I have invested with Vanguard for 15 years and have been very pleased with the service, low fees and variety of investments available.
Didn't hear of Betterment until recently and I do not see the value. Why would I pay to have a service to invest my money in funds for me?
I pay about $100/month for specific individual stock and option investing advice and education, but funds are a total piece of cake. Rebalancing your funds? It's really no big hairy deal.
People should learn how to manage their own money, not just hand it over and forget it. You should watch your assets.
Why "should" people learn how to manage their money? Is there data to support this assertion?
Are you implying that you are more knowledgable and thoughtful about investing than the mad fientist?
Behavioral finance tells us that when it comes to prediction, algorithms consistently outperform experts who consistently outperform amateurs.
And you to pay $1200 a year for a stock picking/options newsletter so that you can function as an amateur stock picker/options trader?
C'mon now.
--People should learn to handle their money because nobody else cares about it as much as they will. Everyone should take time to become informed, read different points of view, learn the rules about taxes and retirement account types, and, as much as they want, learn about different kinds of investments to see what will best suit *their* wants and needs.
-- I am not claiming to be better than anyone else. I enjoy stock market investing and make time for it. I try to do it well, and I believe in active management (for me personally). If I did not have time or interest, I would do index funds with Vanguard and be happy with that.
There is not *one right way to invest*. There are many ways to be a successful investor. I prefer that people use their own brains and make their own decisions about their money, rather than hand it over and forget it. Investments should not be forgotten. They can be put on autopilot but like an airplane, you want someone (you) to be present at the controls. We're talking about too much money to "set it and forget it".
-- My investments are making money and I'm very satisfied with how it's going. I hope that everyone can find satisfaction and enjoyment in their investments, whatever path they choose.