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Fidelity Go is a low-cost robo-advisor that doesn't water down its features along with its fees. It may be a great fit for beginner investors, since the robo-advisor is free for balances under $10,000 and there is low account minimum. In this Fidelity Go review, we'll take a close look at how the platform works, its features and drawbacks, and how to know if it’s a good fit for you.
Ratings Methodology
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We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor.
Fidelity Go
Rating image, 4.5 out of 5 stars.
4.5 stars
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor.
Bottom Line
Fidelity Go provides a simple, easy-to-understand pricing structure with access to financial planning tools and educational resources.
Fees:
Free to 0.35% per year
Account Minimum:
$10
Full Fidelity Go review
This robo-advisor is a good fit for: Beginner, hands-off investors may be best for Fidelity Go due to its low account minimums and some of the lowest fees in the market.
Pros
- Low costs
- Low minumum
- Highly-regarded customer support
Cons
- No access to human advisors
- Limited account types beyond standard offerings
Top perks
Competitive fees
Fidelity Go has a simple pricing structure that's free for balances under $10,000, $3 monthly for balances between $10,000 and $49,999, and 0.35% each year for balances of at least $50,000.
Easy to start
It is incredibly easy to get started on the Fidelity Go platform. Fidelity will ask you a short series of questions to determine your risk tolerance and ideal asset allocation. You can also try the questionnaire and see an example portfolio without actually applying. You can accept the recommended allocation or modify it to fit your preferences. Then you fund your account and Fidelity does the rest.
Automatic rebalancing
Virtually all robo-advisors offer automatic rebalancing. Many do it at set intervals, like twice a year. Fidelity Go continually monitors your account, and rebalances your asset allocation whenever it's needed.
Low account minimum
Fidelity Go has no minimum investment requirement. You can start an account with just a few cents if you want. Fidelity will start investing your money with as little as $10 in your account, significantly lower than many of its competitors.
Customer support
Fidelity Go customer support is available by phone 24/7 or through live chat from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday.
Investor resources
Fidelity's platform is highly regarded for its financial planning tools and educational resources, and Fidelity Go clients have full access to them. Fidelity Go integrates with the rest of Fidelity's platform, which can be valuable if you have other accounts with the firm.
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What could be improved
Tax strategies
Unlike some of its competitors, Fidelity doesn't offer tax-loss harvesting, a valuable strategy that can dramatically reduce investors' capital gains. This is most significant for investors who have large account balances or are otherwise in high tax brackets, but if you're in one of those categories and plan to invest in a standard brokerage account, this is worth taking into consideration.
Human financial advisors
Most major brokerages with robo-advisor platforms don't offer access to human financial advisors, and Fidelity Go is no exception. There are some robo-advisors that do, however, so if getting financial advice beyond your automated investment portfolio is a priority, Fidelity Go might not be the best choice for you.
Few account types
Fidelity Go offers the standard account types that pretty much every robo-advisor has, including standard brokerage accounts (individual or joint), and individual retirement accounts, or IRAs. If you want to open a specialized account type, such as a UGMA/UTMA account or solo 401(k), you can't do it through Fidelity Go.
Alternatives to consider
If you want the lowest-cost robo-advisor: SoFi Automated Investing has the lowest cost structure we've come across for a robo-advisor. Similarly to Fidelity Go, SoFi Automated Investing has a low account minimum, plus access to human advisors.
If you want tax-loss harvesting and access to human advisors: Schwab Intelligent Portfolios free tax-loss harvesting for larger accounts as well as a premium version offering comprehensive financial planning services, for significantly less than it would cost to hire a planner on your own. However, there are high minimum balance requirements for both, so it's not a great fit for everyone.
How Fidelity Go works
For the most part, robo-advisors are very user-friendly, especially when it comes to getting started. After all, the whole point of using a robo-advisor is to make investing as easy as possible.
Fidelity Go is one of the easiest robo-advisors to use. You answer a series of basic questions, such as your age, income, and financial goals, and Fidelity recommends an investment strategy. You can accept the initial recommendation or modify it. You fund the account and you’re all done.
Services offered
Fidelity Go offers standard robo-advisor services such as automatic portfolio construction and automatic rebalancing (although it rebalances as needed, not at specified intervals like some competitors.
In addition, Fidelity Go offers access to the full range of educational tools and financial planning resources offered with any Fidelity brokerage account, a nice value-adding differentiator. This isn't quite as valuable as getting financial advice from a human being, but it's certainly a useful perk.
Pricing and fees
Fidelity Go isn't the cheapest robo-advisor, but it has the easiest-to-understand cost structure of any of our favorites. Instead of charging a management fee and investing client assets in funds that have their own fees, Fidelity has a tiered-fee structure.
| Balance | Fidelity Go Cost |
|---|---|
| < $10,000 | Free |
| $10,000-$49,999 | $3 per month |
| $50,000+ | 0.35% per year |
Customer service and support
There are two types of support that clients of a robo-advisor might need -- investment advice from a human being and help with technical issues.
Fidelity Go does not provide access to financial advisors. There are some competitors who allow robo-advisory clients to speak with financial advisors who offer guidance on everything from buying a home to retirement income strategies. Fidelity is a true robo-advisor, keeping human interaction entirely out of the equation.
On the other hand, Fidelity Go shines when it comes to customer support. The firm provides phone support 24 hours a day and has online chat available 8a.m.-6 p.m. on weekdays.
Fidelity Go may be right for you if:
- You want a simple, easy-to-understand pricing structure.
- You don't have a lot to invest.
- You want access to financial planning tools and educational resources.
- You want to open a standard brokerage account or an IRA.
About the Author
Matt is a Certified Financial Planner® and investment advisor based in Columbia, South Carolina. He writes personal finance and investment advice for The Ascent and its parent company The Motley Fool, with more than 4,500 published articles and a 2017 SABEW Best in Business award. Matt writes a weekly investment column ("Ask a Fool") that is syndicated in USA Today, and his work has been regularly featured on CNBC, Fox Business, MSN Money, and many other major outlets. He’s a graduate of the University of South Carolina and Nova Southeastern University, and holds a graduate certificate in financial planning from Florida State University.
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