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Betterment VS Wealthfront

Compare Betterment VS Wealthfront and see what are their differences

Betterment logo Betterment

We manage your investments so you don't have to.

Wealthfront logo Wealthfront

Automated, low cost investment service
  • Betterment Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-03-25
  • Wealthfront Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-14

Betterment features and specs

  • Automated Investing
    Betterment provides a completely automated investing platform, which means it handles portfolio management, rebalancing, and tax-loss harvesting without the need for user intervention.
  • Low Fees
    Betterment charges relatively low fees compared to traditional financial advisors. The annual management fee ranges from 0.25% to 0.40% depending on the plan chosen, making it accessible for investors with smaller portfolios.
  • Tax-Loss Harvesting
    The platform offers automatic tax-loss harvesting, which can help investors minimize their tax liabilities and potentially enhance their after-tax returns.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    Betterment features an intuitive and easy-to-use interface that is suitable for both novice and experienced investors. The platform provides clear, actionable insights and recommendations.
  • Goal-Based Investing
    Betterment allows users to set specific financial goals, such as retirement or buying a home, and provides customized investment strategies to help achieve those goals.

Possible disadvantages of Betterment

  • Limited Investment Options
    Betterment primarily offers ETF-based portfolios and does not provide access to individual stocks, bonds, or mutual funds, which may be limiting for some investors looking for more diverse options.
  • No Direct Human Advice on Lower Tier
    Betterment's basic plan does not include direct access to financial advisors; personalized advice is only available at higher service tiers, which can be a drawback for investors seeking regular personal guidance.
  • Relatively Higher Fees for High-Net-Worth Individuals
    For high-net-worth individuals, Betterment's fees might not be as competitive as those offered by other robo-advisors or traditional financial advisors who can offer reduced rates for larger portfolios.
  • Limited Customization
    While the automated approach offers simplicity, it also means less room for customization. Investors who prefer hands-on management and greater control over individual asset selection might find this limiting.
  • Potential for Over-Reliance on Automation
    Users may become overly reliant on the automated system and not develop their own investment knowledge and skills, which could be a disadvantage if they choose to manage investments independently in the future.

Wealthfront features and specs

  • Automated Investing
    Wealthfront offers a highly automated investment platform that uses algorithms to manage and optimize your investment portfolio with minimal user intervention.
  • Low Fees
    The management fee for Wealthfront is relatively low at 0.25% of assets under management, making it an affordable option for investors.
  • Goal-Based Planning
    Wealthfront provides financial planning tools that help users set and achieve their financial goals, such as retirement, buying a home, or saving for education.
  • Tax-Loss Harvesting
    Wealthfront offers tax-loss harvesting, which can help investors minimize their tax liabilities by strategically selling securities at a loss to offset gains.
  • High-Yield Cash Account
    The platform offers a high-yield cash account that provides competitive interest rates, serving as a good option for saving money.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    Wealthfront’s platform is intuitive and easy to navigate, making it accessible for both novice and experienced investors.
  • Comprehensive Advice
    The platform offers comprehensive financial advice that integrates various aspects of personal finance, including investing, retirement planning, and cash management.

Possible disadvantages of Wealthfront

  • Limited Human Interaction
    Wealthfront primarily relies on algorithms and lacks the personalized touch that comes with human financial advisors.
  • Complex Portfolios
    Some users may find Wealthfront’s portfolio allocations complex and harder to understand compared to simpler investment strategies.
  • Minimum Account Requirement
    Wealthfront requires a minimum account balance of $500 to start investing, which might be a barrier for some potential users.
  • No Access to Individual Stocks
    The platform does not allow for individual stock trading, which could be a limitation for those who prefer a more hands-on investment approach.
  • Limited Customer Support
    Wealthfront’s customer support is primarily digital, which might not be sufficient for users who prefer immediate phone assistance.
  • Geographic Restrictions
    The service is mainly available to U.S. residents, limiting access for international users who may want to use the platform.
  • Withdrawal Delays
    Some users have reported slow withdrawal processes, which can be inconvenient if you need access to your funds quickly.

Analysis of Wealthfront

Overall verdict

  • Yes, Wealthfront is considered a good option for individuals seeking a hands-off investment approach. It provides comprehensive financial planning tools and a robust digital experience, making it suitable for both beginner and experienced investors.

Why this product is good

  • Wealthfront is a popular robo-advisor that offers a diverse range of investment services, using automated algorithms to manage investment portfolios tailored to users' risk tolerance and financial goals. It is known for its low-cost investment options, tax-loss harvesting features, and easy-to-use platform.

Recommended for

  • Individuals looking for automated, low-cost investment management.
  • Investors interested in tax-efficient investment strategies.
  • People who prefer not to actively manage their portfolios.
  • Beginners seeking a user-friendly platform to get started with investing.

