On this page13 sections
- Ratings and complaints
- Fidelity vs. competitors
- Pricing
- Step by step
- Is Fidelity a legitimate financial advisor?
- How much a Fidelity financial advisor costs
- Fidelity Go, Advisory Services, Wealth Management and Private Wealth: what you get
- Is Fidelity a fiduciary? The conflicts to ask about
- Fidelity complaints and reviews
- How to leave a Fidelity managed account
- What customers say
- Alternatives
- FAQ
Fidelity Go charges no advisory fee under $25,000 and 0.35% above that, but its human advice programs, run by Fidelity Wealth Services, carry gross fees of 1.10% a year for the phone-based Fidelity Advisory Services team ($50,000 minimum) and 0.50% to 1.50% for a dedicated advisor, typically from $500,000, before a credit for fund revenue Fidelity keeps. It is a legitimate, heavily regulated firm, and its advice is cheap at the low end and expensive in the middle. Fidelity's own brochure says its representatives earn more when you move from Fidelity Go into Wealth Services, so get the total yearly cost in writing before you enroll. Older reviews quoting a 0.50% fee at $25,000 or a $250,000 minimum are out of date.
- Robo-advisor
- Fidelity Go: $0 advisory fee under $25,000, 0.35% a year at $25,000 and above; $0 to open, $10 to start investing; invests in zero expense ratio Fidelity Flex funds2
- Advisor team
- Fidelity Advisory Services: 1.10% a year gross advisory fee, less a fee credit, with a $50,000 minimum; advice from a centralized team of phone-based representatives3
- Dedicated advisor
- Fidelity Wealth Management: 0.50% to 1.50% a year gross depending on assets, less a fee credit; $50,000 account minimum, and you typically qualify for a dedicated advisor with $500,000 in eligible Fidelity accounts3
- Private wealth
- Fidelity Private Wealth Management: typically $2 million invested with Fidelity and $10 million in investable assets1
- Who gives the advice
- Strategic Advisers LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser since 1977 (SEC 801-13243, CRD 104555); brokerage by Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC (FINRA CRD 7784)4
- Fiduciary status
- Fidelity says that when it acts as a fiduciary it is legally required to put your interest ahead of its own; its advisors also act as broker representatives, and planning before you enroll is a brokerage service5
- Recent regulatory record
- April 2026: $1,250,000 Massachusetts fine over a customer data breach; January 2025: $600,000 FINRA fine over an employee who took about $750,000 from stock plan accounts7
- BBB
- Fidelity Investments, Boston: A+ rating, not accredited, 1,342 complaints in the last 3 years across all Fidelity business9
Pros
- Fidelity Go has no advisory fee under $25,000 and uses zero expense ratio funds
- Advice programs reach from $10 to $10 million, with 215 Investor Centers for in-person meetings
- Gross advisory fees are reduced by a credit for fund revenue Fidelity keeps
- Advisory arm reports no material disciplinary events in its current brochure
- Fee is prorated if you leave mid-quarter
Cons
- Fidelity Advisory Services charges 1.10% gross, more than triple Fidelity Go's 0.35%
- A dedicated advisor costs about 1.25% at $500,000, far above Vanguard's 0.30% and Schwab's 0.80%
- Representatives earn more when you move into Wealth Services, a conflict Fidelity discloses
- Some program funds can only be held in the program and are sold if you leave, which can trigger taxes
- Very low review site scores for service across all of Fidelity, and a customer data breach that led to a 2026 Massachusetts fine
Best for: Investors who want a free or low-cost robo through Fidelity Go, or who already keep most of their money at Fidelity and value one firm for banking, brokerage and a dedicated advisor.
Skip it if: You want a human advisor at the lowest percentage fee, or you have under $500,000 and do not want to pay 1.10% a year for a phone-based team.
