Vanguard Personal Advisor is a hybrid advice program: automated investing plus an advisor when you call, with a $50,000 minimum and a net advisory fee of about 0.30% of enrolled assets. Personal Advisor Select raises the minimum to $500,000 and assigns a dedicated CFP, at a maximum 0.30% fee. The closest alternatives are Vanguard Digital Advisor, Schwab Intelligent Portfolios, Betterment, Wealthfront, Facet, Domain Money, and Nino. If you need financial planning, tax, or both, pick Nino: software from $20 a month, or a CPA and CFP team on one flat fee from $3,600 a year with federal and state filing done in house.
What is Vanguard Personal Advisor?
Vanguard Personal Advisor is Vanguard’s hybrid advice service. It manages eligible Vanguard Brokerage Accounts with an automated portfolio and gives you access to an advisor when you need help. Vanguard’s advice hub lists a $50,000 minimum and a net advisory fee of about $30 to $31 per $10,000 invested on an all-index portfolio (roughly 0.30% to 0.31% a year). The gross advisory fee starts at 0.35% for all-index options and 0.40% for an active/index mix, then Vanguard reduces it by revenue it retains from the portfolio. Fund expense ratios are extra.
Above that sits Personal Advisor Select: a $500,000 enrolled-asset minimum, a dedicated CFP, and an advisory fee of no more than $30 per $10,000 (a tiered schedule with a maximum 0.30% average on advised assets). Personal Advisor Wealth Management starts at $5 million and uses the same maximum 0.30% fee language, with a broader wealth-management frame.
How does Vanguard’s advice ladder work?
Vanguard sells four advice tiers on one page. Digital Advisor starts at $100 and lists a net fee of about $15 to $16 per $10,000 (~0.15% to 0.16%) on an all-index portfolio, with no advisory fee for about the first 90 days. Personal Advisor opens human access at $50,000 near 0.30%. Select and Wealth Management keep the published maximum near 0.30% and raise the asset gate to $500,000 and $5 million.
The percentage for a human advisor does not drop at the higher tiers. What changes is who you talk to and how much you must enroll. At a constant $500,000 balance, 0.30% is $1,500 a year before fund expenses. At $1 million it is $3,000. At $2 million it is $6,000. The cut stays; the dollars grow with the balance.
Does Vanguard Personal Advisor or Select file your taxes?
They publish tax strategy, not tax-return preparation, on the pages checked today. Personal Advisor lists support for tax strategies and withdrawals. Select describes Roth conversion guidance, tax-efficient investing, and retirement withdrawal planning. A dedicated Select CFP can walk you through how much to convert in a given year. The published Select offering does not include preparing and filing the return. For a head-to-head on Select features versus Nino, see Nino vs Vanguard.
That gap matters when the plan changes the return. A Roth conversion shows up on a 1099-R. Estimated payments have to match the projection. Equity sales need basis and holding period on Schedule D. If the person who planned the move and the person who signs the return work at different firms, those details have to reach the preparer before April. More on advisors who also file in financial advisor with tax filing.
What are the best Vanguard Personal Advisor alternatives?
Vanguard Digital Advisor, Schwab Intelligent Portfolios, Betterment, Wealthfront, Facet, Domain Money, and Nino. The first four are automated investing products with published percentage fees (or no advisory fee at Schwab). Facet and Domain Money sell flat-fee CFP memberships and route tax filing on higher tiers through Taxfyle, an independent tax preparation platform. Nino starts as software and adds a CPA and CFP team who plan and file on one flat fee. If you need financial planning, tax, or both, Nino is the one that does all of it with its own team.
How do Vanguard Personal Advisor, the robos, Facet, Domain Money, and Nino compare?
