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Post by anitya on Aug 28, 2023 19:43:54 GMT
"My wife's smaller Vanguard IRA accounts don't even show that "Upload Documents" click in the Message Center. So, it is clearly for one way communications, from Vanguard to her."
Wow. I thought so too initially and then I wanted to give them the benefit of doubt when I saw the Upload Documents tab and thought may be they are trying to get efficient. (Of course, it is not that easy to find the send messages button at Fidelity.) But for Vanguard to design their website to customize to provide less website capability to each customer based on their account size or how much fees Vanguard makes, they should really declare themselves as a for profit company rather than have the pretension of being owned by fund shareholders.
Thanks for letting us know how Vanguard is evolving. Most of my money there is in their brokerage. I will consolidate them out at some point.
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Post by anitya on Aug 28, 2023 20:04:25 GMT
All those that do not have a "Compose" message feature at Vanguard,
Why are you not consolidating your brokerage accounts away from Vanguard or into Vanguard if you become eligible for the "Compose" message feature? You already know the Vanguard customer service for you is practically non-existent.
I am thinking the long telephone wait lines at Vanguard must be cause them prioritizing customers based on fees level. But unlike Fidelity, Vanguard also makes their telephone number hard to find if you are not a privileged client. FYFI - We have a thread in the Vanguard Virtues folder where members shared the hard to find Vanguard telephone number.
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Post by chang on Aug 28, 2023 20:17:56 GMT
All those that do not have a "Compose Message" feature at Vanguard, Why are you not consolidating your brokerage accounts away from Vanguard or into Vanguard if you become eligible for the "Compose Message" feature? You already know the Vanguard customer service for you is practically non-existent. Sorry, I have not followed or read through the entire thread. I know VG customer service sucks, but I keep an account in order to hold Admiral class funds. I also keep PIMIX there, because they gave me 25 TF-waived trades. I see a "Secure Message" feature under "Contact". I think it has always been there. I haven't sent them a message in a long time, but I believe they always answer (although slowly - maybe after 1-3 days).
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Post by anitya on Aug 28, 2023 20:57:53 GMT
chang , Based on your message you are at least a Flagship client and as such the website features and customer service available to you is different / better and my message likely does not apply to you. P.S.: I too have VHCAX with them. I can still continue to move out non-admiral share assets out to a better customer service place. BTW, to preserve the higher privilege status at Vanguard, I had made poor fund choices. After that I decided not to worry about low Vanguard ER, free mutual fund trades, etc. and try to maximize my total return performance and moved out a lot of assets from them. What I did not anticipate was that my customer service experience will drop drastically. I will buy Vanguard funds outside Vanguard than move money back to their brokerage account to avoid needless mental frictions.
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Post by anitya on Sept 1, 2023 21:13:45 GMT
I received the following reply today from Vanguard for the message I sent them on Monday -
"Thank you for taking the time to contact us. Please accept our apologies for the delay in responding to your email. Recently, we have experienced a high volume of requests, which has prevented us from responding to your inquiry in as timely a manner as you have come to expect. Your patience is greatly appreciated.
Please call us at 877-662-7447 to better serve you. You can reach us on business days from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Eastern time. We look forward to your call."
This is their way of telling me to go somewhere else!
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Post by chang on Sept 1, 2023 23:37:23 GMT
I received the following reply today from Vanguard for the message I sent them on Monday - "Thank you for taking the time to contact us. Please accept our apologies for the delay in responding to your email. Recently, we have experienced a high volume of requests, which has prevented us from responding to your inquiry in as timely a manner as you have come to expect. Your patience is greatly appreciated. Please call us at 877-662-7447 to better serve you. You can reach us on business days from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Eastern time. We look forward to your call." This is their way of telling me to go somewhere else! Please let me know if you find any company that is not "experiencing a higher than usual volume of calls".