Fidelity vs. competitors
| Company | Robo-advisor fee | Team or digital advice | Dedicated advisor fee | Dedicated advisor minimum |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fidelity | Fidelity Go: $0 under $25,000, 0.35% above | Fidelity Advisory Services: 1.10% gross, $50,000 | 0.50% to 1.50% gross, less fee credit | Typically $500,000 |
| Charles Schwab | $0 ($5,000 minimum) | Paid CFP tier (Premium) closed in early 2026 | 0.80% on first $1M, tiered down | $500,000 |
| Vanguard | Digital Advisor: 0.20% gross for index portfolios, $100 | Personal Advisor Select: 0.30% | $500,000 | |
| Empower | Personal Strategy: from 0.89%, $100,000 | Tiered, two dedicated advisors | $250,000 |
Fidelity pricing at a glance
Fidelity advice options, from Fidelity's site and its March 30, 2026 Form ADV brochures3
| Service | What you get | Annual advisory fee | Minimum |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fidelity Go | Robo portfolio of zero expense ratio Flex funds; coaching calls and tax-loss harvesting at $25,000 | $0 under $25,000; 0.35% at $25,000 and above | $0 to open, $10 to invest |
| Fidelity Managed FidFolios | Digital portfolio of individual stocks in one asset class | 0.40% or 0.70% | $5,000 |
| Fidelity Advisory Services | Planning and a managed portfolio from a team of phone-based representatives | 1.10% gross, less fee credit | $50,000 |
| Fidelity Wealth Management | Dedicated advisor and service team, planning, tax-smart investing | 1.50% up to $500,000 (capped at $6,250); above $500,000, 1.25% on the first $500,000 falling in bands to 0.50% above $5 million; less fee credit | $50,000 account; typically $500,000 for a dedicated advisor |
| Fidelity Private Wealth Management | Dedicated advisor, service team, investment specialist and advanced planners | Same schedule as Wealth Management, less fee credit | Typically $2 million invested and $10 million investable |
Wealth Services fees are gross fees. Fidelity subtracts a credit equal to the fund management and other fees it keeps from Fidelity and non-Fidelity funds in your account, then bills the net fee quarterly. Separately managed sleeves run by outside managers can add up to 0.35% (U.S. stocks) or 0.40% (foreign stocks). Clients with complex finances can be charged a negotiated planning fee, and standalone planning, generally for $3 million or more, typically tops out at $20,000 a year.
Fidelity, step by step
Start with a free conversation
Fidelity's planning tools and talks with a representative cost nothing. Any planning you get before you sign an advisory agreement comes from Fidelity Brokerage Services, not the advisory program.
Pick a level by balance
Under $50,000 the only managed option with advice is Fidelity Go. From $50,000 you can join Fidelity Advisory Services; with about $500,000 in eligible accounts you typically qualify for a dedicated Wealth Management advisor.
Read the brochure and compensation disclosure
You receive the Form ADV Part 2A brochure. Also ask for the Fidelity Investments Compensation Disclosure, which shows how much your representative earns for each program.
Fund the account
You have 120 days after signing to reach the program minimum, or Fidelity can end your enrollment. Selling holdings elsewhere to fund it can trigger taxes.
Quarterly billing and reviews
The net fee is deducted after each quarter, and Fidelity may sell holdings to pay it. You can leave at any time; the fee is prorated to the date management stops.
Is Fidelity a legitimate financial advisor?
Yes. Fidelity has been privately held since its founding in 1946. Its advice programs, including Fidelity Go and Fidelity Wealth Services, are run by Strategic Advisers LLC, which has been registered with the SEC as an investment adviser since 1977 (CRD 104555). Its brokerage arm, Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC, is a FINRA member (CRD 7784) and a SIPC member. SIPC protects up to $500,000 per customer, including $250,000 in cash, if the broker fails; it does not cover market losses.
The record is not spotless. In April 2026 Fidelity Brokerage Services agreed to a $1,250,000 fine and a cease and desist order from the Massachusetts Securities Division, which said it failed to enforce cybersecurity controls that should have kept customers from seeing other customers’ document images, without admitting or denying the findings. In March 2026 Fidelity also agreed to a $2.5 million class action settlement over the 2024 data breach, which exposed information on more than 155,000 people. In January 2025 FINRA fined the firm $600,000 because an employee took about $750,000 from 37 stock plan participants over nearly eight years; Fidelity repaid them in full. In October 2023 it paid $900,000 to FINRA and $750,000 to Massachusetts over how it approved customers for options trading. Look up any advisor you are assigned on FINRA BrokerCheck and the SEC’s adviser search.
How much a Fidelity financial advisor costs
It depends on which program you join. Fidelity Go costs nothing under $25,000 and 0.35% a year at $25,000 and above, so $100,000 costs about $350 a year, and its Flex funds have no expense ratio. Fidelity Advisory Services, the phone-based advisor team, charges a gross fee of 1.10% a year, about $1,100 on $100,000. Wealth Management and Private Wealth Management charge 1.50% on balances up to $500,000 (capped at $6,250 a year), and above $500,000 a tiered rate: 1.25% on the first $500,000, 1.10% on the next $500,000, 0.90% on the next $1 million, 0.70% on the next $3 million and 0.50% above $5 million. On $1 million that is about $11,750 a year before credits.
