What Fidelity Go does and what it costs

Fidelity Go is an automated investment service that builds and manages a portfolio for you based on your age, risk tolerance, and time horizon. You answer a questionnaire, Fidelity's algorithm picks a mix of low-cost index funds, and the service rebalances your account automatically. There is no advisory fee — Fidelity makes money from the funds themselves, which charge their own expense ratios (typically 0.03% to 0.20% per year).

The real question is not whether it costs money — it does, through fund fees — but whether what you get in return is worth more than doing it yourself or paying for a human advisor. That depends on your account size, how much you know about investing, and whether you would actually stick to a plan without automation.

Key Takeaways

  • Fidelity Go charges no advisory fee, but the funds it selects carry their own expense ratios that range from 0.03% to 0.20% annually.
  • The service makes sense if you have less than $25,000 to invest and want hands-off management, because human advisors typically require larger minimums or charge higher percentages.
  • If you already understand index investing and can stick to a plan without help, building your own portfolio of the same funds costs less.
  • Fidelity Go does not offer tax-loss harvesting or personalized advice, so it works best for straightforward situations like a single retirement account or taxable brokerage account.

When Fidelity Go makes financial sense

Fidelity Go is most useful if you have between $5,000 and $50,000 to invest and you want someone else to make the decisions. A traditional financial advisor typically requires $25,000 to $100,000 minimum and charges 0.5% to 1.5% annually — that is $250 to $1,500 per year on a $50,000 account. Fidelity Go's fund fees on the same account would run roughly $10 to $100 per year, depending on the portfolio mix.

The service also works well if you tend to panic during market downturns and sell at the wrong time. Automation removes the emotional decision-making. You set it up once, and Fidelity rebalances quarterly without you having to think about it or act on fear.

Fidelity Go is also straightforward for people with a single account type — a Roth IRA, a 401(k) rollover, or a taxable brokerage account — where you do not need to coordinate across multiple accounts or worry about complex tax situations.

When you should build your own portfolio instead

If you have more than $50,000 to invest, the math shifts. At that size, paying a robo-advisor's fund fees starts to add up, and you may may have access to for a human advisor's minimum. More importantly, if you understand index funds and asset allocation, you can replicate Fidelity Go's portfolio yourself for nearly zero cost.

Fidelity Go typically recommends a simple mix: U.S. stock index funds, international stock index funds, and bond index funds, weighted by age and risk. You can buy those same funds directly in any Fidelity account without paying for the service. The only thing you lose is the automatic rebalancing, but rebalancing once or twice a year takes 15 minutes.

You should also skip Fidelity Go if you have a complex financial picture — multiple accounts, significant taxable investments, or large annual contributions. The service does not offer tax-loss harvesting (selling losing positions to offset gains elsewhere), and it cannot coordinate across accounts the way a human advisor can.

How Fidelity Go compares to other robo-advisors

Fidelity Go is not the only automated investment service. Vanguard Personal Advisor Services charges 0.30% annually but requires a $50,000 minimum and includes some human advisor access. Betterment and Wealthfront charge 0.25% annually with no minimum, but they offer tax-loss harvesting and more customization options.

The trade-off is that Fidelity Go's zero advisory fee is hard to beat if you have a small account and want simplicity. Betterment and Wealthfront's tax features matter more if you have a large taxable account and high income. Vanguard's human advisor access matters if you want someone to talk to about bigger financial questions.

For most people with under $25,000 and a straightforward situation, Fidelity Go's cost advantage is real. For larger accounts or more complex needs, the other services may justify their fees.

What happens after you set up Fidelity Go

Once you fund your account, Fidelity Go rebalances automatically four times per year. You can check your balance anytime, add money whenever you want, and withdraw without penalty. The service sends quarterly statements and tax documents if you hold it in a taxable account.

You do not get a dedicated advisor or a phone number to call with questions. Fidelity offers email support and a knowledge base, but if you need someone to explain your strategy or discuss life changes, you will not get that from Fidelity Go. That is the trade-off for the low cost.

The real question: would you do it yourself?

The honest answer to whether Fidelity Go is worth it depends on your behavior, not just the math. If you would otherwise leave money in a savings account earning near-zero interest, or if you would panic-sell during a market drop, Fidelity Go's automation has real value. The fee is worth paying for discipline.

If you would build a diversified portfolio yourself and rebalance it once a year, Fidelity Go costs you money for no benefit. If you are somewhere in between — you know you should invest but you are not sure how to start — Fidelity Go removes the friction and gets you into the market. That matters more than saving a few dollars in fees.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I withdraw my money from Fidelity Go anytime?

Yes. There are no withdrawal fees or penalties. You can move money out or close the account whenever you want. If you sell investments to withdraw, you may owe capital gains tax on profits in a taxable account, but that is true of any investment account, not specific to Fidelity Go.

Does Fidelity Go do tax-loss harvesting?

No. Fidelity Go does not sell losing positions to offset gains. Betterment and Wealthfront offer this feature, which can save money on taxes in large taxable accounts. For IRAs and 401(k)s, tax-loss harvesting does not matter because those accounts are tax-sheltered.

What if I want to add my own individual stocks to Fidelity Go?

Fidelity Go manages only the portfolio it builds for you. You can hold other investments in the same Fidelity account, but Fidelity Go will not manage them or factor them into rebalancing. If you want to pick individual stocks alongside Fidelity Go, you are essentially running two separate strategies.

Is my money safe with Fidelity Go?

Your money is held in a Fidelity brokerage account and is protected by SIPC (Securities Investor Protection Corporation) up to $500,000 per account type. Fidelity Go is just the service that manages the investments; the account itself is as safe as any Fidelity account.

How much do I need to start Fidelity Go?

Fidelity Go has no stated minimum, though you need enough to buy at least one share of the funds it recommends. In practice, starting with $500 to $1,000 makes sense so the portfolio is properly diversified across multiple funds.