Vanguard is publicly traded, which differs from most other prominent investment firms. However, Vanguard designed its structure to be unique to make money for only its clients.
Vanguard launched the first index mutual fund in 1976. Over the years, they have expanded into exchange-traded funds (ETF) and target-date funds, all while keeping fees around their funds low.
Blackrock also played an essential role in helping to navigate the financial crisis by working with other firms to value mortgage-backed securities properly.
An exchange-traded fund (ETF) typically matches an index similar to index investing. However, an ETF can trade on an exchange, one of the most significant differences between an ETF and an index fund.