Vanguard statements dropped estimated yield and annual income [also cost basis]

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ncdcpa
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Vanguard statements dropped estimated yield and annual income [also cost basis]

Post by ncdcpa »

It appears that on Vanguard brokerage account statements, apparently starting with 9/30/2024, the estimated annual income and estimated yield have been dropped. The 7-days SEC yield still shows on the sweep account.

I'll miss these estimates, especially for current year tax planning in taxable accounts, but I never compared the actual income to theses estimates to determine whether this was a good idea, since i was iterating throughout the year.

Does anyone know of a good place to look these up on a regular basis for common Vanguard funds?

Has anyone noticed anything else missing on the statements?

The cover page of the statement says:
"We've recently made changes to our statements.
You may notice that some information previously
included no longer appears on your statement.
For the most up-to-date information and status
of your account, visit Vanguard.com or download
our mobile app."
But I've not stumbled across this missing information on the website or app.
VanGar+Goyle
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Re: Vanguard statements dropped estimated yield and annual income

Post by VanGar+Goyle »

ncdcpa wrote: Thu Oct 03, 2024 9:48 pm It appears that on Vanguard brokerage account statements, apparently starting with 9/30/2024, the estimated annual income and estimated yield have been dropped. The 7-days SEC yield still shows on the sweep account.

I'll miss these estimates, especially for current year tax planning in taxable accounts, but I never compared the actual income to theses estimates to determine whether this was a good idea, since i was iterating throughout the year.

Does anyone know of a good place to look these up on a regular basis for common Vanguard funds?

But I've not stumbled across this missing information on the website or app.
If the VBS income estimates are gone, I will miss them, but they did not seem that accurate.
I would then plan to use the online income for the year, and prorate it to be annual.
This has more accuracy for idle accounts with monthly distributions, even using estimated distributions in Nov and Dec.
jebmke
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Re: Vanguard statements dropped estimated yield and annual income

Post by jebmke »

this came up in another thread. I have not found them particularly helpful for any tax planning myself.
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backpacker61
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Re: Vanguard statements dropped estimated yield and annual income

Post by backpacker61 »

ncdcpa wrote: Thu Oct 03, 2024 9:48 pm I'll miss these estimates, especially for current year tax planning in taxable accounts, but I never compared the actual income to theses estimates to determine whether this was a good idea, since i was iterating throughout the year.
I'll miss them; I use them for the same purpose that you do.
But I don't iterate throughout the year (I just submit four equal estimated tax payments on the due dates).
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yankees60
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Re: Vanguard statements dropped estimated yield and annual income

Post by yankees60 »

backpacker61 wrote: Fri Oct 04, 2024 11:45 am
ncdcpa wrote: Thu Oct 03, 2024 9:48 pm I'll miss these estimates, especially for current year tax planning in taxable accounts, but I never compared the actual income to theses estimates to determine whether this was a good idea, since i was iterating throughout the year.
I'll miss them; I use them for the same purpose that you do.
But I don't iterate throughout the year (I just submit four equal estimated tax payments on the due dates).
I always look at them but never used them. For accuracy I'd compute them myself in an Excel worksheet.
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Mullins
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Re: Vanguard statements dropped estimated yield and annual income

Post by Mullins »

I found they weren't anywhere near the actual amounts, so I thought perhaps they were to illustrate the estimated amounts for the twelve-month period going forward from that statement period rather than for the current calendar year.

In any event, I didn't use them. Instead I keep an excel sheet with the number of shares per fund, input the dividend payout per quarter and estimate that way, updating share amounts and dividend amounts through the year. It's not exact because it's using last year's dividend amounts for upcoming quarters, but comes in closer.

