Vanguard Digital Advisor is a better choice for investors with smaller initial capital and those interested in socially responsible investing. Charles Schwab Intelligent Portfolios Premium is more suitable for investors with larger portfolios who value access to financial advisors and 24/7 customer support, but the flat fee structure may be more expensive for smaller accounts.
| Attribute | Vanguard Digital Advisor | Charles Schwab Intelligent Portfolios Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum investment amount | $100 for retail brokerage accounts, $5 for eligible 401(k) plan participant accounts. | $25,000 (Tax-loss harvesting requires $50,000) |
| 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%. The net advisory fee is waived for the first 90 days for new clients. | One-time planning fee of $300 and a $30 monthly subscription fee (billed quarterly as $90) |
| Investment portfolio options | All-Index: Uses low-cost ETFs covering domestic and international stocks and bonds. Active/Index: Includes ETFs from the all-index portfolio and adds actively managed mutual funds. ESG: Uses low-cost ESG funds to invest in companies with high environmental, social, and governance scores. | Diversified portfolios composed of ETFs, up to 20 asset classes across stocks, fixed income, real estate, and commodities, FDIC-insured cash component, Three investment strategies: Global, U.S. Focused, and Income Focused |
| Tax-loss harvesting | Yes, Vanguard Digital Advisor offers automatic tax-loss harvesting. | Available for accounts with a minimum balance of $50,000. Clients must enroll to activate this feature. |
| Financial advisor access | No, Vanguard Digital Advisor does not provide access to human financial advisors. However, Vanguard offers access to advisors through its Personal Advisor platform, which has additional fees and a $50,000 minimum. | Unlimited 1:1 guidance from CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER professionals. Clients can schedule appointments online for phone or video conferences. |
| Account types supported (e.g., IRA, Roth IRA, taxable) | Taxable accounts, Joint accounts, Traditional IRA, Roth IRA, Rollover IRA, and 401(k). | Not specified in the provided context. |
| Automatic rebalancing frequency | Portfolios are evaluated daily and rebalanced if any asset class deviates more than 5% from the target asset allocation. | Portfolios are monitored daily and automatically rebalanced as needed. |
| Availability of socially responsible investing (SRI) options | Yes, Vanguard Digital Advisor offers an ESG portfolio option. | Not explicitly offered. |
| Mobile app availability and features | Yes, Vanguard has a mobile app that earns 4.7 stars on the Apple store but has lower ratings on Google Play due to issues with the Android version. | Not specified in the provided context. |
| Educational resources and tools | Yes, Vanguard Digital Advisor offers tools like a risk tolerance tool, healthcare cost estimator, and retirement & budget tools. | Access to online planning tools, financial plan and access to interactive planning tools, Schwab models multiple financial goals and integrates them into a single plan. |
| Customer support channels and availability | Customer support is available via phone Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern time. Email support is also available. | 24/7 access to customer service, CFPs are available by phone and video conference Monday through Saturday. |
| Integration with other financial planning tools | Yes, you can connect non-Vanguard financial accounts to view all your finances in one place. | Integration with other Schwab accounts, Digital financial planning tool to clarify goals and create a personalized investment strategy. |