Betterment videos

BETTERMENT REVIEW 2020: Best Robo-Advisor Tool?

More videos:

  • Review - The #1 PROBLEM with Betterment Investing
  • Review - BETTERMENT REVIEW 2020 - Making Investing EASY

Wealthfront videos

WEALTHFRONT REVIEW: PROS AND CONS

More videos:

  • Review - WEALTHFRONT REVIEW: 3 MONTHS LATER
  • Review - This Is How Much My Wealthfront Returns Are After 4 Years

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Betterment and Wealthfront)
Finance
34 34%
66% 66
Personal Finance
37 37%
63% 63
Investing
29 29%
71% 71
Financial Planner
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Betterment and Wealthfront

Betterment Reviews

When is Robinhood Coming to Australia? Alternatives for 2022
No, Betterment and Wealthfront are not available in Australia either. Only US citizens/Green Card holders are eligible to open an account on these platforms (some exceptions apply in the case of Betterment).

Wealthfront Reviews

When is Robinhood Coming to Australia? Alternatives for 2022
No, Betterment and Wealthfront are not available in Australia either. Only US citizens/Green Card holders are eligible to open an account on these platforms (some exceptions apply in the case of Betterment).

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Betterment should be more popular than Wealthfront. It has been mentiond 11 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Betterment mentions (11)

  • What to do with extra $13k as a 20 year old
    Go to betterment.com and put it in their cash reserve. You'll get a good interest rate that should help at least reduce some inflation risk. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Financially illiterate
    If you want a less frightening way to invest, betterment.com was my gateway into investing. It has a pre-selected basket of index funds and bonds, and you can just select your risk tolerance, set up a deposit schedule, and they take care of the rest. I started with $10/paycheck 11 years ago, and now I have almost $20,000 invested as I kept increasing my automated deposits as my salary grew. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Weekly note about a direct competitor outdoing M1+
    Also about Betterment: they too started offering crypto at exactly the wrong time, but unlike M1 they have the decency to hide it from view! If I go to betterment.com now, I don't see any reference to crypto on the main page unless you scroll all the way down to the site map at the bottom. That's something else that M1+ could offer:. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Moving out at 18, no idea how to be an adult.
    Lastly sign up for a free investment app like acorns, betterment.com, robin hood etc. Once you've got your budget setup dump everything else into those when combined with your credit card buffer you can always pull back out or preferrably reduce next months investments if you find yourself low on funds one month. Source: almost 3 years ago
  • Newbie Question - Investment Account
    There are muuuuuuch better options today that Edward Jones. Your "local guy" makes a living adding maintenance costs to your account. The original poster here could do really well by checking out betterment.com and just following the on-screen prompts (they offer IRAs, too). Next time you meet with your local guy, ask him how much (the exact dollar amount) he's made from the fees on your investment account...and... Source: almost 3 years ago
View more

Wealthfront mentions (4)

  • Secure Way to Link Accounts?
    Re: Green Dot's privacy policy - it's hosted on wealthfront.com and the text refers people with questions to wealthfront.com and the Wealthfront app. So it isn't clear to me whether there's a meaningful distinction there. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • 23 y/o and have 20k+ sitting in savings making me no money
    You might consider Wealthfront which automates the general passive strategies using ETFs. Source: over 3 years ago
  • r/wealthfront incorrectly tagged as 'Mature'
    No idea when or why this happened, but for some reason the /r/wealthfront content tag is marked as mature. There definitely isn't anything NSFW - it's primarily community support and engagement for the wealthfront.com financial services. Source: over 3 years ago
  • I’m Tony Molina, C.P.A. and Senior Product Specialist at Wealthfront. Ask me anything about Wealthfront, investing, and personal finance.
    Sorry to hear that! Yes, it's an app for investing, banking, and financial planning. You may want to visit our full website at wealthfront.com as well. Source: almost 4 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Betterment and Wealthfront, you can also consider the following products

HiddenLevers - HiddenLevers gives genuine business insight to C-Suites of financial institutions, customers, and productivity from the whole firm right down to the individual’s business.

Acorns - Automated portfolio management monitoring your investments

Riskalyze - Riskalyze is a quantitative system for identifying client risk tolerance, aligning portfolios to client expectations, and quantifying the suitability of investments.

Empower - Our vision is to transform financial lives through advice, people and technology. Our mission is to empower financial freedom for all.

Backstop Solutions - Backstop Solutions Group provides CRM software suites for investment managers, portfolio managers, hedge funds, funds of hedge funds, endowments, pensions, and more.

Double.finance - Design your Own AI Boom Congress Momentum Defensive Growth Inflation Value Bogglehead Factor Tech Defensive Risk On Personal Innovative Own Stock Index. Double automates your investments with zero AUM fees.