Best if you want
Fidelity Go is a great choice for investors looking for expert advice from one of the biggest names in retirement savings. The Fidelity Go “roboadvisor” is a low-cost solution that invests primarily in Fidelity index funds to give investors a well-diversified retirement profile. Fidelity Go may be a good option for investors with a low balance – there’s no advisory fee on accounts under $10,000.
Despite being an automated investment option, Fidelity Go still offers its customers some flexibility in choosing their own investments, which is different than some of its competitors, like Betterment and Wealthfront, which do not offer investors the ability to choose their own investment options.
Fees
Most automated accounts charge what’s known as an “advisory” or “management fee” to manage your portfolio for you. This fee is usually expressed as a percentage of your assets that’s paid each year (e.g. 0.50% per annum).
At Fidelity Go, the advisory fee paid depends on your account balance. Here’s the breakdown:
- Accounts under $10,000 aren’t charged an advisory fee
- Accounts between $10,000 and $49,999 are charged a $3/month advisory fee
- Accounts over $50,000 are charged an annual advisory fee of 0.35% (e.g. $175/year with a $50,000 account balance)
What you can invest in
When you set up your account with Fidelity Go, they’ll ask you a series of questions about your financial situation and preferences. This is known as a “risk-tolerance questionnaire” and is a common starting point when a portfolio is created for you.
Based on your answers and how much risk you’re willing to take, Fidelity Go will create a portfolio for you. They’ll invest your money mostly in Fidelity Index funds, and your portfolio will be regularly monitored and rebalanced by a human investment management team. Unlike most other roboadvisors, Fidelity allows you to make changes to the investment options they recommend, which could be beneficial for investors who are looking for a mostly hands-off option that still offers some investment autonomy.
Other features
Fidelity offers its advisory clients access to research and financial planning tools. In addition, investing at Fidelity means you may be eligible for other benefits, such as a Fidelity Rewards Signature Visa card. The Signature Visa card comes with a $0 annual fee and can help you earn up to 2% cash back, which can be deposited into an eligible Fidelity investment account (including IRAs!).
Limitations
Your portfolio will mainly have Fidelity funds in it, but Fidelity’s .35% fee now covers the cost of investing in those funds so you’ll only pay one all-in fee.
Conclusion
Fidelity Go is a great option for investors looking for an expertly managed IRA, but still want to maintain some autonomy in the investment options chosen. It’s also great for investors looking for an option that offers the low-fees of a roboadvisor, but still like the idea of having the account monitored by real people. Fidelity’s commitment to making investing easy and accessible for everyone is a very good choice for people looking to have their retirement handled at a low cost.
