TL;DR
Vanguard UK is cheapest but limited on factor coverage. iShares Edge UCITS ETFs cover the major factors at 0.20–0.50%. Dimensional offers the deepest factor exposure but requires going through an adviser or specific platforms.
In short
For most UK FIRE planners: Vanguard for the total-market core (VWRL/VWRP), iShares for the factor tilt (IFSW or single-factor UCITS), Dimensional only if you have an adviser relationship. The 10-bp cost differences matter over decades.
We're working on a full deep-dive for this article — including historical data, charts, and worked examples. In the meantime, you can run a free simulation to explore the underlying numbers yourself.
Frequently asked questions
- Are Dimensional funds worth using an adviser for?
- Generally only if you have £500k+ in investible assets and the adviser fee makes economic sense at that scale. Otherwise iShares is a close substitute.
- Which Vanguard funds give me factor exposure?
- Vanguard ESG Global All Cap (which tilts away from low-quality firms), Vanguard Global Value Factor, and a handful of others. Coverage is thinner than iShares.
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