Our annual look at the current state of DC retirement plans is here! Within the pages of How America Saves 2025 is the data that sponsors and consultants need to help their participants take the right actions for a more prosperous retirement.

April’s tariff-driven market volatility was the perfect proving ground for ETFs. During that period, ETFs withstood the many challenges the markets threw their way better than portfolios of the underlying securities, new Vanguard research shows.

Global tariff discussions have played a dominant role in shaping the economic outlook both in the U.S. and abroad. In this short video, Kevin Khang, Vanguard senior international economist, explains their impact and addresses other key investing themes.

Sharpen your approach to minimizing ETF expenses

Each month, you'll have access to the latest insights from our Portfolio Solutions experts to help you address evolving issues that may affect your clients' portfolios. In this edition:

Implementing an investment strategy is often presented as a choice based on whether a fund is labeled “active” or “index.” Those labels are important, as they convey pertinent information about funds. However, I believe it’s more important that investors consider the characteristics behind those labels. Doing so can strengthen investors’ conviction about why they might include active and index funds in their investment plan and can increase their chances of success.

Active management can outperform—given the right combination of talent, discipline, and incentives strictly aligned with those of clients. And Vanguard has that in spades.

More and more investors and financial advisors are building portfolios that align with individual goals by combining multiple index ETFs. While this approach offers many benefits, it may harbor a hidden risk: The varying rules for constructing indexes among different providers can lead to significant deviations from benchmark exposures. This can inadvertently increase portfolio volatility and affect returns, making it crucial to understand these differences before blending ETFs from different index families.

Vanguard CEO Salim Ramji recently appeared on Bloomberg TV’s Wall Street Week as Vanguard marked its 50th anniversary. Among other topics, Ramji discussed recent volatility in the markets and how Vanguard clients reacted, our ongoing commitment to lowering fees—something we did yet again in February—and maintaining a sense of consistency around our purpose while extending the "Vanguard effect" into areas like fixed income, cash management, and advice. You can watch the 10-minute segment below.