Those are gross fees. Fidelity subtracts a credit equal to the fund management and other fees it keeps from the funds in your account, and charges the net amount quarterly. Ask for an estimate of your net fee plus fund expenses in writing. Fidelity’s brochure also notes that the 1.10% team fee becomes more expensive than the Wealth Management schedule once a balance passes $1.375 million.
Fidelity Go, Advisory Services, Wealth Management and Private Wealth: what you get
Fidelity Go is a robo-advisor for taxable accounts, traditional, Roth, rollover and SEP IRAs, and HSAs. Once you keep $25,000 in an eligible Go account you get unlimited one-on-one coaching calls, and taxable accounts get tax-loss harvesting.
Fidelity Advisory Services (renamed from the Advisory Services Team in Fidelity’s March 2026 brochure) gives you planning and a managed portfolio of Fidelity and outside funds from a central team you reach by phone or video. Wealth Management adds a dedicated advisor and service team, tax-smart investing and, at higher balances, individual stock portfolios. Private Wealth Management adds an investment specialist and planners for multigenerational and estate questions. Fidelity also runs Fidelity Wealth Advisor Solutions, a referral network of outside advisory firms whose fees vary.
What customers say about Fidelity
Recurring themes across the review sites and complaint records listed above, not individual quotes.
Common praise
- Individual representatives who are friendly and knowledgeable about retirement planning
- Low cost entry through Fidelity Go, which is free under $25,000
- Banking, brokerage, retirement accounts and advice under one login
- Highly rated mobile app
Common complaints
- Long phone holds and hard to reach qualified staff
- Accounts locked or restricted without a clear explanation
- Slow transfers, wires and inherited account settlements
- Months-long delays on paperwork such as QDRO and divorce transfers
- Pressure to move into higher fee managed accounts, a conflict Fidelity's own brochure discloses
Is Fidelity a fiduciary? The conflicts to ask about
Fidelity says that when it acts as a fiduciary it is legally required to put your interest ahead of its own. Inside an advisory program, Strategic Advisers is your adviser. But the same representatives are also registered brokers, and Fidelity’s brochure says any planning you get before you sign the advisory agreement is provided by Fidelity Brokerage Services, not the program.
The brochure also spells out the pay incentives. Representatives who earn variable pay are paid more if you enroll in any Wealth Services level than in Fidelity Go or FidFolios, and more for Wealth Management or Private Wealth Management than for the Advisory Services team. Their pay can also rise with the assets you move to Fidelity. Ask your representative how they are paid for the program they recommend, and compare it with keeping Fidelity Go or index funds yourself.
Fidelity complaints and reviews
Fidelity Investments has an A+ BBB rating but is not accredited, with 1,342 complaints in three years. Trustpilot shows 1.3 out of 5 from 1,176 reviews, 88% one star, and Fidelity has not been replying there. These scores cover all of Fidelity, not just advice. The recurring themes are long phone holds, accounts locked without clear reasons, slow wires and transfers, and delays settling inherited accounts and divorce orders. Some reviewers praise individual representatives who helped with retirement planning. The Fidelity app does far better, at 4.8 out of 5 from about 3.35 million App Store ratings.
Fidelity Investments is not listed as a company in the CFPB complaint database. If a problem with an advisor is not resolved, you can file a complaint with the SEC, FINRA or your state securities regulator.
How to leave a Fidelity managed account
You can end a Wealth Services agreement at any time, usually through a Fidelity representative. The fee is prorated from the start of the unbilled quarter to the day Fidelity stops managing the account. Liquidating trades and in-kind transfers are typically placed within seven business days of your request.
Watch for two traps. Some funds in these programs can only be held inside a Fidelity advisory program, so they are sold when you leave, which can create a tax bill in a taxable account. And if your account drops below the program minimum, Fidelity can close it and sell the holdings. Ask which of your holdings can transfer in kind before you sign up.
Alternatives to Fidelity
- Vanguard Personal Advisor Select Better if you have $500,000 or more and want a dedicated advisor at 0.30% a year, well under Fidelity's 1.25% starting rate at that level. Read review
- Charles Schwab Worth comparing for a free robo from $5,000 and a dedicated advisor at 0.80% from $500,000. Read review
- Fidelity Go plus Fidelity's free planning tools If you only need a managed portfolio, Go costs $0 under $25,000 and 0.35% above, and includes coaching calls at $25,000, far less than 1.10% for the advisor team.
- Fee-only planner paid by the hour or project A flat fee for a plan you carry out yourself in low-cost Fidelity funds avoids paying a percentage of your assets every year.
