SWTSX & VTSAX

[VanBrocklin]

In researching the forum, all I found were old posts... if this has been beaten to death and I missed it, my apologies.
Just wanted to get some input if possible.

Having recently been reading and researching... I am 100% sold on the idea behind Total Market Index investing and just want to make sure I'm not missing anything.  This is not meant to start a war between the two... I think we can all agree they are pretty similar in the big picture.

But I suppose that is my question...

Recently (3/1) Schwab has dropped to 0.03 ER for SWTSX... but Vanguard has more holdings.

This is directly from Schwab today:

"So as far as scope, the fund has 40.97% in giant cap stocks, 30.51% in large cap stocks, 19.24% in mid cap stocks, 6.93% in small cap stocks, and 2.36% in micro cap stocks. There are 2,367 holdings total."

I believe VSTAX is upwards of about 3,500 holdings or something like that?

So what are the differences then?
Does SWTSX simply avoid a bunch of the smaller & micro cap stuff that VTSAX holds?

I just want to be sure I am understanding each correctly... thanks for any input.

[johnny847]

This is not a direct answer to your question, but if you're investing in a taxable account, the tax effiency differences are worth more than the one basis point difference in expenses.

https://www.bogleheads.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=188099&sid=e9a82a8d1d0248f3067d9c10ee369291

[solon]

I thought this was interesting. It's a list of all the companies in VTSAX. 3557, by the way. These numbers are just mind-boggling.

https://personal.vanguard.com/us/FundsAllHoldings?FundId=0585&FundIntExt=INT&tableName=Equity&tableIndex=0&sort=marketValue&sortOrder=desc

[dandarc]

I thought this was interesting. It's a list of all the companies in VTSAX. 3557, by the way. These numbers are just mind-boggling.

https://personal.vanguard.com/us/FundsAllHoldings?FundId=0585&FundIntExt=INT&tableName=Equity&tableIndex=0&sort=marketValue&sortOrder=desc

The range is incredible - you've got $16 billion in Apple, down to $1 in "Allen Organ Co. Escrow Shares". 

Bet those aren't even actually worth the $1 - guessing it is just a placeholder for some remnant from when Allen Organ went private?

[BreakTheChains]

I figured since it already came up this would be a good place to ask, that screen from Vanguard is the only place I've found that has the complete list of holdings for VTI and VXUS, but its not really searchable or easy to use. Does anyone know of a place I can get the holdings with weightings in Excel, or at least where it's searchable?

[Proud Foot]

This is not a direct answer to your question, but if you're investing in a taxable account, the tax effiency differences are worth more than the one basis point difference in expenses.

https://www.bogleheads.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=188099&sid=e9a82a8d1d0248f3067d9c10ee369291

With this, VTSAX has a 4% turnover while SWTSX has a 1% turnover (from Morningstar)

OP, there really is not a difference in the allocation of the holdings between the two, only minor percentage differences. They do have differences in the weightings of the individual holdings which will create minor differences in returns.

[Proud Foot]

I figured since it already came up this would be a good place to ask, that screen from Vanguard is the only place I've found that has the complete list of holdings for VTI and VXUS, but its not really searchable or easy to use. Does anyone know of a place I can get the holdings with weightings in Excel, or at least where it's searchable?

The best place I have found was the most recent annual/semiannual report on the website.  It lists all the companies held as well as the number of shares and market value. It's searchable in pdf and could be converted to Excel if you wanted to do the work to convert it.

[Silverado]

https://www.bogleheads.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=219318&newpost=3377301

Another discussion on B-heads about these two.

[runewell]

Surprised nobody volunteered you could a portion in each account; once the question was proposed everyone seemed to respond as if it would be just the one or the other.

[PizzaSteve]

I hold both.