Vanguard

Vanguard, founded in 1975 by John C. Bogle, pioneered the first retail index fund in 1976, building its purpose around making investing, beyond indexing accessible, low-cost, and aligned with everyday investors’ long-term interests rather than public or private shareholders’ profits. Today, with around $14 trillion in assets, this “investor-owned” identity still anchors its strategy, and mission to put investors first. It has also shaped Vanguard’s partnership with the advisory community and gave rise to Advisor’s Alpha, a framework that helps advisors deliver value beyond investment management by emphasizing evidence-based strategies within their control—including suitable asset allocation, cost-effective implementation, rebalancing, behavioral coaching, asset location, spending strategy, and tax-loss harvesting. Now marking its 25th anniversary, Advisor’s Alpha is widely adopted and has reshaped the advisor value proposition from portfolio management toward financial planning and behavioral coach.