Robo-Advisor - Automated Investing Services | Vanguard (2024)

All investing is subject to risk, including the possible loss of the money you invest. Diversification does not ensure a profit or protect against a loss.

Visit vanguard.com to obtain aVanguard mutual fundorVanguard ETFprospectus or, if available, a summary prospectus, which contains investment objectives, risks, charges, expenses, and other information; read and consider it carefully before investing.

1Enrollments in Vanguard Digital Advisor require at least $3,000 in each Vanguard Brokerage Account. For each taxable account or traditional, Roth, or rollover IRA you wish to enroll, the entire balance must be in certain investment types (based on eligibility screening by Digital Advisor at the time of enrollment) and/or the brokerage account's settlement fund.

2Vanguard Digital Advisor is an all-digital service. Digital Advisor charges brokerage accounts an annual gross advisory fee in the amount of 0.20% for an index portfolio option or 0.25% for an active portfolio option. That gross advisory fee is reduced by a credit of the actual revenue The Vanguard Group, Inc. ("VGI"), or its affiliates retain from investments in each enrolled account, resulting in a net advisory fee. The net advisory fee is the actual fee collected from your account(s) and will vary based on your unique asset allocation, portfolio option, account type, and specific holdings in each enrolled account. Note that this fee doesn't include investment expense ratios charged by a fund, such as fees paid to the funds' third-party managers which are not credited. While we generally recommend using low-cost Vanguard funds to build your portfolio, actively managed funds will have higher expense ratios than index funds. For more information on the services,find VAI's Form CRS and each program's advisory brochurehere for an overview.

*To maintain diversification, this portfolio option will also include non-ESG investments to achieve your target asset allocation for international and domestic bonds.

The ESG investment option gives Digital Advisor clients the ability to substitute certain existing holdings with Vanguard ETFs that invest according to an index that has been pre-screened based on ESG factors determined by a third-party index provider. There is no guarantee that the ESG investment option will perform better than the other investment options.

ESG funds are subject to ESG investment risk, which is the chance that the stocks or bonds screened by the index provider for ESG criteria generally will underperform the market as a whole or, in the aggregate, will trail returns of other funds screened for ESG criteria. The index provider's assessment of a company, based on the company's level of involvement in a particular industry or the index provider's own ESG criteria, may differ from that of other funds or of the advisor's or an investor's assessment of such company. As a result, the companies deemed eligible by the index provider may not reflect the beliefs and values of any particular investor and may not exhibit positive or favorable ESG characteristics. The evaluation of companies for ESG screening or integration is dependent on the timely and accurate reporting of ESG data by the companies. Successful application of the screens will depend on the index provider's proper identification and analysis of ESG data.

**Vanguard can help determine if tax-loss harvesting is appropriate for your specific situation. Tax-loss harvesting is included in your Digital Advisor advisory fee. Tax-loss harvesting involves certain risks, including, among others, the risk that the new investment could have higher costs than the original investment and could introduce portfolio tracking error into your accounts. There may also be unintended tax implications. We recommend that you carefully review the terms of the consent and consult a tax advisor before taking action.

***Although the income from a municipal bond fund is exempt from federal tax, you may owe taxes on any capital gains realized through the fund's trading or through your own redemption of shares. For some investors, a portion of the fund's income may be subject to state and local taxes, as well as to the federal Alternative Minimum Tax.

3The introductory waiver period for Vanguard Digital Advisor's net advisory fee begins when the first account's enrollment is complete and ends after the close of the first billing period (generally 90 days), which is specific to each client. If you enroll additional accounts at a later date, you can still take advantage of any remaining fee-waiver period. However, each additional account you enroll won't trigger a unique fee-waiver period but will instead be commingled with your first enrolled account. If you unenroll before your fee-waiver period ends, you won't owe an advisory fee. But if you choose to reenroll in Vanguard Digital Advisor during or after your fee-waiver period, you won't be eligible for a second fee waiver. If you previously enrolled accounts in other VAI proprietary retail offers you will not be eligible for the introductory fee waiver. This fee-waiver offer may be modified or discontinued anytime at the sole discretion of Vanguard Advisers, Inc. All costs associated with fund expense ratios still apply at all times.

