Talk:Vanguard REIT Index Fund

Suggested Chronology of Fund Data Updates
Given the demands placed on editors for keeping wiki data current and updated, please use the following timelines for updating data. In most instances we can provide annual data once it becomes available, with links to the sites which can provide subsequent monthly data updates. This should help reduce the burden of editorial upkeep. Here is a suggested chronology for data updates.
 * Fund returns and standard deviations should be reported on an annual basis, with links to the Vanguard web pages for current year-to-date updates.


 * Fund accounting and tax distribution data should be reported on the fiscal year basis. A link to the Vanguard webpage can provide for the current status of these attributes.


 * Fund expense ratio updates should be reported on the semiannual and annual report dates. We have usually made an internal note of the semiannual report er and then update all references of the er upon the annual report. The  issuance of the annual report also allows one to estimate the foreign tax credit for international funds and estimate the return of capital distribution for REIT funds.


 * Qualified dividend percentages are released after the end of the calendar year. Updates must wait for the data release. Late in the year, Vanguard provides estimates for qualified dividends, we can provide these links as they become available. These can be placed in the fund distribution pages.


 * Fund brokerage commission expense is made available when the fund prospectus and statement of additional information (which is where brokerage commission expense is reported) is updated and released. Data for 2008 will become available by mid year 2009.

These directives should limit most data updates to the completion of the calendar year for updating returns, tracking error, and standard deviation; to the issuance of the annual reports for tax data; the issuance of semiannual and annual reports for expense ratios; and. when issued, the timely posting of final qualified dividend and brokerage commission data. Blbarnitz 09:19, 3 January 2009 (UTC)

Taxes
Is it reasonable to put the fund's tax (in)efficiency discussion under Criticisms, and perhaps eliminate the Additional Considerations section (unless other relevant topics pop up)? Ken Schwartz 14:20, 2 June 2008 (EDT)
 * I think so, but you might add that tax inefficiency of a REIT fund is inherent to REIT, not because of what Vanguard is doing. PiperWarrior 15:26, 2 June 2008 (EDT)

Focus

 * The "narrow focus" is also not a fault of this fund. The fund covers the REIT sector pretty well. We shouldn't blame this fund for the fact that REITs make up a small part of the whole stock market. Tfb 16:40, 2 June 2008 (EDT)

tfb, I'd already added an Asset Class Purity section under Advantages to balance things. While the fund can play a role in a diversified portfolio, I think it's important to warn prospective performance chasers of its narrowness and potentially volatility.

It's sort of like warning about bubble risk or little % in small value for VTSMX. It's not the fund's fault that it covers the cap-weighted US market so well. Ken Schwartz 16:54, 2 June 2008 (EDT)


 * By the way, I'm not attached to the term Criticisms as a section heading. We could use something like Drawbacks or Disadvantages. We should probably be consistent with whatever term we choose, though there may be special cases which warrant exception. Ken Schwartz 17:29, 2 June 2008 (EDT)