Betterment vs Fidelity Go

Betterment

• ✓Goal-based approach creates separate portfolios for each financial objective
• ✓Premium tier offers unlimited access to certified financial planners
• ✓Tax-loss harvesting and tax-coordinated portfolio features included
• ✓No account minimum for the Digital tier
• ✓SRI and ESG portfolio options available for values-aligned investing

Fidelity Go

• ✓No advisory fee on accounts under $25,000
• ✓Zero expense ratio Fidelity Flex funds for truly free investing at small balances
• ✓No account minimum to get started investing
• ✓Access to one-on-one coaching included at 0.35% fee tier
• ✓Seamless integration with existing Fidelity accounts and services

Betterment

• !Premium tier requires $100,000 minimum and costs 0.40% annually
• !Fewer tax optimization features than Wealthfront at the basic tier
• !Cash management rates may lag behind dedicated high-yield accounts
• !Limited investment options beyond the curated ETF portfolios

Fidelity Go

• !Advisory fee of 0.35% above $25K is higher than Wealthfront or Vanguard
• !Limited to Fidelity Flex mutual funds only, no ETF options
• !No tax-loss harvesting feature available
• !Fewer customization options than some competitors

Betterment

• →Goal-oriented saver wanting separate portfolios for retirement, house, and vacation
• →Investor wanting automated management with occasional access to a human advisor
• →Socially conscious investor looking for ESG portfolio options

Fidelity Go

• →Beginning investor with a small balance wanting a free robo-advisor
• →Fidelity customer wanting simple automated investing alongside existing accounts
• →Young professional starting to invest with no minimum balance requirement

Betterment

Betterment is one of the original and most well-known robo-advisors, managing over $40 billion in assets with a goal-based approach to automated investing. Each investment goal gets its own portfolio with an appropriate asset allocation based on your timeline and risk tolerance. Betterment automatically rebalances portfolios, reinvests dividends, and performs tax-loss harvesting on taxable accounts. The platform offers two tiers: Digital at 0.25% annual fee for fully automated investing, and Premium at 0.40% with unlimited access to certified financial planners for personalized advice.

Fidelity Go

Fidelity Go offers a straightforward robo-advisory experience with no advisory fee on accounts under $25,000, making it one of the most accessible options for beginning investors. Above $25,000, the fee is a competitive 0.35% annually which includes access to one-on-one coaching sessions with Fidelity advisors. The platform invests in Fidelity Flex mutual funds with zero expense ratios, creating a potentially zero-cost investing experience for smaller accounts. Fidelity Go integrates seamlessly with other Fidelity accounts and the broader Fidelity ecosystem.