Vanguard IRA Review

The topic of 401Ks and  IRA is not so worthy a topic as the vessel into which one places their savings. Ultimately, both are merely tax deferred savings plans, where the savings are held is most important.  Further, the question of what kind of investor are you is not an issue either, all the companies listed offer the full spectrum of accounts from aggressive to very conservative.

Most importantly, look at the companies, their track histories, and yes...their fees!!! Only one company on the list is worthy of mention and that is Vanguard. Not only do they have the performance history, but their fees are among the very lowest in the industry. All mutual funds have fees, even the no load funds. That is the cost of doing business so to speak. Many companies take advantage of what is allowable by the SEC while others manage quite fine minimizing said fees. A higher fee in no way connotes a better return, it simply is subtracted from what is called the total return.

Compare apples to apples....and for the final answer, consult a Morningstar review on any mutual fund, they represent the best unbiased evaluation of all funds....comparing apples to apples and assigning each fund a rating....use this a your benchmark.

To hell with brokers touting their goods, it is vital that the investor shoulder the burden of educating themselves about how to invest their money. We spend the majority of our lives working to earn a buck and spend the least amount of time investing in the appropriate knowledge of what to do with our investment dollars, regardless of their purpose.