Fidelity offers a self-directed IRA at the largest provider of retirement accounts in the US with helpful customer support.
Vanguard offers an IRA comprised mainly of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) with low fees and great educational resources.
Reviewed by
Stang Gappa
Reviewed by
Stang Gappa
Updated on May 29, 2024
Learn about our Editorial Process
Fidelity offers a self-directed IRA at the largest provider of retirement accounts in the US with helpful customer support.
Vanguard offers an IRA comprised mainly of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) with low fees and great educational resources.
Fidelity offers a wide selection of low-cost investment options on an ultra-user-friendly online platform. They offer a variety of low-fee transactions including no-fee stock and ETF trades online, making them a good choice for cost-conscious investors. Fidelity equips customers with access to research that, while not as detailed as some competitors, is enough to help investors make educated investment decisions regarding retirement planning.
With $7.8 trillion in assets under management (AUM), Fidelity is the largest provider of retirement savings accounts in the US. Their size has allowed them to build a product that serves the needs of most Americans and has allowed them to build one of the best-tested and most user-friendly trading platforms available.
Vanguard’s platform is built on trading low-cost mutual funds, index funds, and ETFs. As an investor, you’ll get access to Vanguard’s research, easy-to-read fund performance analyses, and helpful retirement planning tools. These perks, as well as Vanguard’s low-cost philosophy, make them a good choice for buy-and-hold investors planning for long-term goals like retirement. Vanguard’s low fees and earnest investment philosophy continue to attract new customers, the company’s assets under management (AUM) recently hit $6.2 trillion.
As one of the largest brokers in the country, Fidelity offers a wide selection of investments including annuities and 529 plans. In addition, investing at Fidelity means you may be eligible for other benefits, such as a Fidelity Rewards Signature Visa card. The Signature Visa card comes with a $0 annual fee and can help you earn up to 2% cash back, which can be deposited into an eligible Fidelity investment account (including IRAs!).
Vanguard offers a wide selection of investment account types, including standard brokerage accounts and goal-oriented investments like education savings plans. If you’re saving for several different goals in addition to retirement, Vanguard’s platform will allow you to manage it all from one online dashboard.
Vanguard offers customers the ability to work directly with a financial advisor, though you’ll need at least $50,000 to invest. Until then, you can take advantage of their free research and planning tools to help you invest wisely.
Fidelity is a good option for many investors. Their platform is easy to use and offers a wide selection of low-cost investment options. It’s also an easy option if you’re looking to perform a 401(k) rollover. As with most self-serve investment accounts, it’s important for investors to check their accounts regularly to ensure their retirement portfolio still meets their needs.
If you’re looking to fund your new Fidelity IRA with a 401(k) rollover, Capitalize can help. We’ve made it our mission to make this process easier for everyone. We can handle the entire process for you. Most of the process can be done online and our rollover experts will guide you through any of the manual parts. Get started with your 401(k) rollover in just a few minutes.
If you’re a buy-and-hold investor looking for low fees, Vanguard may be the place for you. However, if you’re looking for access to a wide variety of investment choices and a high-tech platform, you’ll likely get frustrated by Vanguard’s narrow investment selection and simplistic trading platform.
