Our Score: 8.5
Minimum Deposit: $3,000
Annual Fees: Approximately 0.20%
Human Advisor Access: No
Get Started With Vanguard
Best For: Many leading robo-advisors invest a portion of client assets in Vanguard ETFs. After all, Vanguard manages some of the world’s largest mutual funds and ETFs and has a reputation for providing excellent low-cost ETFs. And with Vanguard’s robo-advisor service, you can automatically invest in these same ETFs for diversification and low fees.
Vanguard Digital Advisor also lets you tackle multiple financial goals at once. It does this by pooling assets across your taxable accounts to fund goals. And as you get closer to certain goals, Vanguard can shift resources around and even change your portfolio composition to be slightly more conservative to reduce risk.
Plus, you can also include accounts you have at other companies to make sure you have a comprehensive picture, though they won’t be managed. And you can get access to their debt calculator to help you consider a strategy to pay off your loans.
Potential Drawbacks: The $3,000 account minimum for Vanguard Digital Advisor is higher than many robo-advisors. You don’t get tax-loss harvesting either.
Fees: Vanguard waives fees for its robo-advisor service for the first 90 days. Afterwards, it charges approximately 0.20% annually.
Pros:
- Extensive number of ETFs available
- Vanguard is a pioneer in the low-cost ETF space
- Dynamic portfolios help you work towards multiple financial goals and reduce risk
Cons:
- $3,000 minimum balance requirement
- No tax-loss harvesting
- No access to human advisors