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Post by fred495 on Sept 2, 2023 2:25:56 GMT
I received the following reply today from Vanguard for the message I sent them on Monday - "Thank you for taking the time to contact us. Please accept our apologies for the delay in responding to your email. Recently, we have experienced a high volume of requests, which has prevented us from responding to your inquiry in as timely a manner as you have come to expect. Your patience is greatly appreciated. Please call us at 877-662-7447 to better serve you. You can reach us on business days from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Eastern time. We look forward to your call." This is their way of telling me to go somewhere else! Please let me know if you find any company that is not "experiencing a higher than usual volume of calls".
Be that as it may, chang, but it certainly doesn't prevent Fidelity from answering my calls promptly.
Fred
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Post by Capital on Sept 2, 2023 10:21:08 GMT
I mostly use Fidelity for most of my Brokerage, Banking and Retirement needs. I have a local Bank, Regions, I use for lending and services such a wiring and cashiers checks when needed. Vanguard let me open a Cash Plus account that I use for cash reserves FDIC insured funds. My Vanguard brokerage account holds some EFTs and CDs; however, more and more I use Vanguard as a cash savings vehicle due to their higher rates. Funny thing, if I want info or research on a Vanguard EFT I use Fidelity to do so. I've been thinking about opening a Schwab One Brokerage account to get access to their investment tools; but, not taken the time to do so.
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Post by steelpony10 on Sept 2, 2023 10:36:41 GMT
Capital , I know you’re younger then me but is your wife aware of how your assets are handled? At some point that’s all going to be simplified for her or successor managers? I’m just interested because I never got that deep into money management. My wife will go to a financial manager and get properly diversified and allocated then put on an allowance if something happens to me, lol.
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Post by Capital on Sept 2, 2023 11:03:14 GMT
Capital , I know you’re younger then me but is your wife aware of how your assets are handled? At some point that’s all going to be simplified for her or successor managers? I’m just interested because I never got that deep into money management. My wife will go to a financial manager and get properly diversified and allocated then put on an allowance if something happens to me, lol. steelpony10 , my spouse and I talk about everything financial whenever anything big occurs and at least quarterly. She is well versed in our financial situation. Our finances are actually not so complicated, I have put it on auto pilot for the most part. We are lucky in that I was able to save over 15% of my income in the 1990s. That along with a nice inheritance has left us with a generous retirement. The Equity portion of our portfolio is well diversified. What I am working on now is the reconstruction of a bond segment. When bond rates went so far down, I moved to about 93% equities. I am now back to about 15% bonds. I'm just under 4 years from retirement (age 70) and she is 7 years from age 65 when she will retire. I am moving our portfolio in a more income producing direction currently; however, I plan to always have some growth.
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Post by Fearchar on Sept 3, 2023 13:59:18 GMT
I have not had to call for much customer support over the years.
Currently dealing with Vanguard, Fidelity, E*Trade and Schwab. Have also dealt with Omni solutions and Northwest something or other, which are the vendors at work.
Years ago, dealt with Brown&Company before they merged into E*Trade. Also dealt with USAA before they merged with TDAmeritrade. TDAmeritrade wasn't too bad either, but now they are going away too.
Years ago, I agreed to handle the Vanguard Accounts for our Church. Not even my accounts, and one of them was set up back in the 50's or so. Vanguard was picky about a few things and there was paperwork to be filled out, but I got thru it. People at the Church were very appreciative of my ability to get things done! I have since quit that Church, but that's another topic (today is Sunday after all).
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Post by yogibearbull on Sept 3, 2023 14:19:02 GMT
Fearchar , "Also dealt with USAA before they merged with TDAmeritrade." The mutual fund business of USAA was sold to Victory Capital/ VCTR. The wealth-management and brokerage business of USAA was sold to Schwab/ SCHW (that also bought TD Ameritrade). USAA is refocusing on its core business of serving military and veteran families. So, USAA is alive and kicking too. www.usaa.com/
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Post by Fearchar on Sept 3, 2023 15:15:20 GMT
yogibearbull , Maybe they are now trying to erase out of date references, but I know from first hand experience that USAA brokerage business was sold about 4 years to TDAmeritrade. They were not sold directly to Schwab.
