Robo-Advisor vs. Financial Advisor: What's The Difference? (2024)

Learning to invest can be intimidating. Besides all the complicated jargon, you might be concerned about making the wrong moves and losing money.

Meanwhile, delaying the process because you’re stuck in analysis paralysis could also cost you big over your lifetime in missed potential investment growth.

If this sounds like you, getting professional help might be just what you need. Consider talking to a traditional financial advisor or a robo-advisor. Let’s look at the differences between these two options.

What Is a Financial Advisor?

A financial advisor provides clients with personalized guidance for all their money questions. It’s a broad term that’s used by a variety of professionals, including those that provide investment management services, handle estate planning, sell insurance, do retirement planning and do your taxes.

While there are many types of financial advisors, the ones who provide investment advice must be registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or state securities regulators.

Financial advisors work with you to understand your current situation, set up financial goals and develop an investment plan to meet those goals. They design a customized portfolio of securities to invest in, and actively manage the portfolio to optimize its performance.

What Is a Robo-Advisor?

A robo-advisor covers similar ground by using automated digital processes, saving customers money in the process.

Robos have grown in popularity significantly over the last decade, and major financial services firms offer their own platforms, including investment giants like Vanguard, Fidelity Investments and Charles Schwab. As of 2015, $47.3 billion of assets were managed by robo-advisors. By 2022, that number surpassed $500 billion.

Unlike live financial advisors, robo-advisors use computer algorithms to manage investment portfolios and make investing decisions. They typically have lower minimum investment requirements than financial advisors, and they tend to be less expensive.

When you sign up with a robo-advisor, you typically have to answer a few questions about your finances, investment goals and risk tolerance. Based on your answers, the platform designs a portfolio of exchange-traded funds or mutual funds, and manages them for you. It constantly monitors the markets and rebalances the portfolio as needed.

Many of the best robo-advisor platforms also allow customers to consult with certified financial planners or other types of financial advisors for check-ins or to ask specific questions.

Robo-Advisor vs. Financial Advisor: Key Differences

Both robo-advisors and financial advisors can be helpful resources for investors, but there are some distinct differences to keep in mind.

Minimum Deposits

Traditional financial advisors usually require customers to have significant assets to invest. Depending on the advisor, you may need $50,000 or more to qualify for advisory services.

For newer investors or those that don’t have enough cash to invest yet, those high minimums can be a substantial barrier, which is why robo-advisors can be appealing.

Robo-advisors generally have much lower requirements. Platforms like Acorns, Betterment and WealthSimple allow you to get started with as little as $10 or less, so you can start investing even if you have only a small amount of cash available.

Investment Offerings

A financial advisor can work with you to design a portfolio of different securities, including individual stocks, bonds, mutual funds, ETFs and even more complex products like real estate investment trusts, options and futures.

Robo-advisors work differently. Rather than investing in individual securities, they tend to invest in index funds or ETFs because of their lower costs and strong historical performance.

Annual Fees

In terms of cost, robo-advisors are much less expensive than financial advisors but still more expensive than doing it yourself. They may charge a monthly fee, such as $5 per month, or an annual management fee of 0.25% to 0.50% of your assets under management.

Financial advisors are compensated differently than robo-advisors. The exact fee structure varies by company and advisor, but there may be the following fees and other costs:

• An hourly fee for an advisor’s services
• A flat fee for an annual portfolio review or financial plan
• Commissions on particular securities that are bought or sold
• Fees or loads based on the amount you invest in a mutual fund or variable annuity

Management Style

Management style is another key difference between traditional financial advisors and robo-advisors. Many financial advisors actively manage portfolios, meaning they monitor the markets and make calculated investment decisions with the goal of beating the market.

By contrast, robo-advisors portfolios are passively managed. They invest in ETFs and index funds with the aim of replicating the performance of the market.

Financial Planning

While many robo-advisors attempt to provide education and advice through their platforms, they’re unable to evaluate your bigger financial picture or make personalized recommendations.

Financial advisors work with you to develop holistic plans to meet all of your financial goals. Besides investing for retirement, they can also help you with estate planning, tax optimization and determining your life insurance needs.

A financial advisor can look at your situation and give you personalized advice. For example, they may advise that you refinance an auto loan, downsize your home or sign up for your company’s 401(k) match.

Robo-advisors are much more limited. You can use a robo to invest for a range of goals, including retirement or college, but you’ll need to consult a professional for personalized insurance or tax guidance.

A robo advisor may be able to provide basic financial advice like “don’t spend more than you earn” but they won’t be able to pinpoint the areas of your financial life you can improve on like a financial advisor can.

How to Choose the Right Option for You

When it comes to robo-advisor vs. financial advisor, there is no one right choice for everyone. The best fit depends on several factors:

• Your level of investing experience. If you’re a novice investor or prefer to be more hands-off, a robo-advisor is likely a good fit. You can use a robo-advisor to get a customized portfolio of investments, and the robo-advisor handles the portfolio and rebalances it for you. For more seasoned investors that want more personalized attention or more complex investments, a financial advisor is probably a better choice.
• The amount of cash you have available. Financial advisors require a substantial amount of cash to get started; depending on the advisor, it could be as high as $50,000 or more. But with a robo-advisor, you can get started with $10 or less.
• Your financial goals or needs. For straightforward goals like retirement or planning for college, a robo-advisor can be an appropriate option. But if you have more complicated financial needs or want help with more complex things estate planning or tax optimization, you may need a traditional financial advisor.

If you need help managing your investments or finances, learn how to choose a financial advisor.