Why Vanguard’s benefits are the ’pawfect’ fit for our family

As one of the 65 million U.S. households with a dog, ours isn’t exactly unique—except that our 105-pound dog, Seiko, was born blind. In 2022, Seiko tore his cruciate ligament. The vet said surgery was the only option if we wanted to see him walk again, and that the operation would cost around $7,000. Fortunately, we had pet insurance. When we received the invoice for the coinsurance costs of the surgery, we tapped into Vanguard’s annual FlexFund stipend, covering the entire out-of-pocket cost for the operation.

At the time, I didn’t work at Vanguard—but my wife, Rebecca, did. As a full-time freelancer, I enjoyed the auxiliary benefits of Rebecca’s health care coverage through Vanguard, though I never imagined our dog would, too. While I was certainly impressed by Vanguard’s benefits, it would still be another year before I joined Vanguard (and doubled our FlexFund).

In the 10 years since I completed my undergraduate degree, I’ve had half a dozen jobs. I’ve been self-employed, worked for startups, co-owned a small business, and experimented with different careers in different industries, from advertising and insurance to life sciences and sales.

For most of that decade, I didn’t put much thought toward company culture or values, which I believe is part of the reason those jobs didn’t work out. For years, I’d heard Rebecca and other friends who worked at Vanguard praise the company’s values, the healthy work-life balance, the supportive structure, and the employee benefits package.

Life as a freelancer was lonely at times, and I often thought about what it might be like to work at Vanguard. For several months, I kept tabs on Vanguard’s careers page, searching hopefully for writing and editing roles. One day, a new job posting caught my eye—Vanguard was hiring a financial services editor. Rebecca encouraged me to apply immediately, and to my delight, I received an invitation to interview. Fast-forward two months, and I found myself on campus for my very first day as a crew member.

During my first week at Vanguard, I, along with other new hires, attended a benefits overview session. I assumed it would be all about health insurance options, and as someone who, for many years, paid the full costs of my health care coverage out of pocket, that would have been more than enough for me.

In addition to medical, dental, and vision insurance, Vanguard also offered disability coverage and life insurance. Then there was the health savings account, the flexible spending account, and the company’s generous retirement savings plan. On campus, there’s a health clinic with nurse practitioners and physical therapists, plus multiple fitness centers with a variety of instructor-led classes. Oh, and let’s not forget about the aforementioned FlexFund.

As the spouse of a crew member, I thought I had a pretty good idea of what Vanguard was all about. Rebecca has always said she doesn’t see herself working elsewhere, and now that I’m here at Vanguard, I understand why. Despite its size, Vanguard manages to bring crew members and families closer together. From the people who work here to the company culture and employee benefits, Vanguard prioritizes the well-being of every crew member, and in doing so, creates a community focused on unity, mutual respect, and shared values.

One of the surprising benefits of working for Vanguard is that you’re sure to find like-minded individuals with whom you can collaborate or befriend. Vanguard facilitates these connections through its intranet (naturally, Seiko is the highlight of my profile) and countless opportunities for engagement both on campus and virtually.

Besides joining the ranks of Vanguard’s many gymgoers, I’m also an active member of several Vanguard communities, including one dedicated solely to dogs. It seems there’s a resource group or interest group for just about everything, and I’m still discovering new benefits and support available to the Vanguard community.