now, and to practice my login credentials so I don't forget them. I'm not tempted to buy or sell. I use my preset rebalancing band for that decision.
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Re: Your Vanguard Page
How often do you look at this "other ways" ?livesoft wrote: ↑Wed Jan 09, 2019 1:30 pm I rarely login to my Vanguard account unless I know something has changed. The only changes are ones that I expect:
1. Quarterly distributions, so that is 4 logins per year to check them.
2. Roth IRA contribution, so that is once per year.
3. Tax documents appear, so that is once more per year.
I do browse Vanguard.com occasionally to answer questions for people at bogleheads.org.
Otherwise, I keep track of the portfolio using other ways that do not require that I check my Vanguard account.
Re: Your Vanguard Page
Once monthly timed when doing bills. Never to check performance, just to ensure all is security secure in 2015Land.
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Re: Your Vanguard Page
I look at it frequently because I am sweeping money into my Vanguard accounts from my local bank account. I confirm the transaction. Also, I check frequently to be sure it hasn’t been hacked or tampered with. Gives me piece of mind. I also use Portfolio Watch and I have to manually input changes to my Non-Vanguard accounts.
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Re: Your Vanguard Page
I also have kept everything on a Morningstar portfolio for over 15 years and just look at Vanguard site to make sure that the Morningstar numbers are the same or to do a rebalance or other withdrawal (I am in the withdrawal stage). I look at the Morningstar site most days and then arrange the daily performance of the funds from best to worst (you can do that with a single click). Interesting and a bit educational to see this, and most times when equities are up, fixed income is slightly down or unchanged. But not always- today everything went up. Morningstar also has a feature that allows you to "X-Ray" everything in the portfolio, including cash and fixed income, to give you a precise % of equities vs. fixed income for the entire portfolio.Hockey10 wrote: ↑Wed Jan 09, 2019 2:37 pm I log in 4 times per year to Vanguard when the quarterly statements are ready.
I have all investments (Fidelity + Vanguard) loaded into a Morningstar portfolio that I check daily. I try to avoid logging into Vanguard or Fidelity. I don't want to be tempted to do something stupid.
Not tempted to mess with the portfolio as I have drunk enough of the Boglehead Kool-Aid for long enough to know better. Being in the withdrawal stage, I REALLY don't want to muck anything up!
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Re: Your Vanguard Page
Since I cannot sweep dividends from my/spouse's account to our Joint account (thinking checking account equivalent) I need to send it to an outside entity (CIT Bank) and then ACH it to the joint account. I log in to make sure that it happened.
Even that is "belt and suspenders" as I get an email saying that it happened.
I also check in during January to see the RMD amount from IRAs and call in to do a QCD.
CIT, ACH, RMD, QCD, got that
Even that is "belt and suspenders" as I get an email saying that it happened.
I also check in during January to see the RMD amount from IRAs and call in to do a QCD.
CIT, ACH, RMD, QCD, got that

"Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer despair for the future of the human race." H.G. Wells
Re: Your Vanguard Page
I like to keep a monthly record of where the plan is, so I tend to look at month's end. Sometimes I look after a couple of weeks because it is a good idea to keep peeking to make sure there is nothing strange going on. That is probably more meaningful for accounts with constant activity such as checking and credit card accounts than an investment account.
I don't have accounts at Vanguard, so I mean looking at the various on line account pages where I can see my investments, savings, checking, credit cards, etc.
I don't have accounts at Vanguard, so I mean looking at the various on line account pages where I can see my investments, savings, checking, credit cards, etc.
Re: Your Vanguard Page
Once a week. I call them "Finance Fridays". Do the bills and such.
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Re: Your Vanguard Page
I tend to log on frequently when the market is going up for a sugar high, but not so much when the market is tanking. I never sell by choice in either case. But with the RMD requirement, we are forced to do market-timing; avoid required withdrawals when the bear is beating the bull.