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Post by retiredat48 on Sept 3, 2023 15:22:03 GMT
For info...I post on the Fidelity Forum also. I have no skin-in-the-game re Fido or Vanguard...But:
Please be aware that many Fidelity Forum posters are describing their anguish with customer service at Fidelity. The issues are everywhere. Accounts being moved to other institutions...etc.
R48
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Post by yogibearbull on Sept 3, 2023 15:37:38 GMT
Fearchar , I searched the web and found this about 2019 announcement of Schwab's acquisition of TD Ameritrade. The last bullet addresses then-ongoing TD Ameritrade acquisition of some businesses of USAA - it became a transient detail. So, your memory is correct. However, the media now simply says that business (wealth management & brokerage) went to Schwab. " Q: Does this affect the USAA acquisition?
This transaction should have no effect on the USAA transaction as the integration of the USAA brokerage and wealth management business should be completed before the integration of TD Ameritrade begins." www.aboutschwab.com/announcement
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Post by roi2020 on Sept 3, 2023 17:16:03 GMT
For info...I post on the Fidelity Forum also. I have no skin-in-the-game re Fido or Vanguard...But: Please be aware that many Fidelity Forum posters are describing their anguish with customer service at Fidelity. The issues are everywhere. Accounts being moved to other institutions...etc. R48 I've been pleased with Fidelity's customer service over the years. Never had any major issues. Phone hold times were a little long on several occasions but that's about it.
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Post by anitya on Sept 20, 2023 20:49:07 GMT
I tried to place a sell order for a stock at Vanguard and received the following message:
"System is unavailable This transaction can't be completed because our system is unavailable at this time. Please try again later or contact us at 800-992-8327.
Go to your Balances and holdings page.
Session ID: 8919075 Time: 09/20/2023 04:41 p.m. ET"
Tried the same transaction after five minutes and received the same message.
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Post by yakers on Sept 21, 2023 15:38:27 GMT
I tried to place a sell order for a stock at Vanguard and received the following message: "System is unavailable This transaction can't be completed because our system is unavailable at this time. Please try again later or contact us at 800-992-8327. Go to your Balances and holdings page. Session ID: 8919075 Time: 09/20/2023 04:41 p.m. ET" Tried the same transaction after five minutes and received the same message. I wouldn't like that, I do my (very limited) stock trades at Wells Fargo, at Vanguard I only have mutual funds so never a trading issue. All the brokerages say if the web doesn't work then call it in (and at no trading fee) but I have not had to do that.
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Post by anitya on Sept 21, 2023 15:51:42 GMT
I tried to place a sell order for a stock at Vanguard and received the following message: "System is unavailable This transaction can't be completed because our system is unavailable at this time. Please try again later or contact us at 800-992-8327. Go to your Balances and holdings page. Session ID: 8919075 Time: 09/20/2023 04:41 p.m. ET" Tried the same transaction after five minutes and received the same message. What they did not allow me to sell yesterday evening is now down more than 3%. I have been using Vanguard for stocks and ETFs. I buy Vanguard funds rarely these days and when I do, I buy outside Vanguard. I started my investing with Vanguard funds and now only have a small position in VHCAX. I had enough with Vanguard. I am also not happy with other big box brokerages (behaving increasingly bureaucratic and no customer service (like a government organization)) and would rather consolidate the non-Fidelity brokerages into another brokerage. Any suggestions for brokerages? It will be great if I do not need customer service but if something goes wrong, I would like them to get to it rather than make excuses like how their systems require the customer to suffer. How good is IBKR? It would be great to get feed back from IBKR customers in the forum. Thanks.
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Post by roi2020 on Sept 21, 2023 18:57:55 GMT
[snip]
I had enough with Vanguard. I am also not happy with other big box brokerages (behaving increasingly bureaucratic and no customer service (like a government organization)) and would rather consolidate the non-Fidelity brokerages into another brokerage. Any suggestions for brokerages? It will be great if I do not need customer service but if something goes wrong, I would like them to get to it rather than make excuses like how their systems require the customer to suffer.
How good is IBKR? It would be great to get feed back from IBKR customers in the forum.
Thanks.
I suggest you create a new thread for your inquiry in order to potentially increase the response rate.
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