Online Management--Easier Than Ever
Launched in late February after a year-long redesign, the new
Vanguard
website makes managing your accounts easier than ever. It also offers
an expanded range of planning tools to help you make better investment
decisions.
One major goal has been to
improve navigation and ensure that all transactions can be carried out
in three clicks, explains Vanguard Web Development Manager Tom Hart.
Vanguard has also made the
language of the site more natural, intuitive, and user-friendly. "We've
tried to match our language to what people actually say when they call
customer service," says Tom.
In addition to being easier
to use, the website also provides much more personalized account
information than had been available in the past. In particular, it
allows you to see not merely the overall return of a given fund over
time, but--more meaningfully--the actual percentage return of the fund to your own account.
"We look at the purchase price for each group of shares, and in this
way we're able to give you a much better sense of what you're actually
earning," notes Vanguard VP Bob Snowdon, another member of the
development team.
The site also features a
range of tools that calculate the effects of potential investment
changes (e.g., higher or lower paycheck contributions) on your
accounts. Other tools help to estimate the impact of taxes, or the
effects of inflation and compounding over time.
 |
| The
website makes it simple to check--and change--your current level of
payroll contributions. Check your own account and be sure you're taking
full advantage of tax-deferred savings--a 6% payroll contribution for
most CGC employees |
Finally, Vanguard has worked
hard to integrate educational content into the site's basic account
management features, rather than placing these educational materials in
a separate section. Thus, if you're changing your fund allocation,
you're likely to see a short text or a few hints on fund allocation.
Similarly, if you're initiating a loan, or changing your level of
payroll contributions, you'll probably see a relevant pop-up box on the
side of the screen.
"Lots of people simply want
to go and make their transactions, and that's fine," says Bob Snowdon.
"On the other hand, we want to make our educational materials more
visible to people who might benefit from them."
"We've tried to design a
site that's quick and easy use, and that helps investors reach their
long-term goals," says Tom. "We think it's light years ahead of where
we were and hope people will notice the difference."