The people telling you to use Vanguard are probably telling you to invest in Index Funds because that's what they're known for. But every retail brokerage has them (I use Fidelity which I like). The idea is that instead of trying to pick winners and losers you just invest in the whole market and take the good with the bad. If "line on TV go up" then you just made money; if "line on TV go down" then you just lost money. On a long enough timescale the line tends to go up. The main risk is that "line on TV go down" at the same time as you need your money (maybe because you just lost your job because "line on TV go down").

It's what I do. I don't know if it's smart or stupid, but it's definitely boring. Which when it comes to my money I appreciate.