Vanguard clients who received a New Year's marketing email promoting the asset manager's tax information center caught a notable error: the wrong new year.
"Welcome to 2021! We're here to help you get off to a strong start," the message started, addressing recipients by their first names.
Some customers posted screenshots on X on New Year's Eve.
Receiving a "welcome to 2021" email from @Vanguard_Group as we enter 2026 is reassuring.
I know those low, low expense ratios are safe with the absence of marketing bugging development to update email templates. pic.twitter.com/8XlOMUYVWG— Brendan Falkowski (@Falkowski) December 31, 2025
"Receiving a 'welcome to 2021' email from @Vanguard_Group
as we enter 2026 is reassuring. I know those low, low expense ratios are safe with the absence of marketing bugging development to update email templates," one X user posted.
The email offered information on when clients could expect their 2020 tax forms and where to find 2020 dividend and capital gains distributions for their Vanguard funds.
"LOL. ... Not the best way to build confidence in your attention to detail @Vanguard_Group," another X user posted.
"@Vanguard_Group you just sent out a mass e-mail about welcome to 2021 and info for 2020 tax year. Fix it," wrote another.
Vanguard followed up with a correction.
"Earlier this morning, we sent an outdated tax planning email. Our apologies for any confusion that may have caused — we got a little ahead (or behind) of ourselves," the email read, noting Vanguard would send an updated email this week.
Vanguard representatives didn't immediately respond to an email seeking comment Monday.
In November, Vanguard initially included erroneous expense ratios in a regulatory filing for three new ETFs.
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