Hi, I am a new grad, & exploring a bit on investing in index funds. I want to get started but Vanguard doesn’t let F1 Visa holders(Non resident aliens) open an account. But I see that I can invest in Vanguard indexes using Robinhod. Is there any difference in their offerings, or am I missing something. Cant get around the fact that Vanguard thinks I am not eligible, while Robinhood allows me to do the same. Looking to get started with the three fund approach. Any thoughts/suggestions appreciated. TC :- 185k (0 yoe)
There is a difference mainly in the available funds you can buy. Thru Robinhood, most are ETFs. Through Vanguard, you can do a lot more, especially the well known ones like the 500 index mutual fund. Those typically have a large fee if you buy them through other brokers, but through Vanguard the fee structure is better. Either way sounds like you’re stuck with Robinhood though
TD Ameritrade. Only reason robinhood was good was because of zero fees. You actually are getting screwed on the potential best buy price because they don’t have direct lines to the exchanges.
👎👎👎👎 Vanguard. Period. TD was shamed into eliminating fees for trades by chuck. Can’t trust these bankers. Any of them.
So
How long are you planning to stay in the US? When will you be needing the investment? How much will you be able to put in a month? I may have some index funds (S&P500, EURO STOXX, HANG SENG) available that you can participate in base on your answer to those questions.
There are some etf and mutf that you can’t buy anywhere else unless use your vanguard account, for example vtsax. But if you are fine with what’s on Robinhood then there’s not that much of a difference
I have VTSAX in etrade. Robinhood does not have any mutual funds though I believe
For now, I think I am mostly interested in ETFs. Going forward with RH. How frequently do you guys contribute to take advantage of the downs? Biweekly/monthly/...?