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Re: Your Vanguard Page
Most all financial advisors recommend that all withdrawals come from cash/short term fixed income position, not from equities. Otherwise you do "reverse dollar cost averaging", selling more equity shares when they are down and less when they are up, which depletes the portfolio more quickly. Since cash does not fluctuate, no reason to market time. I withdraw from my money market position only and rebalance every 4 years, setting equity and fixed income back to my plan percentages.I convert short term bonds to money market every 6 months to fund the source for my RMDs, which I take monthly.teacher wrote: ↑Thu Jan 10, 2019 10:23 am I tend to log on frequently when the market is going up for a sugar high, but not so much when the market is tanking. I never sell by choice in either case. But with the RMD requirement, we are forced to do market-timing; avoid required withdrawals when the bear is beating the bull.
Re: Your Vanguard Page
Fundhunter wrote:
I would be withdrawing from the Stable Value fund for RMDs and replenish it with TSM funds when the market is up, but alas, the 401k is in AT&T funds through Fidelity, and AT&T requires RMD withdrawals be taken "proportionally", so 50% from the Total Stock Market fund and 50% from the Stable Value fund, whether we like it or not, and we don't. Fidelity says their hands are tied. I wish I had details as to why proportional withdrawals "depletes the portfolio more quickly". I would write a letter to explain why AT&T needs to eliminate the requirement if I could articulate my case. I'm sure Fidelity would give me the contact person at AT&T, if I was prepared with specifics.Most all financial advisors recommend that all withdrawals come from cash/short term fixed income position, not from equities.
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Re: Your Vanguard Page
I check my VG account occasionally, but at least annually. I do not know why I would check more often.
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Re: Your Vanguard Page
I only use it to check cost basis if I believe there to be a TLH opportunity. My Google Sheet page is better for total value and daily gains/losses as it includes my 401K.PinotGris wrote: ↑Wed Jan 09, 2019 2:40 am How often do you visit your Vanguard account page and what pages do you visit?
Lately I have been visiting the page daily to check how the total balance is doing.
Then I go to cost basis view to see how much I have lost, in what funds, and short term or long term.
Then I go to portfolio watch page to see how my asset allocations are doing.
Then I check when I can make exchanges - the 30 days and 60 days parameters.
What do you do?
Re: Your Vanguard Page
Pretty much the same here unless I have something specific I need.
Most of our spending is either credit cards or direct debit. Near the end of the month, the CCs close and I know the balance. The DDs are already known. So around the first of the month I can go in and ACH what I need to the bank for the next month.
When you discover that you are riding a dead horse, the best strategy is to dismount.
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Re: Your Vanguard Page
I check my bank accounts online every day cause that is where the action is, where my bills are paid and debits and credits from various accounts appear. My Vanguard account is long term investments, once a month quick perusal enough unless transferring money to my bank accounts. Good luck.
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Re: Your Vanguard Page
Not familiar with your situation where they tell you how you have to make withdrawals from your retirement account. Can't you fire your custodian and roll your retirement plan over to become a Vanguard Rollover IRA? Then you could move your funds around as you please and withdraw from whatever you wanted.teacher wrote: ↑Thu Jan 10, 2019 2:40 pm Fundhunter wrote:I would be withdrawing from the Stable Value fund for RMDs and replenish it with TSM funds when the market is up, but alas, the 401k is in AT&T funds through Fidelity, and AT&T requires RMD withdrawals be taken "proportionally", so 50% from the Total Stock Market fund and 50% from the Stable Value fund, whether we like it or not, and we don't. Fidelity says their hands are tied. I wish I had details as to why proportional withdrawals "depletes the portfolio more quickly". I would write a letter to explain why AT&T needs to eliminate the requirement if I could articulate my case. I'm sure Fidelity would give me the contact person at AT&T, if I was prepared with specifics.Most all financial advisors recommend that all withdrawals come from cash/short term fixed income position, not from equities.
I am not sure about your comment about why proportional withdrawals deplete the account more quickly. If you withdraw the same amount from your equity fund every month, you will be selling more shares when the price is lower and fewer shares when the price is higher. On balance, that means you are doing more selling at lower share values and less at higher share values and obviously this is bad because it depletes the portfolio more quickly. It is the opposite of Dollar Cost Averaging where you buy with the same dollar amount every month, buying more shares at low prices and fewer shares at higher prices, which is a good way to invest.