Fidelity reviews
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Frequently asked questions
How much does a Fidelity financial advisor cost?
Fidelity Go is free under $25,000 and 0.35% a year above that. Fidelity Advisory Services charges 1.10% a year gross, and Wealth Management charges 0.50% to 1.50% gross depending on assets. Wealth Services fees are reduced by a credit for fund revenue Fidelity keeps.
What is the minimum for a Fidelity financial advisor?
Fidelity Advisory Services and Wealth Management accounts start at $50,000, but you typically need about $500,000 in eligible Fidelity accounts to qualify for a dedicated advisor. Private Wealth Management typically needs $2 million invested and $10 million in investable assets.
Is Fidelity Go really free?
Under $25,000 there is no advisory fee, and the Flex funds it uses have zero expense ratios. From $25,000 the fee is 0.35% a year, and you get unlimited coaching calls and tax-loss harvesting in taxable accounts.
Are Fidelity financial advisors fiduciaries?
Fidelity says that when it acts as a fiduciary it must put your interest ahead of its own, and its advisory programs are run by a registered investment adviser. Its representatives are also brokers, and planning before you enroll is a brokerage service. Ask which role applies to each recommendation.
Is it free to talk to a Fidelity advisor?
Yes. Talking with a representative and using Fidelity's planning tools costs nothing. You pay only if you enroll in a managed program such as Fidelity Go above $25,000 or Fidelity Wealth Services.
Is Fidelity Personalized Planning and Advice still 0.50%?
Fidelity's current offerings page does not list a program by that name. Its phone-based advisor team is Fidelity Advisory Services, a level of Fidelity Wealth Services, and the March 2026 brochure lists a 1.10% gross fee and a $50,000 minimum, not the 0.50% fee and $25,000 minimum some older reviews quote.
Is Fidelity Wealth Management worth it?
It can be if you want a dedicated advisor, tax-smart investing and planning in one place, but it costs 1.25% on the first $500,000 of a larger account, against 0.80% at Schwab and 0.30% at Vanguard for a dedicated advisor. Compare your net fee in writing before you move assets.
Has Fidelity been fined recently?
Yes. In April 2026 Massachusetts fined Fidelity Brokerage Services $1,250,000 over a customer data breach, and in January 2025 FINRA fined it $600,000 over an employee who took about $750,000 from stock plan accounts. Fidelity settled without admitting or denying the findings.
Is my money safe at Fidelity?
Securities are held at a SIPC member firm, which protects up to $500,000 per customer, including $250,000 in cash, if the firm fails. SIPC does not protect against investment losses.
Is Fidelity or Vanguard better for a financial advisor?
For small balances, Fidelity Go is cheaper because it is free under $25,000. For a dedicated advisor at $500,000 or more, Vanguard Personal Advisor Select at 0.30% costs much less than Fidelity's tiered rate starting at 1.25%.
Sources (18)
Facts on this page come from company websites, government agencies and regulators, checked on the dates shown. Editorial standards
- Fidelity: Wealth management offerings (accessed October 12, 2026)
- Fidelity: Fidelity Go overview (accessed October 12, 2026)
- SEC IAPD: Fidelity Wealth Services Form ADV Part 2A brochure, Strategic Advisers LLC (March 30, 2026) (accessed October 12, 2026)
- SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure: Strategic Advisers LLC (CRD 104555) (accessed October 12, 2026)
- Fidelity: Financial advisors and wealth management overview (accessed October 12, 2026)
- FINRA BrokerCheck: Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC (CRD 7784) (accessed October 12, 2026)
- FINRA BrokerCheck: Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC detailed report (accessed October 12, 2026)
- Bloomberg Law: Fidelity Investments agrees to pay $2.5 million over data breach (March 11, 2026) (accessed October 12, 2026)
- BBB: Fidelity Investments business profile (accessed October 12, 2026)
- Trustpilot: Fidelity Investments reviews (accessed October 12, 2026)
- CFPB complaint database API: search for Fidelity (accessed October 12, 2026)
- Apple App Store: Fidelity Investments (US) (accessed October 12, 2026)
- Fidelity: About Fidelity (accessed October 12, 2026)
- Vanguard: Personal Advisor Select fees and minimums (accessed October 12, 2026)
- Vanguard: Vanguard Digital Advisor (accessed October 12, 2026)
- Schwab: Schwab Wealth Advisory (accessed October 12, 2026)
- Empower: Wealth management and fee structure (accessed October 12, 2026)
- SIPC: What SIPC protects (accessed October 12, 2026)
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