4Based on enrolling accounts holding assets in the settlement fund that are invested in a portfolio of Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF, Total International Stock ETF, Total Bond Market ETF, and Total International Bond ETF.

5Once you enroll a taxable brokerage account in Vanguard Digital Advisor, you'll have the option to add nonretirement goals to your Digital Advisor profile. This can help you balance retirement with your other major financial goals. At this time, Digital Advisor only supports nonretirement goals you'd like to achieve before you reach age 59½.

6Vanguard-administered 401(k) retirement accounts are only eligible for management by Digital Advisor if the plan sponsor has elected to offer Digital Advisor to the plan's participants and the participants meet the eligibility criteria.

You should consult your plan fee disclosure notice for the applicable annual gross advisory fees that apply to your 401(k) account.

7Vanguard Digital Advisor received the top rating for "Best Robo-Advisor for Low-Cost Investing" for 2024 among 14 other robo-advisors selected by NerdWallet. NerdWallet evaluated each provider across the following weighted criteria as of October 1, 2023, to determine the winner for low costs: management fees (50%), expense ratios on investments (40%), and account fees (10%). NerdWallet also selected Vanguard Digital Advisor for the 2021 award based on November 16, 2020, data; the 2022 award based on October 1, 2021, data; and the 2023 award based on October 1, 2022, data. Additional details about NerdWallet's methodology are available on their website. Current fees may vary for Digital Advisor and the other robo-advisors considered. Although Vanguard compensates NerdWallet for marketing services, NerdWallet's opinions and evaluations are independent and unrelated to the selection of Digital Advisor for this award. ©2017-2024 and TM, NerdWallet, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

8Vanguard received the first overall ranking in Morningstar's "Robo-Advisor Landscape Report" for 2023 among 17 other robo-advisors selected by Morningstar. Morningstar evaluated each provider across the following weighted criteria as of December 2022, to determine their rankings: total price (30%); the process used to select investments, construct portfolios, and match portfolios with investors (30%); the parent organization behind the digital platform (20%); and breadth of services (20%). Vanguard also received the same ranking in 2022 in Morningstar’s first annual "Robo-Advisor Landscape Report" based on December 2021, data. Additional details about Morningstar's methodology are available on its website. Current fees may vary for Vanguard's advisory services and the other robo-advisors considered. Although Vanguard compensates Morningstar for marketing services, Morningstar's opinions and evaluations are independent and unrelated to the selection of Vanguard for this ranking. Following the independent announcement of this ranking, Vanguard purchased a license from Morningstar for the right to include this rating in Vanguard marketing. Source: “2023 Robo-Advisor Landscape” by Amy C. Arnott, et al. ©2023 Morningstar, Inc. All rights reserved.

Vanguard Personal Advisor Services and Vanguard Digital Advisor's services are provided by Vanguard Advisers, Inc. ("VAI"), a federally registered investment advisor. VAI is a subsidiary of VGI and an affiliate of Vanguard Marketing Corporation ("VMC"). Neither VGI, VAI, nor its affiliates guarantee profits or protection from losses.

Vanguard is owned by its funds, which are owned by Vanguard’s fund shareholder clients. Our retail direct investment advisory strategies, in turn, are built on core investments in the Vanguard funds.

If you decide to manage your investments on your own, you can buy and sell Vanguard ETF Shares through Vanguard Brokerage Services® or another broker(which may charge commissions). See the Vanguard Brokerage Services commission and fee schedules for full details. Vanguard ETF Shares are not redeemable directly with the issuing fund other than in very large aggregations worth millions of dollars. ETFs are subject to market volatility. When buying orselling an ETF, you will pay or receive the current market price, which may be more or less than net asset value.

Robo-Advisor - Automated Investing Services | Vanguard (2024)

FAQs

Do robo-advisors really work? ›

While a robo-advisor can be efficient in managing your investing decisions, a human advisor may be best for more complex decisions like helping you choose the right student loan repayment plan or comparing compensation packages for a new job. Cost: If cost is a factor, robo-advisors typically win out here.

What is one of the biggest downfalls of robo-advisors? ›

Limited human interaction: Robo-advisors do not offer the same level of human interaction as traditional financial advisors. This can be a disadvantage for investors with more complex financial needs or investment goals.