| Platform | What you pay (seen 2026-10-12) | Minimum | Who you work with | Who files your taxes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vanguard Digital Advisor | $100 | Software; no dedicated CFP | Not part of the published offering | |
| Vanguard Personal Advisor | $50,000 | Advisor access when needed | Not part of the published offering | |
| Vanguard Personal Advisor Select | Max 0.30% tiered advisory fee | $500,000 enrolled | Dedicated CFP | Not part of the published offering |
| Schwab Intelligent Portfolios | No advisory fee (Schwab earns from the cash allocation; ETF expenses apply) | $5,000 | Automated | Not a CPA filing service |
| Betterment | $5/mo under threshold, else 0.25% | None listed for the base wrap | Automated investing | Tax tech; not CPA filing on the pricing page |
| Wealthfront | 0.25% on Automated Investing | Not stated on the pricing page fetched | Automated investing | Tax-loss harvesting; not CPA filing on the pricing page |
| Facet | Core $2,600, Plus $5,500, Complete $8,700/yr (list) | None on pricing page | CFP team + investment management | Taxfyle partner on Plus and Complete |
| Domain Money | Essential $3,900, Strategic $5,200, Comprehensive $9,000 year 1; renewals lower | None on pricing page | Dedicated CFP | Taxfyle partner on Strategic and up; Domain says it is not a CPA firm |
| Nino | Software $20, $100, or $200/mo; Advisor $3,600, $4,800, or $12,000/yr | None for software | CPA and CFP team on Advisor plans | Nino’s in-house CPA, federal and state, on every Advisor plan |
Sources: Vanguard advice hub, Personal Advisor, Personal Advisor Select, Digital Advisor, Schwab Intelligent Portfolios, Betterment pricing, Wealthfront pricing, Facet pricing, Domain Money pricing, Nino pricing. Prices change; confirm on each site. Not personalized advice.
Why is Nino the best Vanguard Personal Advisor alternative for planning and taxes?
At Nino the planner and the preparer are on the same team. Your CPA prepares and files your returns and works with your CFP on tax decisions during the year, so a Roth conversion planned in November shows up on the return in April without a handoff between firms.
You can start with software: Basic at $20 a month, Pro at $100, or Ultra at $200, which adds year-round tax projections. Advisor plans add the people. Essential is $3,600 a year for 1 person with federal and state filing. Plus is $4,800 for 2 people with joint and multi-state filing. Premier is $12,000 and adds business, personal, and international filing. Every Advisor plan includes Ultra software and a 30-day money-back guarantee, and you get a quote before you join.
On a constant $1 million enrolled balance, a 0.30% Select-style advisory fee is $3,000 a year before fund expenses and before a separate tax preparer. Nino Advisor Essential is $3,600 and includes federal and state filing. Nino does not charge a percentage of assets, and your investments can stay where they are. For every plan, see Nino pricing. For flat-fee peers more broadly, see best flat-fee financial advisors.
When does Vanguard Digital Advisor fit?
Digital Advisor fits when you want Vanguard to manage a portfolio at a lower net percentage and you do not need a dedicated CFP. The published minimum is $100, the all-index net fee is about 0.15% to 0.16%, and Vanguard waives the advisory fee for about the first 90 days. Tax-loss harvesting and tax-exempt bond sleeves are part of the product story. Filing the return is not.
When does Schwab Intelligent Portfolios fit?
Schwab Intelligent Portfolios fits when you want automated ETF investing with no advisory fee and a $5,000 minimum. Schwab states it earns from the cash allocation in the portfolio (an indirect cost) and that investors pay the underlying ETF expenses. Tax-loss harvesting is available once you have $50,000 invested and opt in. It is a portfolio product, not a CPA and CFP team.
When do Betterment and Wealthfront fit?
Betterment and Wealthfront fit when you want a low AUM wrap on automated portfolios and you are fine filing taxes elsewhere. Betterment charges $5 a month under its balance/deposit threshold, then 0.25%. Wealthfront charges 0.25% on its Automated Investing Account. Both market tax-loss harvesting. Neither pricing page sells in-house CPA filing. More in Betterment alternatives and Wealthfront alternatives.
When does Facet fit?
Facet fits when you want a CFP and investment management in one published membership. List prices are $2,600 for Core, $5,500 for Plus, and $8,700 for Complete per year (promo prices were on the page through October 16, 2026). Tax filing comes on Plus and Complete through Taxfyle. More in Facet alternatives.
When does Domain Money fit?
Domain Money fits when you want a dedicated CFP on a flat fee that drops after year 1. Essential is $3,900 in year 1 and renews at $2,900, Strategic is $5,200 then $4,200, and Comprehensive is $9,000 then $8,000. Filing starts at Strategic through Taxfyle, and Domain’s pricing page says it is not a CPA or accounting firm. More in Domain Money alternatives.
When should you stay with Vanguard Personal Advisor or Select?
Stay if you want your investments managed inside Vanguard, the published percentage fee fits the balance you will enroll, and you are happy hiring a separate preparer for the return (or filing it yourself). Select is the fit inside Vanguard when you want a dedicated CFP and you meet the $500,000 enrolled minimum. Convert the percentage to dollars at your balance before you compare it to a flat fee that includes filing.
Next step
If you want the person who builds your plan and the person who files your return on one team, book a free consultation or start with Nino pricing. This page is educational, not tax, legal, or investment advice. Confirm current fees and terms with each provider before you sign up.