Vanguard Digital Advisor is suitable for investors with smaller initial capital and those comfortable with a fully automated service. Schwab Intelligent Portfolios Premium is better suited for investors with larger portfolios who value access to financial advisors and comprehensive customer support.
| Attribute | Vanguard Digital Advisor | Schwab Intelligent Portfolios Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Investment Amount | $100 for retail brokerage accounts; $5 for eligible 401(k) plan participant accounts. | $25,000 total across all Schwab Intelligent Portfolios Premium accounts, with a minimum of $5,000 per individual account. |
| Annual Advisory Fee | Approximately 0.15% of assets managed for an all-index portfolio. For ESG or active/index portfolios, the fee ranges from 0.11% to 0.20%. New clients may have this fee waived for the first 90 days. | A one-time planning fee of $300, then $30 per month (billed quarterly at $90). |
| Investment Portfolio Composition | Clients can select from three options: All-Index, Active/Index, and ESG. These portfolios are composed of Vanguard ETFs and funds. The All-Index portfolio typically includes U.S. and international stocks and bonds. | Diversified portfolio of low-cost ETFs across various asset classes, including stocks, fixed income, and commodities. The portfolios also include a cash allocation that is based on a client's stated investment objectives and risk tolerance. Schwab uses approximately 50 ETFs for asset classes spanning stocks, fixed income, and commodities. |
| Tax-Loss Harvesting | Yes, Vanguard Digital Advisor offers automated tax-loss harvesting. | Available for accounts with invested assets of $50,000 or more. Clients must activate this feature. |
| Financial Planning Tools | Vanguard Digital Advisor provides tools, including retirement, healthcare cost estimator, debt payoff, and budget calculators. | Digital planning tools and a customized financial roadmap to help reach financial goals. Tools include Schwab Plan and Play Zone®. |
| Access to Financial Advisors | No, Vanguard Digital Advisor is an all-digital service and doesn't provide access to human financial advisors. For access to financial advisors, consider Vanguard Personal Advisor. | Unlimited access to CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professionals via phone or video conference. |
| Account Types Supported (e.g., IRA, Roth IRA, taxable) | Individual and joint brokerage accounts, Traditional, Roth, and Rollover IRAs, SEP and inherited IRAs, and eligible 401(k)s. | Individual and joint taxable brokerage accounts, traditional and Roth IRAs, SEP, SIMPLE, inherited and rollover IRAs, trusts, UGMA, UTMA, tenants in common, and community property. |
| Portfolio Customization Options | Limited; portfolios are built using Vanguard ETFs and funds. Clients can select from All-Index, Active/Index, and ESG options. | Investors can adjust risk tolerance and investment goals through an in-depth onboarding process. Clients can select from Global, U.S. Focused, and Income Focused strategies. Investors can tweak the allocation in Schwab's recommended model by picking as many as three ETFs to remove, and Schwab will replace them with an alternative. |
| Automatic Rebalancing Frequency | Portfolios are monitored daily and rebalanced when any asset class deviates more than 5% from its target allocation. | Portfolios are monitored daily and rebalanced as needed to stay consistent with the client's selected risk profile. |
| Mobile App Availability and Features | Yes, Vanguard has a mobile app. | Available on Android and iOS. |
| Customer Support Channels (e.g., phone, email, chat) | While direct advisor access isn't available, customer support is accessible. | 24/7 phone, email, and live chat support. Also, in-person assistance at local branches. |
| Educational Resources Available | Yes, Vanguard provides educational articles, videos, and tools on its website. | Schwab provides various educational resources, but allowing a robo-advisor to handle your investment portfolio may limit the benefits of Schwab's educational tools and research. |