Guides › Financial Advisor Fees
Updated September 18, 2026. Quick answer: Yes, on every account. Vanguard Personal Advisor is registered with the SEC only as an investment adviser (it is not a broker-dealer), so the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 requires it to act as your fiduciary. Its own Form CRS states: “When we act as your investment adviser, we have to act in your best interest and not put our interest ahead of yours. At the same time, the way we make money creates some conflicts with your interests.”
Are Vanguard advisors fiduciaries?
Yes, on every account. Vanguard Personal Advisor is registered with the SEC only as an investment adviser, so the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 requires it to act as your fiduciary.
How it’s registered
From Form CRS (Client Relationship Summary) (August 20, 2026): “Vanguard Advisers, Inc. (VAI) Registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as an Investment Adviser.”
The standard of conduct, in its own words
“When we act as your investment adviser, we have to act in your best interest and not put our interest ahead of yours. At the same time, the way we make money creates some conflicts with your interests.”
On commissions: “Our financial advisors are not compensated for, or on the basis of, any recommendation or sales of specific securities. Financial advisors and sales professionals are paid base compensation and are eligible for an annual payment from an enterprise-wide compensation plan.”
Fiduciary status by capacity
| Capacity | Registration | Standard you’re owed | Can earn commissions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| As your investment adviser | SEC-registered investment adviser | Fiduciary duty (Investment Advisers Act of 1940) | No (asset-based advisory fee: $1,750 a year, 0.35% on a $500,000 account) | Form CRS (Client Relationship Summary), August 20, 2026 |
What this means for what you pay
Fiduciary status is one input, not the whole picture. Vanguard Personal Advisor discloses a published fee that runs $1,750 a year on a $500,000 account; see the full dollar breakdown from Vanguard Personal Advisor’s own fee disclosure before deciding whether the standard of conduct here changes your answer.
If the answer above changes your mind about staying, read the general mechanics of switching financial advisors, or use a dated termination letter once you decide.
Compare your next step
Just comparing fees? Keep reading the fee guide.Optional next step
Explore an adviser match
Compare the services and the full fee before deciding whether to hire anyone.
- No fee to request a match
- No obligation to hire
Expect questions about your situation, your name, email and phone, and phone verification by text. A match is not guaranteed.
The form is run by Kapitalwise, our advisor-matching partner. Kapitalwise sends your details to advisers who pay for the introduction, so expect calls and texts. Clear Money Guide is paid when you submit the form, whether or not you ever hire anyone. This is free to you and there is no obligation to hire anyone.
Opens here. Nothing loads and nothing reaches Kapitalwise until you press the button.
How our partner relationships workCompare an adviser match before you decide
Ask about the full fee, what it covers and how the adviser is paid. A match is an introduction, not a recommendation from Clear Money Guide.
- Free matching service
- No obligation to hire
The matching service is run by WiserAdvisor, an independent advisor-matching company. It opens on their site, asks for your ZIP code and a few questions, and matches you with 2 to 3 vetted advisors. It is free to you. WiserAdvisor states the service is built for portfolios of $250,000 and above. By submitting, you consent to emails, phone calls and text messages from WiserAdvisor and up to three advisors, so expect to be contacted. Advisers pay for the introduction. Clear Money Guide is paid when you complete the form, whether or not you ever hire anyone. There is no obligation to hire anyone.
Continue to WiserAdvisorOpens on WiserAdvisor’s site in a new tab.
Source: WiserAdvisor’s service descriptionSources
- Form CRS (Client Relationship Summary) (August 20, 2026): https://reports.adviserinfo.sec.gov/crs/crs_106715.pdf
- SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure, Vanguard Advisers, Inc. (CRD #106715): https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/106715
- Vanguard Advisers, Inc., SEC Form ADV filing: https://reports.adviserinfo.sec.gov/reports/ADV/106715/PDF/106715.pdf
Methodology. This page was built September 18, 2026, quoting directly from Vanguard Personal Advisor’s own current Form CRS, with the source linked above; any distinction we could not independently confirm this session is named as an honest gap rather than presented as verified. Nothing here is personalized financial, tax, legal, or investment advice, and it is not a substitute for reading the firm’s own Form CRS. See our Editorial Policy, Corrections, Affiliate Disclosure, and Disclaimer.
What does it actually take to open an account? See Vanguard Personal Advisor’s minimum investment, quoted verbatim from its own Form ADV Part 2A / wrap-fee brochure.
Comparing Vanguard Personal Advisor against other options? See Vanguard Personal Advisor alternatives, including a flat-fee route and a robo/hybrid.
How does this compare? See how 127 advisory firms are registered, from each firm’s own SEC record.
Already with Vanguard Personal Advisor and weighing a move? How to leave Vanguard Personal Advisor covers what it costs to transfer out.