Of course you can also log in to your account, pull up the distributions year to date and estimate on top of that the amounts for the remaining balance of the year. I do this as well.
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Bagels
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Re: Vanguard statements dropped estimated yield and annual income

Post by Bagels »

This is a major bummer because I enjoyed looking at the estimates for a slew of individual stocks, even if the figures are perhaps fictional.
ncdcpa wrote: Thu Oct 03, 2024 9:48 pm Does anyone know of a good place to look these up on a regular basis for common Vanguard funds?
I use the Yahoo Finance app to track dividend increases and Vanguard’s own site for fund yields, but of course you have to do the calculations yourself. Since Vanguard already has to keep track of how many shares we own, it would be nice if they would continue to automate this instead of dropping it and leaving it to accountholders to calculate.

As one person suggested, you could just look at the previous year’s yield for a starting point, which is also harder to get to than in the past. At least, I don’t see any “Dividend” link on Vanguard’s front page.
You could go to a specific account and click Distribution Payouts inside the Show dropdown box and then select 2023 Total.

This link may or may not take you there, as the site keeps changing - https://distributions.web.vanguard.com/ ... on-payouts
missing [b]madsinger[/b]’s monthly reports
Topic Author
ncdcpa
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Re: Vanguard statements dropped estimated yield and annual income

Post by ncdcpa »

Thanks, all, for the comments. To summarize my understanding thus far, it is easy to get historical data to use as a proxy estimate for future dividends or yields, but maybe not the estimates for future income and yield as previously on the statement. For most purposes, the readily available information is probably about as good as the estimates that were on the statements.

Before I started using these estimated yield and annual income from the statement, I used extrapolations from historical dividends or yields, with ad hoc adjustments or overrides for changing market conditions, like interest rates. But I thought it almost certain that the statement estimates were better than mine, so preferred those, loving that they to not require me to do research and (mis)calculations. When using them for current-year tax planning, I used them very cautiously, since in most cases, yield and income vary with economic and market conditions.

The statements with those numbers have a Disclosures section, which under Portfolio holdings, Estimated values on statements, has a nice long paragraph on these numbers. They make clear limitations and warn, among other things, "they should not be relied on for making investment, trading, or tax decisions". And they provide some high level information on what these numbers are, including: "Certain security types estimate the annual yield based on historical actual income paid while others estimate future yield based on existing conditions."
osmalfa
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Re: Vanguard statements dropped estimated yield and annual income

Post by osmalfa »

Vanguard also dropped the Cost basis summary (Realized gain/loss and Unrealized gain/loss) from the Account Overview page, and they dropped cost basis information (Total cost) from the Balances and holdings section.

Now in addition to download the statements, I have to navigate to and screenshot the Cost Basis page from their website.

Nice Job, Vanguard. Nice Way to "Streamline" things for your customers.
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ncdcpa
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Re: Vanguard statements dropped estimated yield and annual income

Post by ncdcpa »

osmalfa wrote: Mon Oct 07, 2024 6:26 pm Vanguard also dropped the Cost basis summary (Realized gain/loss and Unrealized gain/loss) from the Account Overview page, and they dropped cost basis information (Total cost) from the Balances and holdings section.

Now in addition to download the statements, I have to navigate to and screenshot the Cost Basis page from their website.

Nice Job, Vanguard. Nice Way to "Streamline" things for your customers.
Wow. Cost basis is important for a lot of tax and planning purposes, so it seems strange not to have it on the primary document that communicates account state. [However, I'm removing most of my additional comments about that.]

At the moment, the cost basis web page seems more printable than most of the new Vanguard web pages, so using the print "save to pdf" feature works well.

I don't see a way to get historical cost basis, but don't see a need for that except maybe to check my understanding of gains on a 1099, which is silly, since software never makes mistakes.
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Re: Vanguard statements dropped estimated yield and annual income

Post by nisiprius »

Boo. To be fair, it doesn't affect me, as I didn't use those numbers. But I perceive it as part of a pattern of Vanguard cutting back on things they used to provide.

