Vanguard vs. Fidelity vs. Schwab

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Your advisor matches may not necessarily be associated with the above institutions

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Who are you partnered with? It's no secret that Vanguard, Fidelity and Charles Schwab could be considered three of the most popular and well-known brokerage firms. Each offers a wide range of products and services, from banking and investment products to financial advisors and financial planning services.

However, there are some important differences, from fees to financial services to research resources, each of which could impact your customer experience. Learn how these firms compare so you can decide on the right fit for you.

Ready to kickstart your retirement? Working with a financial advisor can be a crucial part of any healthy retirement plan. But with thousands of options available, it can seem daunting to choose one. That's why SmartAsset created a no-cost tool to help match you with up to three financial advisors serving your area. All advisors on the platform are rigorously screened through a proprietary due diligence process and legally bound to work in your best interest.

While your advisor matches may not necessarily be associated with the above institutions, research suggests people who work with a financial advisor:

• feel more at ease about their finances 
• could end up with about 15% more money to spend in retirement.¹

It's never too late to work towards a comfortable retirement.

‌See how Fidelity, Vanguard, and Schwab stack up »

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Your advisor matches may not necessarily be associated with the above institutions

Unless otherwise indicated, information is as of 5/4/2023. SmartAsset has no obligation to update any content in this article.

This article may potentially include a firm or firms that have a business relationship with SmartAsset, in which SmartAsset is compensated for lead referrals or cost per engagement. SmartAsset is not a client of the aforementioned firms. SmartAsset did not receive compensation for including any of the firms in the aforementioned article.

This article contains links to SmartAsset's financial advisor matching tool, which may or may not match you with the firms mentioned in this profile. The matching tool does not include all available advisors and firms and matches based on specific criteria (investable assets, geography, and willingness to work with a remote advisor).

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Sources:

"Journal of Retirement Study Winter" (2020). The projections or other information regarding the likelihood of various investment outcomes are hypothetical in nature, do not reflect actual investment results, and are not guarantees of your future results. Please follow the link to see the methodologies employed in the Journal of Retirement study.