Vanguard Digital Advisor

About 0.15% to 0.16% a year after Vanguard's fee credit (0.20% gross), $100 to start, built on Vanguard index funds.

Rates verified October 14, 2026

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The Bottom Line

Figures read Oct 14, 2026

Best for: Long-term investors who want Vanguard index funds run automatically at a low net fee.
Advisory fee: 0.20% gross a year (verified Oct 14, 2026). All rates and fees

Key facts

Annual fee: 0.20% gross
Account minimum: $100
Tax-loss harvesting: Yes
Human advisor: Available

Pros

Among the lowest net fees of the robo-advisors we cover, about $15 to $16 per $10,000
Low $100 minimum
Vanguard index funds with a long track record
Tax-loss harvesting is included in the fee

Cons

The fee is gross, and what you really pay depends on your holdings
Mostly Vanguard funds, no direct indexing, and no human advisor in this service
No 24/7 phone or chat support, and enrolling can trigger capital gains

At a glance

Rates verified October 14, 2026

Advisory fee: 0.20% a year. 0.20% a year for all-index portfolios (0.25% for the active and index mix). Vanguard credits back the revenue it keeps from the funds you hold, which brings the fee to about 0.15% to 0.16% ($15 to $16 per $10,000) for an all-index portfolio.
Account minimum: $100
Fund costs on top: Fund expense ratios are charged on top of the advisory fee. Recommendations are generally limited to Vanguard funds.
Cash in the portfolio: The advisory fee is not charged on the settlement fund (cash). No target cash percentage or rate is published.
Tax-loss harvesting: Yes. Optional, on taxable individual, joint and eligible revocable trust accounts, included in the fee. It means selling an investment at a loss to lower your tax bill.
Direct indexing: No
Human advisor: Yes: Vanguard Personal Advisor (hybrid; separate enrollment from Digital Advisor). Higher tiers: Personal Advisor Select ($500,000 minimum, dedicated CFP) and Wealth Management ($5M+)., 0.35% a year, $50,000 minimum
IRAs: Traditional IRA, Roth IRA, Rollover IRA, Inherited IRA, SEP IRA
Account types: Individual taxable, Joint (JTWROS) taxable, Revocable living trust (sole trustee, subject to trustee consent), Traditional IRA, Roth IRA, Rollover IRA, Inherited IRA, Single-participant SEP IRA, Eligible employer 401(k) where the plan sponsor offers the service
SIPC: Member
Other fees: You need a Vanguard brokerage account to enroll. Existing holdings may have to be sold to enroll, which can trigger capital gains tax. The first 90 days carry no advisory fee (Vanguard may change or end that offer at any time).

Sources: investor.vanguard.com/advice/digital-advisor, personal1.vanguard.com/pdf/vanguard-digital-adv…, read October 14, 2026

What it costs in practice

$40 a year in advisory fees on $25,000

On a $25,000 balance the advisory fee is about $40 a year, and about $160 at $100,000. The funds inside the portfolio charge their own small expense ratios on top (see Fund costs above). Fee schedule as listed by the provider on the verification date shown.

What to know before you open an account

Every provider has trade-offs. These are the ones we found on its own pages and in regulator records.

The advertised fee is a gross fee reduced by a credit for revenue Vanguard keeps from your funds, so what you really pay depends on what you hold.
Recommendations are generally limited to Vanguard funds.
Enrolling may require selling existing holdings, which can trigger capital gains tax.
Vanguard offers no 24/7 phone or chat support: phone hours are Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern.

Regulator record

Sep 23, 2026, FINRA. FINRA order against Vanguard Marketing Corporation, the brokerage that holds Digital Advisor accounts: inaccurate cost basis information on statements, confirmations and Forms 1099. Fine: $950,000, plus about $1.9 million voluntarily paid to customers. (Date and amount per FINRA BrokerCheck.) Read the source
Aug 29, 2025, SEC. SEC order against Vanguard Advisers, the unit behind Personal Advisor Services (Vanguard's human-advice service, not Digital Advisor): it did not adequately disclose a conflict created by advisor review metrics that rewarded enrolling and keeping clients (August 2020 to December 2023). Penalty: $19.5 million. Read the source

Where these numbers come from

Each figure above was read on the provider's own page. Fees and rates change, so check the page before you act.

Vanguard: advice, digital advisorchecked Oct 14, 2026
Vanguard: vanguard digital advice brochure (PDF)checked Oct 14, 2026
Vanguard: advicechecked Oct 14, 2026

What is Vanguard Digital Advisor?

Sources read on the date shown

Vanguard Digital Advisor is Vanguard's automated service. It builds a portfolio mainly from Vanguard index funds and ETFs, rebalances it when it drifts and, if you elect it, harvests tax losses. It suits long-term investors who already like Vanguard's low-cost funds and want them run for them, and who are fine with an online-only service. The headline fee is 0.20% a year for all-index portfolios (0.25% for the mix of active and index funds). That is a gross fee: Vanguard credits back the revenue it keeps from the funds in your account, so the net comes to about 0.15% to 0.16% a year, roughly $15 to $16 per $10,000, for an all-index portfolio. Fund costs are charged on top. You need a Vanguard brokerage account and $100 to enroll. IRAs come as Traditional, Roth, Rollover, Inherited and single-participant SEP. All figures were read on Vanguard's own pages and brochure on 14 October 2026. The catches: what you actually pay depends on which funds you hold, advice is generally limited to Vanguard funds, and enrolling may mean selling existing holdings, which can create a tax bill. Digital Advisor has no human advisor (Vanguard Personal Advisor is a separate, pricier service), and Vanguard has no 24/7 phone or chat support.

LCLouis CorneloupFigures read Oct 14, 2026 · how we evaluate

Sourceinvestor.vanguard.com ↗

Key details

0.20% a year gross, about 0.15% to 0.16% net for an all-index portfolio$100 minimum, requires a Vanguard brokerage accountOptional tax-loss harvesting on taxable accounts at no extra feeTraditional, Roth, Rollover, Inherited and single-participant SEP IRAsAutomatic rebalancing when a portfolio drifts more than 5% from its target mix

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Vanguard Digital Advisor FAQ

How much does Vanguard Digital Advisor cost?

A gross advisory fee of 0.20% a year for all-index portfolios. After Vanguard credits back the revenue it keeps from your funds, the net is about 0.15% to 0.16%, roughly $15 to $16 per $10,000. Fund costs are charged on top. Read on Vanguard's pages on 14 October 2026.

What is the minimum to start?

$100, and you need a Vanguard brokerage account. Taxable accounts must hold only the settlement fund or eligible holdings when you enroll.

Can I talk to a financial advisor with Digital Advisor?

Not in this service. Vanguard Personal Advisor is a separate hybrid service, with a 0.35% gross fee and a $50,000 minimum, that gives access to a team of financial advisors by phone.

Which IRAs can I use?

Traditional, Roth, Rollover, Inherited (for adult individual owners) and single-participant SEP IRAs.

Is there a promotion?

Vanguard waives the advisory fee for the first 90 days on the first enrolled account, but it says it may modify or discontinue that anytime and shows no end date, so we do not list it as a dated offer.

Source: investor.vanguard.com