Congrats, hotforbacon, for taking the plunge into the world of investing! As a former member of Vanguard's management team, I can tell you that in my experience the company is truly focused on clients and does its best to constantly improve the client experience. Also, one of the reasons I remain invested with Vanguard (and Fidelity) is because I want the custodians of my assets to be too-big-to-fail. In my opinion, Vanguard and Fidelity clearly fall into this category. Of course, one thing Vanguard cannot do is guarantee your investment choices will perform at or above your expectations. But in terms of picking a company with which to conduct your investing business, I think Vanguard is a great choice.
Regards,