Vanguard is Connecting Well with Retail Clients within FINRA Guidelines
Vanguard has an active Facebook Page and a blog that they manage. The blog has five active bloggers that help put a face to the company. Their blogs show expertise, but do not sell products, an important differentiation when it comes to FINRA regulations. If any topic could be construed as advice, there are qualifying notes.
Steve Utkus, with Vanguard’s Center for Retirement Research, has recently blogged about retirement issues such as pensions, long-term care a very general level.
Catherine Gordon, with Vanguard’s Institutional Asset Management Group, has recently blogged about rebalancing your portfolio.
Ellen Rinaldi, with Vanguard’s Planning and Development division has recently blogged about identity theft.
John Ameriks, with Vanguard’s Investment Counseling & Research Group, has recently blogged about 401ks and target-date funds:
(Note: Investments in target-date funds are subject to the risks of their underlying funds. The year in the fund’s name refers to the approximate year—the target date—when an investor in the fund would retire and leave the work force. The fund will gradually shift its emphasis from more aggressive investments to more conservative ones based on its target date. Investments in target-date funds are subject to the risks of their underlying funds, and an investment in a target-date is not guaranteed at any time, including on or after the target date.)
Notes:
- All investments are subject to risks. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.
- Links to third-party websites mentioned in this post will open new browser windows. Vanguard accepts no responsibility for content on external sites, including reader comments posted on other blogs.
Craig Stock, with Vanguard’s Corporate Marketing and Communications department, blogged about the topic of investment strategies:
Notes:
- Past performance is not a guarantee of future returns. The performance of an index is not an exact representation of any particular investment, as you cannot invest directly in an index.
- All investments are subject to risks. International investing involves additional risks, including currency fluctuations and the potential for adverse developments in specific countries or regions. Investments in emerging markets are generally more risky than those in developed countries.
Also, to keep within FINRA rules, the blog policy guidelines makes it clear what Vanguard will and won’t accept as comments and reserves the right to not post comments from users.
Excerpt from the Vanguard blog guidelines:
- Comments are anonymous. We’ll delete your name, e-mail address, and any other identifying information, including details about your investments.
- No responses—sorry! As much as we’d like to, we won’t respond to individual comments. Our bloggers might occasionally reference comments in their own posts, but you will not receive a personal response through the blog. To submit questions or comments about your Vanguard investments or customer-service issues, contact Vanguard directly.
- Don’t give investment advice. We’re not able to publish comments containing specific investment or financial advice. While offering general rules of thumb is OK, recommending specific investments is not.
Vanguard refers to that fact that they do not respond directly to comments in-line. However, in some cases, they have waited a week or two, reviewed the comments as a whole, and posted another blog that responds to issues raised or clarifications needed.
Vanguard uses Facebook differently than they do their blog. It is more informal and has that “just keeping you updated” tone that is common in the Facebook environment. The nature of the communications is even further from “investment advice” and “product selling” than their blog. They communicate a mix of announcements about other forms of Vanguard communications like appearances by Vanguard senior management. They refer to new blog posts – to drive traffic to a place where they can communicate in more details. They also add a personal touch by talking about things like sports events.
