Best Hybrid Robo Advisors

6 Best Hybrid Robo Advisors with Human Advisors

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Investment management is evolving, and the integration of human expertise with automated finance technology is becoming increasingly popular. Hybrid Robo Advisors are the next step in the evolution of investment management, offering the best of both worlds: personalized investment advice from human financial advisors, and automated precision and speed from computer algorithms.

In this article, we will present you with the best Hybrid Robo Advisors in 2024 that offer the combination of human touch with robotic precision. This will help you to make an informed decision on the best hybrid robo advisor for your needs and elevate your investment strategy.

What Is A Hybrid Robo Advisor?

A Hybrid Robo Advisor is an online service that combines an automated investment management platform (a robo-advisor) with access to human financial advisors for personalized and in-depth financial planning.

Most hybrid robo advisors look like your standard online automated investment platform, but come with a phone number, chat, or email that you can use at any time to get unlimited access to human advisors any time you have a question, concern, or need some specific financial or investment advice.

The rest of your experience will be similar to using a standard robo advisor with automated portfolio management, asset allocation, automated rebalancing, and more.

Best Overall
Vanguard Personal Advisor
9.4
  • $50,000 account minimum
  • 0.30% Annual Fee
  • Personalized financial plan
  • Access to Human Advisors
  • Best Hybrid Robo Advisor
Best Financial
Betterment Premium
9.4
  • $100,000 Account Minimum
  • 0.40% Annual Fee
  • Human Financial Advice
  • Excellent Banking Features
  • Socially Responsible & Crypto Investing
Most Comprehensive
Empower
8.4
  • $100,000 Minimum
  • 0.49% - 0.89% Annual Fee
  • Dedicated Advisor
  • Personalized Portfolio
  • Excellent Financial Tools
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How Much Does a Hybrid Robo Advisor Cost?

Hybrid robo advisors are typically a little bit more expensive than a traditional robo advisor due to the overhead of the human Certified Financial Planner (CFP,) but significantly less expensive than a traditional financial advisor. You can think of the “hybrid,” or human aspect of the robo advisors costing 0.10% to 0.20% above what a standard, fully-automated robo advisor costs.

For example, a human financial advisor typically costs 1.0% – 2.0% of assets under management (AUM) per year for management fees, whereas a hybrid robo advisor will be somewhere between 0.30% and 0.50%, although there are more expensive and less expensive options (more on those below.)

Best Hybrid Robo Advisors in 2024

Vanguard Personal Advisor
Best Overall Hybrid Robo Advisor

Vanguard Personal Advisor

  • Minimum: $50,000
  • Fee: 0.05% - 0.30%
  • Personalized Financial Plan

Vanguard Personal Advisor is a perfect example of a hybrid robo-advisor. The automated platform keeps your investment portfolios aligned with your financial goals, and you can contact them any time to get personalized financial advice and strategies. They're also the best robo advisor for high-net-worth investors.

Unfortunately, the minimum balance for this service is a hefty $50,000, but if you can manage that, I have some good news. The management fee is only 0.30% and is reduced even more with higher balances, down to as low as 0.05%.

Vanguard has been a trusted investment service for decades, and Personal Advisor, launched in 2015, now manages over $186.5 billion.

The onboarding process can take a week or two to start with Vanguard PA. With most robo-advisors, you fill out a short survey to determine your goals and risk tolerance. Vanguard takes some extra time to get to know you and set you on the right track.

You will schedule a video chat to talk to a Certified Financial Planner. Then you'll get a personalized plan that considers all your investments and retirement accounts outside your Vanguard account.

Vanguard Personal Advisor is perfect for investors with long-term goals who want to be more involved and add a human touch to a robo-advisor service. They are the best hybrid robo advisor available on the market.

If you can live without the human touch, they also offer Vanguard Digital Advisor, the same product but without human financial planners.

Unlike some of the other hybrid robo advisors on this list, however, they do not offer additional financial products and tools like a high-yield cash account, checking, credit cards, or a personal finance dashboard.

