02/2020 KIPLINGER’S PERSONAL FINANCE 21
Robo
Minimum
to invest
Annual
fee*
Ty p e o f
holdings
Average
portfolio
exp. ratio Comment
Acorns Core $0 $12/year‡ ETFs 0.11%† Easy entry to investing for people who need incentive to save.
Ally Invest Managed Portfolios $100 None ETFs 0.07% Zero fee, but the conservative portfoliosare best for wary investors.
Axos Invest $0 None ETFs 0.10% and a good three-year track record. No minimum, no management fee
Betterment Digital $0 0.25% ETFs 0.09%
A robo pioneer with some extras, including
custom guidance on buying a home or saving
for college.
Blooom N/A $40/yearStarts at Mutual funds **
Solid help for 401(k) investors, but its low-
cost focus means good active funds may get
overlooked.
E*Trade Core Portfolios $500 0.30% ETFs 0.07% A robust lineup of portfolios includes outside-the-box ETFs and socially conscious strategies.
Fidelity Go $0 0.35% Mutual funds 0.00% Zero-fee funds are a plus; strong three-year track record.
Merrill Guided Investing $5,000 0.45% ETFs 0.08% Wbut its fee is higher than others. orth a look if you bank at Bank of America,
Personal Capital $100,000
0.89%
for first
$1 million
Stocks,
ETFs 0.08%
High minimum is a barrier, but the website's
tools are unmatched.
Schwab Intelligent Portfolios $5,000 None ETFs 0.14% Zero fees, but returns could be pinched byhigh cash balances in your portfolio.
SoFi Invest $0 None ETFs 0.18%† Zero mmanageminiment account.um and fee, and access to solid cash
T. Rowe Price ActivePlus Portfolios $50,000 None
Active
mutual
funds
0.67% Access to sommanagers, but only for retireme outstanding T. Rowe Price fund ent accounts.
Vanguard Personal Advisor Services $50,000
0.30%
for first
$5 million
Index funds
and ETFs^ 0.08%
Vanguard funds and ETFs ensure low costs,
but the minimum is high.
Wealthfront $500 0.25% ETFs 0.09% Banking services are comout this fintech company's services.ing, which will round
*Fee is based on percentage of assets unless otherwise noted. †Median expense ratio. **Depends on the underlying holdings. ‡For a taxable account. An IRA account costs $24 per year.
^Clients can hold non-Vanguard investments in some cases.
How the Robo Advisers Stack Up
Nuts and Bolts