Announcing Our Biggest Fee Cut Yet

Tensions in the Middle East have rattled global markets. Both equities and bonds have experienced losses amid great uncertainty, and oil prices have spiked, creating a challenging dynamic. Although recent events can feel unsettling for many reasons, history suggests that such periods don’t typically derail long-term investment outcomes. 

Ever wonder why even savvy investors fall for scams? The answer may lie in human nature and the way our brains work. Fraudsters expertly manipulate their targets’ basic human emotions and reactions to trigger a sense of urgency and push them toward trust. By doing this, they override a victim’s rational thinking before they even realize what’s happening. This article launches a two-part Q&A on the psychology of financial fraud, featuring insights from Andy Reed, head of behavioral economics research at Vanguard, and John Ginelli, head of Vanguard Investor Protection. In this first installment, the pair unpack the tactics scammers use to exploit the role emotions play in decision-making and explain why these tactics are so effective.

As AI reshapes markets, greater concentration among the largest companies is influencing how advisors build portfolios. Few people are better positioned to parse the signal from the noise than Brian Barbetta, a Wellington technology and AI specialist and co portfolio manager of Vanguard Global Equity Fund (VIC600). In this conversation, Brian explores how AI is fueling mega cap leadership, whether today’s cycle rhymes with past tech waves, and where long term winners may ultimately emerge.