VFIFX vs. SWYMX: Vanguard Target Retirement 2 or Schwab Target 2050 Index Fund?
Figures last verified October 31, 2026
2050 target-date funds from Vanguard and Schwab, both all-index, both built to be your entire retirement account.
| VFIFX | SWYMX | |
|---|---|---|
| Fund | Vanguard Target Retirement 2050 Fund | Schwab Target 2050 Index Fund |
| Family | Vanguard | Schwab |
| Category | Target-Date | Target-Date |
| Type | Target-Date | Target-Date |
| Expense ratio | 0.08% | 0.08% |
| Cost per $10k/yr | $8 | $8 |
| Minimum | $1,000 | $1 |
| Strategy | Glide-path fund of four Vanguard index funds, currently around 90% stocks / 10% bonds. | All-index target-date fund de-risking toward 2050; currently ~90% global equities. |
A dead heat at 0.08% each, with minor glide-path differences. SWYMX's $1 minimum is friendlier for absolute beginners; VFIFX has Vanguard's longer target-date track record. Account location wins. The real value of either is the behavior it enforces, not the basis points.
About VFIFX
VFIFX is what 'set it and forget it' actually looks like: 90% global stock indexes, 10% bonds, rebalanced automatically, de-risking on autopilot starting in the 2030s, for less than a streaming subscription per $10,000 invested. It's the default fund in countless 401(k) plans, and unusually for defaults, it's close to what a fee-only advisor would build anyway.
About SWYMX
Ninety percent global stocks, ten percent bonds, rebalance forever, fade to conservative in the 2040s: SWYMX runs the standard 2050 playbook at Vanguard pricing with a one-dollar minimum. For a Schwab 401(k) or IRA, it's the complete answer in one ticker.
Whichever you pick, the principle is the same one that runs through this whole site: minimize cost, hold for decades, ignore the noise. See how both stack up against the field in our best index funds by category, or run the numbers yourself with the expense ratio calculator.
Expense ratios and minimums drawn from fund provider documentation; last verified October 31, 2026. Editorial opinion, not investment advice. Confirm figures against the official prospectus before investing.