Vanguard: Vanguard Perspectives®

What are the different types of annuities and which one might be right for you? Maria Bruno and Steve Utkus explore various annuities and how they might satisfy your retirement income needs.

It's wise to keep taxes in mind when developing an action plan to spend down your retirement assets. Maria Bruno and Steve Utkus discuss the importance of tax efficiency.

The "fiscal cliff" is enough to rattle even the most confident investor. Amy Dobra of Vanguard Advice Services says that in times like this, it's important to tune out the noise and focus on the fundamentals: your investment objectives, time frame, risk tolerance, and costs.

There's plenty of noise about the fiscal cliff but perhaps only one sensible reaction to have, and that may be to do nothing. Amy Dobra of Vanguard Advice Services and James Delaplane of Vanguard Government Relations explain why it's probably a good idea to take a step back before making any investment decisions.

Income tax rates aren't the only taxes slated to change after the year-end deadline. James Delaplane of Vanguard Government Relations offers his take on where dividend and capital gains tax rates may end up in 2013.

With the December 31 deadline looming, James Delaplane of Vanguard's Government Relations office discusses the possibility that federal policymakers will be able to head off the "fiscal cliff" scenario.

Tax efficiency, anonymity, and low costs are just a few of the benefits of a donor-advised fund. Listen to Ben Pierce of Vanguard Charitable and Al Weikel of Vanguard Flagship Select Services talk more about this topic as they make the distinction between donor-advised funds and foundations.

Philanthropy can play a powerful role as families think about the transfer of wealth. Ben Pierce from Vanguard Charitable and Al Weikel of Vanguard Flagship Select Services elaborate on philanthropy and how it can be used as part of a wealth-transition plan to establish a family legacy.

Ann Combs, head of Vanguard Government Relations, offers an insider's perspective on the debates taking place on Capitol Hill. Vanguard hopes policymakers will act quickly to avoid the "fiscal cliff" and craft a credible plan to address the nation's fiscal imbalance.

Markets watch nervously as U.S. lawmakers debate various tax and spending proposals, while Europe grapples with steep debts in countries such as Greece, Italy, and Spain. In this latest analysis, Vanguard economists discuss the fiscal challenges facing the United States and Europe.

Are all ETFs created equal? Not necessarily, says Joel Dickson of Vanguard's Investment Strategy Group. Mr. Dickson explains how Vanguard ETFs are simply a different share class that offers the same underlying holdings as their mutual fund counterparts, and what that means for our investors.

Though ETFs can serve the interests of both types of investors, the costs aren't the same. Joel Dickson of Vanguard's Investment Strategy Group explains why the intraday trading activity of ETFs doesn't pass the expenses of frequent buying and selling to shareholders of the underlying mutual fund holdings.

Exchanged-traded funds (ETFs) have come a long way since their inception about 15 years ago. Joel Dickson of Vanguard's Investment Strategy Group explains what they are, how they work, and why they're similar in construction to a traditional mutual fund.

Gus Sauter, Vanguard's chief investment officer, details a timetable for adopting the new benchmarks and why keeping the exact date "close to the vest" can benefit investors.

Investment expert Dr. Charles Ellis shares suggestions about how to keep from getting overwhelmed by the volume of information about investing.