Pros
  • Unlimited Access to Human Advisors
  • Low 0.30% Fee, Down to 0.05%
  • Highly-Personalized Approach
  • $50,000 Minimum Investment
  • Vanguard is Highly-Trusted
Cons
  • Limited to Vanguard Funds
  • Not the Best Mobile Experience
  • No Other Financial Products or Tools
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Betterment Premium
Best Overall Financial Planning

Betterment Premium

  • Minimum: $100,000 (no minimum for the basic plan)
  • Fee: 0.30% – 0.40%
  • Professional Guidance on Life Events

Betterment, the world’s oldest and largest robo advisor, started in 2010. They have helped over 775,000 customers save money and grow their investment portfolios. Betterment offers a variety of investment management and money-saving tools.

Here, we focus on the benefits of Betterment Premium, the hybrid robo-advising service for accounts over $100,000.

Betterment Premium offers all basic plan features: in-depth automated investment advice plus access to professional human advisors. The fee for Betterment Premium is 0.40% for the first $2M and a reduced 0.30% for any funds over $2M.

With a premium plan, human Betterment advisors offer unbiased financial advice when you get married, have children, or plan to retire. You can also create a plan for your 401(k), real estate, and other investments outside Betterment.

Betterment Premium is a more full-featured financial product if you also want a high-yield cash account and other financial products. They also offer socially responsible and crypto investing.

The minimum balance for Betterment Premium is $100,000, but you can get their basic Digital plan for any balance, and the annual fee is only 0.25%.

Pros
  • Unlimited Access to Human Advisors
  • Low 0.30% - 0.40% Fees
  • High-Yield Cash Account
  • Socially Responsible & Crypto Investing
  • Life Goal & Retirement Planning
Cons
  • No Direct Indexing Available
  • No Borrow / Margin Loans Available
Empower
Best Comprehensive Financial Planning

Empower

  • Minimum: $100,000
  • Fee: 0.49% - 0.89%
  • Best Comprehensive Financial Planning
  • Best Personal Finance Dashboard

Empower (formerly Personal Capital) has gained popularity with its excellent free financial tools. Some people don't even realize that they provide comprehensive financial planning advice more in line with a human financial advisor than a robo advisor. But yet, they're still a hybrid robo advisor at heart.

Empower's Wealth Management services have a minimum account balance of $100,000. They are aimed at high-net-worth investors who prefer the in-depth financial planning that a traditional advisor offers, but at a reduced cost and with more advanced tools.

There are three levels of investment management services based on the amount of investable assets:

  • Investment Services: $100k - $200k
  • Wealth Management: $200k - $1M
  • Private Client: Over $1M


Empower offers access to Certified Financial Planners by phone and email. During your first call, you will discuss your investment goals, build a tax-efficient portfolio, and more.

Overall, Empower offers some of the best private wealth management on the market. The add-ons for Private Clients with $1M+ in investable assets are noteworthy and go above and beyond the average robo-advisor, such as a dedicated financial advisor, private equity investment options, estate planning, and more.

All plans include Smart Weighting, Tax Loss Harvesting, Intelligent Rebalancing, and Dynamic Portfolio Allocation. Empower also has a high-yield cash account and many other free financial tools you can play with.

The annual fee for the first $1M in assets is 0.89% and falls in tiers down to 0.49% for balances over $10M.

Empower is the best hybrid robo advisor for high-net-worth investment clients that prefer an in-depth financial planner and personalized investment strategy.

