Vanguard Wrote the Playbook for Success. Now, It Must Evolve to Stay on Top

Plus, two recently launched high-yield bond ETFs for passive and active investors.

Vanguard redefined investor-first for the better, and it’s aiming to maintain that reputation. Vanguard revolutionized passive investing when it created the first retail index fund. The behemoth asset manager continues to attract swells of everyday investors and money with headline-making fee cuts that put pressure on rivals to follow suit. But Vanguard is also seeking to develop an edge in new areas. It’s going full force on active bond ETFs, for example, and creating a target-date trust series to provide retirees the security of a predictable income. This week’s episode is the second of a two-part series examining what’s going on with Vanguard in 2026. Dan Sotiroff, associate director of US passive strategies research for Morningstar, covers Vanguard.

Vanguard Is Entering a New Era. Can It Keep Winning for Another 50 Years?

On this episode:

00:00:00 Welcome  
00:01:12 Vanguard’s Growth: Challenges of Doubling Its Client Base 
00:03:01 Vanguard’s Evolving Leadership  
00:05:47 Fund Fee Cuts and Revenue Impact 
00:09:15 Target-Date Fund Series With TIAA to Offer Guaranteed Income  
00:11:04 Combining Public and Private Assets in Multi-Asset Investments With Wellington and Blackstone  
00:13:39 Active Fixed-Income Push and Two New High-Yield Bond ETFs  
00:18:51 Vanguard’s Top Priorities for 2026 

Watch more from Morningstar:

Vanguard Is Entering a New Era. Can It Keep Winning for Another 50 Years?
These 8 Funds Could Help Steady Portfolios During Rough Markets

Why Bond Funds Benefit from Active Management

Follow Morningstar on social:

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/MorningstarInc/

X https://x.com/MorningstarInc

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/morningstarinc/?hl=en

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/morningstar/posts/?feedView=all

This episode is sponsored by Vanguard: https://advisors.vanguard.com/engagement/fixed-income