Hmmm.... I also noticed that the "look" of the statements has changed just a bit. This is very subtle and people are going to laugh at me for even mentioning it. (This is NOT a "complaint," by the way). It looks to me as if the printing technology has changed, and the new statement is subtly grayer and less crisp than before. It's still coming from "Monroe, Wisconsin" so I assume it's still the R. R. Donnelly plant. Am I nuts or have others noticed this?

Same scanner, same settings, same magnification as close as I can get it. The typeface for "Vanguard Voyager Select Services®" looks different to me. Tighter spaces between the letters--a bit too tight in my opinion. And there's a barcode, which I won't reproduce in case it encodes personal data, which has changed position on the page, size, and shape.

I wonder who changed something, Vanguard or R. R. Donnelly?

Either way, it's definitely a conspiracy.

Image
Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen nineteen and six, result happiness; Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pounds ought and six, result misery.
osmalfa
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Re: Vanguard statements dropped estimated yield and annual income

Post by osmalfa »

Perhaps they're paying for printer toner or ink by the molecule...
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Re: Vanguard statements dropped estimated yield and annual income

Post by jebmke »

The cost basis is showing on my holdings. I export it to an Excel file every time I make a buy or sale affecting my taxable account.

Not concerned it isn't on statement. It will be on the tax doc.
Last edited by jebmke on Wed Oct 09, 2024 11:18 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Vanguard statements dropped estimated yield and annual income

Post by BolderBoy »

Mine no longer show pending Settlement Fund balances (admittedly trivial amounts).

Only get the eStatements.
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Re: Vanguard statements dropped estimated yield and annual income

Post by osmalfa »

Some people have (perhaps multiple) buys in their taxable accounts every month: they're called automatic reinvestments. Export That.
zoenw
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Vanguard removes cost basis, yield from printed statements

Post by zoenw »

My latest statement from Vanguard eliminated avg price/share, total cost, income and yield. It's basically useless. If I create on online account will I be able to see and print these items in my statements again?

[Merged into previous discussion - moderator oldcomputerguy]
Palsonn
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"Total cost" dropped on October statements [Vanguard]

Post by Palsonn »

[merge here - mod mkc]

Vanguard has dropped the "Total cost" amount for individual funds or other securities starting October 2024 on their monthly statements. Can anyone tell me who in Vanguard management I can kevetch (complain to)??? A phone rep told me Vanguard is considering the feedback of clients on the dropping of the Total Cost figure. Can I email the new CEO of Vanguard? I like the convenience of having the cost basis on my statements for at least 2 reasons. Before on my September statement I could easily estimate the capital gain from the difference between Total Cost and current value. I like to see how much my individual funds went up or down from the time i bought them.

[Title clarified - moderator Kendall]
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Re: "Total cost" dropped on October statements [Vanguard]

Post by jebmke »

head dude

Unrealized gains and losses can be accessed from the Holdings screen on their web site. Cost basis can be downloaded as well; I do this whenever I do a transaction in our taxable account that affects basis.
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Re: "Total cost" dropped on October statements [Vanguard]

Post by CFM300 »

Palsonn wrote: Wed Oct 16, 2024 6:33 am Vanguard has dropped the "Total cost" amount for individual funds or other securities starting October 2024 on their monthly statements.
Thanks for the heads up on this. And welcome to the forum!

Vanguard also dropped the average price per share, total estimated annual income, and estimated yield. Bummer.
Palsonn wrote: Wed Oct 16, 2024 6:33 am Can anyone tell me who in Vanguard management I can kevetch (complain to)???
I sent a message through their Message Center. I'll post their response when I receive it.
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Re: Vanguard statements dropped estimated yield and annual income

Post by zoenw »

Vanguard also dropped average price/share and total cost which gives you an idea of your capital gains if you decide to sell and also how well your stock/fund is doing compared to the price you paid. Is there an easy way to get this information in printed form for your whole portfolio--i.e. is there some way to put together a statement online that includes this information in a printable format? Dropping it out makes the statement pretty useless now. Is a Fidelity statement better?
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Re: Vanguard statements dropped estimated yield and annual income