Pros
  • Unlimited Access to Human Advisors
  • High-Yield Cash Account
  • Socially Responsible Investing
  • Excellent Tax Strategy
  • Comprehensive Financial Planning
  • Best Free Personal Finance Dashboard
Cons
  • Much Higher Management Fees than Other Robo Advisors
  • Complicated Signup Process
  • Overkill for Most Investors
Wells Fargo Intuitive Investor
Best for WF Customers

Wells Fargo Intuitive Investor

  • Minimum: $500
  • Fee: 0.25% - 0.35%
  • Great for Wells Fargo Customers

Wells Fargo Intuitive Investor is the banking giant's toe-dip into the automated investing world. While many other investment management companies like Vanguard and Fidelity have their own successful robo advisors, those don't come with many features except for, well, investment management.

Wells Fargo, being the banking behemoth that it is, can combine their various other financial services, such as checking, savings, and loans, bundling all of your financial products into one place.

On top of that, they're able to include their existing Wells Fargo Advisors - human financial advisors - for no extra cost.

Fortunately for them, their service isn't half bad. A low $500 minimum deposit (it used to be $5,000) keeps the service accessible to nearly everybody, and its 0.35% management fee is on par with other hybrid robo advisors on the market. Existing Wells Fargo customers, depending on their account levels, can get a reduced management fee of 0.25% - 0.30% if they link their WF checking account to the service.

This makes Intuitive Investor a great add-on for existing Wells Fargo customers. But if you aren't a Wells Fargo customer already (or willing to become one), we think one of the other hybrid robo advisors is a better option, if you can meet the higher account minimums.

Intuitive Investor doesn't allow for a lot of portfolio customization, but it's great for investors who want a hands-off approach to passive investing.

Pros
  • Low Minimum Investment ($500)
  • Access to Human Financial Advisors
  • Reduced Management Fee for Existing Customers
  • Socially-Responsible Portfolio Options
  • Hands-Off Investing Strategy
Cons
  • Limited Portfolio Customization
  • No High-Yield Cash Savings Account
  • No Dedicated Mobile App
Fidelity Go
Best for Simple Needs

Fidelity Go

  • Minimum: $25,000 for Hybrid Service
  • Fee: Free up to $25,000, then 0.35%
  • Unlimited 1-on-1 Coaching Calls

Fidelity is another one of the biggest investment firms in the world, and it's no surprise that they offer a robo advisor. What does come as a surprise is that it's entirely free for balances up to $25,000.

With a user interface and website that looks like it was designed 20 years ago (and probably was,) the platform offers a free robo-advisor service for balances up to $25,000 and an account minimum of only $10.

Only after your account reaches a balance over $25,000 does Fidelity Go begin charging an annual management fee of 0.35%. Then you get access to a financial advisor you can call any time for help with investment decisions, portfolio management, and other financial advice.

The Fidelity Go robo advisor only invests in Fidelity Flex mutual funds, which have no management fees, but the account is limited to Fidelity funds only. Like Vanguard, it does not offer other services such as checking, savings, loans, or credit cards, unlike the other more modern hybrid robo advisors listed above. Still, this separation has its benefits if you don't want all of your accounts in one place.

Fidelity Go is one of the best robo advisors on the market for lower account balances and beginners since it's free, under $25,000, and managed by one of the biggest investment firms in the world. If you don't need a lot of customization but still like the idea of a human advisor holding your hand, give them a try.

Pros
  • Unlimited Access to Human Advisors
  • Free up to $25,000, then only 0.35%
  • Low-Cost Mutual Funds
  • Fidelity is Highly-Trusted
Cons
  • No Access to Human Advisor Below $25,000
  • No Financial Products or Tools
  • No tax loss harvesting
  • Outdated Online Platform
SoFi Automated Investing
Best Multi-Financial Product

SoFi Automated Investing

  • Minimum: $1
  • Fee: None
  • Access to many other financial products

After seeing the above, could you imagine that there's a hybrid robo advisor that has no fees at all? One that you can access human financial planners whenever you want, but wouldn't have to pay for?

SoFi, which stands for Social Finance, Inc., was born in 2011 by a team of Stanford graduates as a loan platform. They quickly expanded into nearly everything you can think of in the financial world, including insurance, cryptocurrency, refinancing, career services, loans, personal finance management tools, an online brokerage account, and now, automated portfolio management.

