Trillions

The Unsung Art of Managing the First (Almost) Trillion Dollar Fund

Most passive investors take for granted that their fund “tracks an index.” Well, that’s actually something of a feat because there’s so much more going on than meets the eye. And it’s all to effectively end up tied with the index. This job isn't automated, either. Rather, a team of people must work together, playing defense against hedge funds and corporate actions and also offense through securities lending and trading desk acumen. On this episode of Trillions, Eric and Joel — along with Annie Massa, a reporter with Bloomberg News — interview Vanguard’s Gerry O'Reilly. A portfolio manager overseeing many of Vanguard's biggest funds, including the $940 billion Vanguard Total Stock Market Fund, O’Reilly helped rebate more than $200 million to investors through this unsung art of passive portfolio management. See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

Money goes where it's treated best. That simple truth is a big reason why more and more money—trillions, in fact—flows into a powerful, low-cost tool that's quietly transformed investing in recent years. Exchange-traded funds, or ETFs, let you invest in everything from the stock market to gold like never before. This biweekly podcast will demystify them—and delight you in the process.