Post by jebmke »

zoenw wrote: Wed Oct 16, 2024 11:54 am Vanguard also dropped average price/share and total cost which gives you an idea of your capital gains if you decide to sell and also how well your stock/fund is doing compared to the price you paid. Is there an easy way to get this information in printed form for your whole portfolio--i.e. is there some way to put together a statement online that includes this information in a printable format? Dropping it out makes the statement pretty useless now. Is a Fidelity statement better?
The Holdings tab allows you to select Unrealize Gains and Losses and print a report. For some obscure reason they show the IRAs but you can easily ignore accounts where the Gains and Losses are irrelevant.
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Re: Vanguard statements dropped estimated yield and annual income [also cost basis]

Post by mkc »

I merged Palsonn's topic on cost basis being dropped from Vanguard's monthly statements into this one to collect the assorted statement changes into a single topic. mod mkc
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Re: Vanguard statements dropped estimated yield and annual income [also cost basis]

Post by Palsonn »

CFM300, regarding "Total Cost" Vanguard deletion on statements, thank you kindly for mentioning the Vanguard "Message Center" for giving feedback about dropped "Total Cost" basis on statements. Please tell me, CFM300, how in the heck do i contact the Message Center to kevetch??? You're nice to mention that, & have a Blessed Day!
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Re: Vanguard statements dropped estimated yield and annual income [also cost basis]

Post by CFM300 »

Palsonn wrote: Thu Oct 17, 2024 6:16 am CFM300, regarding "Total Cost" Vanguard deletion on statements, thank you kindly for mentioning the Vanguard "Message Center" for giving feedback about dropped "Total Cost" basis on statements. Please tell me, CFM300, how in the heck do i contact the Message Center to kevetch???
Sorry for the late response. I just saw your post.

When I log in to my account on vanguard.com, "Messages" appears in the top nav, under an envelope icon. When I click that I'm taken to the "Message Center" where I can compose and send a message to VG. I think the compose and send option has been disabled for some clients. Not sure why it's still there for me, but it is. Good luck!
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Re: Vanguard statements dropped estimated yield and annual income [also cost basis]

Post by CFM300 »

I sent VG a message on the 16th complaining about their removal of info on the statements. Finally received a response today.

"In an effort to streamline and simplify statements, select fields have been removed from statements starting in September and going forward into future statements."

"Your comments are important to us, and I have forwarded your feedback to our Online Development Team for review. I've also shared your concerns with our management team. Our statement design and features are based on recommendations from our clients, so comments such as yours are important as we work on enhancements."
MakesCents
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Re: Vanguard statements dropped estimated yield and annual income [also cost basis]

Post by MakesCents »

CFM300 wrote: Wed Oct 23, 2024 2:15 pm I sent VG a message on the 16th complaining about their removal of info on the statements. Finally received a response today.

"In an effort to streamline and simplify statements, select fields have been removed from statements starting in September and going forward into future statements."

"Your comments are important to us, and I have forwarded your feedback to our Online Development Team for review. I've also shared your concerns with our management team. Our statement design and features are based on recommendations from our clients, so comments such as yours are important as we work on enhancements."
I just noticed this and I will be writing to them also. I hope more folks will as well.
I found it be helpful in at least a rough estimation. It already said 'estimated', so I wasn't banking on it. But to go through the work tracking it isn't my thing, especially if they have the data.

It was Very Helpful of 'At a Glance', in the Taxable Account Statements. It was there in August.
Helped me estimate tax payments
And as others wrote, the cost fell off the statement as well!


Not happy about this At All.

MakesCents
edited about the cost basis missing info
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Re: Vanguard statements dropped estimated yield and annual income [also cost basis]

Post by MakesCents »

I hope that all who found the information useful will write them.
I ?think? we are shareholders of the company?

Are there other brokerage companies that provide that info (key Metrics)? I can't imagine they don't? Or am I dreaming?

Makes Cents
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