What is the average return on a robo-advisor? ›

Robo-advisor performance is one way to understand the value of digital advice. Learn how fees, enhanced features, and investment options can also be key considerations. Five-year returns from most robo-advisors range from 2%–5% per year.

Do millionaires use robo-advisors? ›

Nearly 7 in 10 Millennial millionaires have some money in robos or automated portfolios. Moreover, nearly 20% of Millennial and Gen Z households who know the investment products they own have some money in robos versus only 13% of Gen X and only 2% of Boomer+ households (Boomers and older).

Are robo-advisors better than S&P 500? ›

The best robo-advisors offer some unique advantages over investing solely in the S&P 500: They typically provide a level of diversification that you wouldn't get from investing in any single index.

What is the best robo-advisor to use? ›

Compare the Best Robo-Advisors
CompanyAccount MinimumFees
SoFi Automated Investing Best for Low Costs$1$0
M1 Finance Best for Sophisticated Investors$100 ($500 minimum for retirement accounts)0%, $36/year for M1 Plus
Acorns Best for Those Who Struggle to Save$0$3-$5/month
5 more rows

Can you lose money with robo-advisors? ›

Investing always carries some level of risk, and Robo-Advisors are not a guarantee against investment losses. While Robo-Advisors are designed to prudently invest, they are not immune to market fluctuations or investment losses.

Should I trust a robo-advisor? ›

On the surface, robo-advising is just as safe as working with a human financial advisor. A robo-advisor's platform may include biases or errors that prevent it from achieving the best investment returns, but then again, humans are also subject to mistakes.

Do robo investors beat the market? ›

They do not, however, generally function as stock brokers, instead choosing a basket of funds for you based on your goals. Don't expect a robo-advisor to beat the market since its goal is to maintain a balance with the market.

Is automated investing a good idea? ›

Is Automated Investing a Good Idea? Suitability for automated investing is dependent on individual needs, goals, risk tolerance, and preferences. Automated investing might be a good idea if you prefer a hands-off approach, want lower advisory costs, seek diversification, want consistency, and have limited capital.

What is a good robo-advisor fee? ›

Funds' expense ratios: The robo-advisor will invest your money in various funds that also charge fees based on your assets. The fees can vary widely, but across a portfolio they typically range from 0.05 percent to 0.25 percent, costing $5 to $25 annually for every $10,000 invested, though some funds may cost more.

What percentage of people use robo-advisors? ›

Surprisingly, our survey found that just 16% said they use these digital wealth management platforms to build wealth for retirement, and 9% of respondents said they'd use a robo-advisor to build long-term wealth.

How risky are robo-advisors? ›

They may also manipulate or sabotage the robo-advisor's algorithms to cause losses or damage. Therefore, you should always check the security and privacy policies of the robo-advisor platform and use strong passwords and encryption methods to protect your data.

Why would you use a robo-advisor instead of a financial advisor? ›

For core investing and planning advice, a robo-advisor is a great solution because it automates much of the work that a human advisor does. And it charges less for doing so – potential savings for you. Plus, the ease of starting and managing the account can't be overstated.

What are 2 cons negatives to using a robo-advisor? ›

The generic cons of Robo Advisors are that they don't offer many options for investor flexibility. They tend to not follow traditional advisory services, since there is a lack of human interaction.

Is investing with a robo-advisor worth it? ›

Robo-advisors can be worth it for set-it-and-forget it investors who want automated, diversified portfolios. These low-cost, low-minimum platforms are ideal for novice investors seeking competent portfolio management.

What are the disadvantages of a robo-advisor? ›

Robo-advisors lack the ability to do complex financial planning that brings together your estate, tax, and retirement goals. They also cannot take into account your insurance, general budgeting, and savings needs.

What are the disadvantages of using a robo-advisor? ›

Cons of Robo-Advisors
  • Employ standardized strategies off their questionnaire, offering limited customization.
  • Cannot take a holistic view of your financial planning to help integrate your estate planning, tax strategy, etc.
  • No human point of contact or limited human interaction if you have specific questions.

Can robo-advisors make you money? ›

In the end, the most logical answer to the question of whether you can make a lot of money via the robo advising is, yes, over the long term, if you invest regularly. If you are an aggressive investor, you might make a lot of money in the short term with robo investing, or you might also lose a lot of money.

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