Probably a silly question: where do my dividends go?

Probably a silly question: where do my dividends go?

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nickfrog

Original Poster:

22,512 posts

230 months

Tuesday 18th March
quotequote all
I have FTSE exposure through my Vanguard ISA acc funds.

When those companies which the fund has invested in pay dividends to their shareholders, are the dividends paid to Vanguard who then pass them on to individual investors, which is therefore reflected in the value of the acc fund?

If so, I don't think there is any transparency. You can't tell how much the growth is due to dividends and how much is down to the share price.

I hope the above makes sense.

Crudeoink

1,022 posts

72 months

Tuesday 18th March
quotequote all
nickfrog said:
I have FTSE exposure through my Vanguard ISA acc funds.

When those companies which the fund has invested in pay dividends to their shareholders, are the dividends paid to Vanguard who then pass them on to individual investors, which is therefore reflected in the value of the acc fund?

If so, I don't think there is any transparency. You can't tell how much the growth is due to dividends and how much is down to the share price.

I hope the above makes sense.
You could move over to the Dist fund which will pay you the dividend directly, alternatively you could compare the Acc to the Dist fund and see how much the Acc has grown over the Dist fund in the last 6,12,18 months etc

Cats_pyjamas

1,677 posts

161 months

Tuesday 18th March
quotequote all
The price of the fund value increases, you could say it accumulates.

If you don't trust vanguard, invest in the income fund.

nickfrog

Original Poster:

22,512 posts

230 months

Tuesday 18th March
quotequote all
Comparing acc and dist funds makes sense.

It's not that I don't trust them, it's more that I didn't know how it works and didn't know for a fact that the dividends of individual shares were reinvested in the fund by default and that I am accumulating dividends in addition to the inherent growth of the funds due to share value going up.

Where else would the dividend go in fairness? Perhaps there are shares without dividend for the funds?

But now I know, I think, based on what you're saying.