Vanguard balance

[Smilinggirl]

Good morning all. I just checked my vanguard accounts and it looks like I had a significant loss between 12/28 and 12/29, however, the balance seems to be different depending on which screen I look at. They don't open for another few hours so I can't call and ask them about it, but I don't see a significant drop in value in that short amount of time. Could it be that they've been hacked or maybe I've been hacked or maybe I just happened to look at my account as things were changing? Does any of this make any sense? My retirement plan is modest compared to most of you, but it's a significant amount of money to me. This is not the way to start my first morning back from vacation... Thank you for any input you can offer. Oh, and my Fidelity account looks essentially unchanged and I have more or less the same funds in each of them.

[srblanco7]

It’s likely a temporary “glitch” related to dividend and cap gains distributions. There’s a schedule for these distributions on the Vanguard web site. Assuming you’re reinvesting, expect that it will self correct shortly (give it a day, two at the most). If you’re not reinvesting a distribution should show in your settlement account.

[disneysteve]

Yes this is due to year end distributions. You’ll have more shares (if you reinvest) with a lower share price but the total will be the same. If you don’t reinvest, that distribution will be in your settlement account. It takes a couple of days for all of that to settle so don’t panic. By today or tomorrow it will show the correct figures.

This happens every year at this time so get used to it. It catches people off guard the first time. Then they know to expect it.

[Smilinggirl]

Thank you! I'm finally getting to where I want to be, so seeing a heavy drop when I've done nothing different shocked me. I love that this forum is always quick to respond!

[Fishindude77]

Don't know if there is any truth to this or not, but the guy that handles our IRA investments claims that that there is data to support that people who just periodically check their investments tend to do better than those who check very frequently or daily.
He claims the daily checkers are much more likely to make reactive changes and try to time the market.

[disneysteve]

Don't know if there is any truth to this or not, but the guy that handles our IRA investments claims that that there is data to support that people who just periodically check their investments tend to do better than those who check very frequently or daily.
He claims the daily checkers are much more likely to make reactive changes and try to time the market.

I believe that's true. Hands off is the best approach for most. Of course, year-end is a good time to check in which is why a lot of folks are looking now and not understanding what happened in their accounts. There's a thread over on the early retirement forum about this too. New investors are surprised when the distributions happen and don't understand it. After the first year, though, you should know to expect it as it happens annually at this time.

[Jluke]

‘Tis the season for dividends and capital gains distributions.

I think most Vanguard funds wrap up the distributions on Dec 30

have also heard that the gains were larger this year for some funds.

I am expecting about $2k from my Wellington fund (appx 500 shares) in a taxable account so I’ll have to pay taxes for that.

so next “drops” like this will be in March timeframe for some funds.

https://advisors.vanguard.com/insigh...ddistributions