Betterment vs Fidelis Wealth — which is right for me?

By Fidelis Solutions · Published May 21, 2026

Betterment vs Fidelis Wealth — which is right for me?

Betterment is the right answer for investors who want automated, low-cost portfolio management. Fidelis Wealth is the right answer when estate gaps, concentrated positions, and cross-account tax strategy require human coordination that robo-advisors are not structured to provide. The distinction is not about quality — it is about which tool fits the season of your financial life.

How this works

Betterment charges 0.25% annually for portfolios under $2M, offers automated rebalancing, and runs tax-loss harvesting within a single brokerage account, as published at betterment.com/pricing. Betterment removes behavioral bias from investing, enforces rebalancing discipline, and makes professional-grade portfolio construction accessible at a cost structure most human advisors cannot match at that asset level. Those are genuine strengths that Fidelis Wealth acknowledges without qualification.

The coordination boundary appears when estate complexity enters the picture. Estates exceeding $13.61M in 2024 require a Form 706 federal estate tax return [IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32 §601.601(d)(2)(v)(a)]. Portability elections, QTIP trust structuring, and the marital deduction require attorney-CPA coordination at the filing level. Betterment does not currently offer Form 706 preparation or estate coordination services. Fidelis Wealth facilitates that collaboration as a structural part of the client relationship.

Concentrated stock positions introduce a second layer of complexity that automation does not resolve. Cross-account tax-loss harvesting — mapping realized losses across taxable brokerage accounts, retirement vehicles, and charitable remainder trusts — requires a strategy that sees all accounts simultaneously [IRS Rev. Proc. 2023-17 §3.02]. Betterment's tax-loss harvesting operates within its own platform. Fidelis Wealth coordinates across custodians to reduce aggregate tax burden, not only in-platform tax drag.

Beneficiary designations override will provisions entirely under 29 USC §1055(c). A retirement account listing an ex-spouse as primary beneficiary transfers wealth outside the estate plan regardless of what the will instructs. Betterment provides no beneficiary coordination audit. Fidelis Wealth reviews all account titling, JTWROS designations, and contingent beneficiaries as part of every client engagement. Delaying Social Security benefits from age 62 to age 70 can produce lifetime income differences exceeding $300,000 for high earners [SSA Pub. 05-10147]. Fidelis Wealth builds that projection into the retirement income plan before the first dollar is distributed.

Fidelis Solutions places a professional beside every client in this coordination work. AI amplifies both the advisor and the client, so the client reaches expert-level outcomes in estate law, tax strategy, and retirement income sequencing — territory they have not had to navigate alone before. IRC §1031 like-kind exchanges under IRC §1031(a)(1) defer capital gains on investment real estate but require identification of replacement property within 45 days and closing within 180 days — a timeline that demands advisor, qualified intermediary, and CPA working in alignment. Fidelis Wealth structures that collaboration. Automated platforms step back from it entirely.

Sources

[IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32 §601.601(d)(2)(v)(a)] — Form 706 estate tax return filing requirements
[IRS Rev. Proc. 2023-17 §3.02] — Cross-account tax-loss harvesting coordination standards
[IRC §1031(a)(1)] — Like-kind exchange deferral, 45-day identification, 180-day closing rules
[29 USC §1055(c)] — Beneficiary designation precedence over will provisions
[SSA Pub. 05-10147] — Social Security claiming age and lifetime benefit differential
Betterment published fee schedule — betterment.com/pricing

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