We admit, SoFi Automated Investing isn't the best hybrid robo advisor out there. Still, considering its dirt-cheap price and low account minimum, it's an excellent chance to play around in the world of robo advisors without much commitment.

When you set up your SoFi Automated Investing account, you can choose from five investing strategies ranging in risk level from moderate to aggressive. This is typical for a robo advisor, and SoFi will invest your money in ETFs based on your goals. SoFi will also review your account quarterly and rebalance your account if the investments aren't meeting your goals.

What sets them apart is that you can call up a human financial planner whenever you need to, to discuss longer-term financial goals. The advisor will undoubtedly try to sell you on their other, costlier financial products, so keep that in mind before investing.

SoFi Automated Investing is a good tool for new investors to dip their feet into the waters, but I wouldn't count on it as your only investment account, as it's missing many features that we would need to call it one of the top robo advisors out there.

Pros
  • Zero management fees
  • $1 minimum investment
  • Automatic rebalancing
  • Great for beginner investors
  • Access to financial planners
Cons
  • Limited portfolio customization
  • No tax-loss harvesting
  • No socially responsible investing

Is a Hybrid Robo Advisor Right for Me?

It’s hard to imagine that they wouldn’t be, especially considering the low cost and low barriers of entry. There are some example use cases we can touch on here:

Why You Might Want a Hybrid Robo Advisor

  • You’re beginning your investing journey and want personalized investment advice to ensure you’re doing everything right from the start.
  • You’re a high-net-worth investor with a complex investment portfolio that needs specific attention.
  • You have multiple asset classes that you want to ensure work well together.
  • You don’t want to give up complete control of your investment portfolio to a computer algorithm.

Why You Might Not Want a Hybrid Robo Advisor

  • You have a very simple portfolio that doesn’t need customized planning.
  • You already know the ins and outs of investment planning and can do it all yourself.
  • You don’t trust computers at all and want to stick with a human financial advisor.

Hybrid Robo Advisor Comparison Table

Best Overall
Vanguard Personal Advisor
Betterment Premium
Empower
Wells Fargo Intuitive Investor
Fidelity Go
SoFi Automated Investing
Hybrid Robo Advisor
Hybrid Robo Advisor
Vanguard Personal Advisor
Betterment Premium
Empower
Wells Fargo Intuitive Investor
Fidelity Go
SoFi Automated Investing
Management Fee
Management Fee
0.30%
0.40%
0.49% - 0.89%
0.25% - 0.35%
0.35%
None
Account Minimum
Account Minimum
$50,000
$100,000
$100,000
$500
$25,000
$1
Tax-Loss Harvesting
Tax-Loss Harvesting
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
High-Yield Cash Account
High-Yield Cash Account
No
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Socially-Responsible Investing
Socially-Responsible Investing
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Crypto Investing
Crypto Investing
No
Yes
No
No
No
Yes

Conclusion

If you’re not ready to give up your human advisor or are nervous about handing all your investment funds over to an algorithm, a hybrid robo advisor is exactly what you’re looking for.

With fees as low as 0.30% for Vanguard Personal Advisor (and no fees in the case of SoFi,) there’s really no reason not to.

If you have complex financial needs and want a more personal approach and dedicated financial advisors, Empower might be your best hybrid robo advisor option. They may be more expensive, but they’re still cheaper than a human advisor and come with advanced technology and strategies.

For the rest of us, Vanguard Personal Advisor is the best hybrid robo advisor on the market, with Betterment Premium coming in at a close second. The nice part about Betterment is that they’re also one of the top robo advisors overall, as their Digital plan has no financial barrier of entry and only a 0.25% annual fee.

Disclaimer: Investing involves risk. Stock prices fluctuate, the market dips and peaks, and interest rates fluctuate wildly. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. The opinions expressed on this page are exactly that: opinions, and should not be taken as investment advice. There are potential risks with any investment strategy.