Which Wealthfront Account Is Right for You?
Disclosure
1 The Cash Account Annual Percentage Yield (APY) is as of 09/30/24. The APY may change at any time, before or after the Cash Account is opened. The APY for the Wealthfront Cash Account represents the weighted average of the APY on the aggregate deposit balances of all clients at the program banks. Deposit balances are not allocated equally among the participating program banks.
Fees and Eligibility requirements may apply to certain checking features, please see the Deposit Account Agreement for details.
The mention of “Award winning” in this article refers to Investopedia’s Best Robo-advisor, 2024 award. Investopedia receives cash compensation for referring potential clients to Wealthfront Advisers, LLC (“Wealthfront Advisers”) via advertisements placed on their website which could create an incentive creating a material conflict of interest. While they receive compensation for referring potential clients, the statements and rankings provided above represent independent endorsements by Investopedia, which are not directly tied to such compensation. Investopedia and Wealthfront Advisers are not associated with one another and have no formal relationship outside of this arrangement. Investopedia’s opinions are their own. Their ratings are determined by their editorial team. Investopedia is not a client of Wealthfront Advisers.
Investopedia designed a system that rates robo-advisors based on nine key categories and 59 variables. Each category covers critical elements users need to thoroughly evaluate a robo-advisor. The ratings reflect data and evaluations for the 12-month period ending in February 2024. Learn more about their methodology and review process: https://www.investopedia.com/robo-advisor-ranking-methodology-4693455. Investopedia ranking as of March 2024.
FDIC insurance: The cash balance in the Cash Account is swept to one or more banks (the “program banks”) where it earns a variable rate of interest and is eligible for FDIC insurance. FDIC insurance is not provided until the funds arrive at the program banks. FDIC insurance coverage is limited to $250,000 per qualified customer per banking institution. Wealthfront uses more than one program bank to ensure FDIC coverage of up to $8 million for your cash deposits. For more information on FDIC insurance coverage, please visit www.FDIC.gov. Customers are responsible for monitoring their total assets at each of the program banks to determine the extent of available FDIC insurance coverage in accordance with FDIC rules. The deposits at program banks are not covered by SIPC..
Real-Time Payments (RTP) transfers: These may be limited by destination institutions, daily transaction caps, and by participating entities such as Wells Fargo and the RTP® Network. New Cash Account deposits are subject to a 2-4 day holding period before becoming available for transfer. Wealthfront doesn’t charge for transfers, but receiving institutions may impose an RTP fee.
ATM access and transactions: Fee-free ATM access applies to in-network ATMs only. The domestic out-of-network ATM fee reimbursement program (the “Program”) allows Wealthfront Brokerage clients with open and funded individual Wealthfront Brokerage Cash Accounts (“Cash Account”) who have requested and received an accompanying debit card (“Debit Card”) issued by Green Dot Bank (“Green Dot”) to be eligible for certain account benefits when using their Debit Card for a domestic out-of-network ATM cash withdrawal of U.S. dollars (“ATM Transactions”). In order to maintain eligibility for this Program, all your Wealthfront accounts and Green Dot accounts (collectively, “Accounts”) must remain in good standing and your Cash Account and Debit Card must remain open and active.
Each calendar month, current eligible clients with ATM Transactions will receive a reimbursement of certain fees associated with their first two ATM Transactions. Wealthfront Brokerage will utilize its best efforts to reimburse Green Dot’s $2.50 “out-of-network fee” and up to $5.00 of any operator or owner’s fee for your ATM Transactions, up to a maximum reimbursement of $7.50 per ATM Transaction (the “Reimbursement”). Your maximum total monthly Reimbursement shall be $14.50 ($7.50 + $7.50). If an ATM operator charges fees other than out-of-network fees and/or owner’s fees, Wealthfront Brokerage will not reimburse any portion of those fees. Once the maximum total monthly Reimbursement has been reached, no subsequent out-of-network ATM fees or charges that occur that calendar month will be reimbursed.
Your Reimbursement(s) will be credited to your Cash Account typically within one business day, though this timing is not guaranteed (“Reimbursement Date”). To receive the Reimbursement, your Cash Account must remain open until after the Reimbursement Date or you will forfeit any pending Reimbursement(s). If any of your Accounts are placed under review or are deemed not in good standing by Wealthfront Brokerage, Wealthfront Advisers and/or Green Dot, you may not be eligible to earn or receive Reimbursement(s) during the time your Account(s) are in such status. ATM Transactions completed before September 16, 2024 shall not be eligible for Reimbursement in connection with this Program. See full Terms and Conditions here.
Early direct deposit: The availability depends on payor type, timing, payment instructions, and bank fraud prevention measures and may vary from pay period to pay period. The name and Social Security number on file with your employer or benefits provider must match your Account to prevent fraud restrictions on the account.
Additional Cash Account disclosures: We’ve partnered with Green Dot Bank. The checking features offered on your Wealthfront Cash account are provided by and the Wealthfront Visa® Debit Card is issued by Green Dot Bank, Member FDIC, pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. Visa is a registered trademark of Visa International Service Association. Checking features for the Cash Account are subject to identity verification by Green Dot Bank and the Wealthfront Visa® Debit Card is optional and must be requested. Wealthfront products and services are not provided by Green Dot Bank. Green Dot Bank operates under the following registered trade names: GO2bank, GoBank and Bonneville Bank. All of these registered trade names are used by, and refer to, a single FDIC-insured bank, Green Dot Bank. Deposits under any of these trade names are deposits with Green Dot Bank and are aggregated for deposit insurance coverage. Fees and Eligibility requirements may apply to certain checking features, please see the Deposit Account Agreement for details. Copyright 2024 Green Dot Corporation. All rights reserved.
Apple Pay, Face ID and Touch ID are trademarks of Apple Inc. Google Pay is a trademark of Google LLC.
Cash Account is offered by Wealthfront Brokerage LLC (“Wealthfront Brokerage”), a Member of FINRA/SIPC. Neither Wealthfront Brokerage nor any of its affiliates are a bank, and Cash Account is not a checking or savings account. We convey funds to partner banks who accept and maintain deposits, provide the interest rate, and provide FDIC insurance. Investment management and advisory services–which are not FDIC insured–are provided by Wealthfront Advisers LLC (“Wealthfront Advisers”), an SEC-registered investment adviser, and financial planning tools are provided by Wealthfront Software LLC (“Wealthfront”).
For more information about wires, visit www.wealthfront.com/legal/online-transfer-agreement.
Automated Bond Ladder: Investing in U.S. Treasuries involves risks, including but not limited to interest rate risk, credit risk, and market risk. While U.S. Treasuries are considered to be among the safest investments, they are not entirely risk-free, and there is a potential for loss of principal. Returns on U.S. Treasuries can also be affected by changes in the credit rating of the U.S. government, although such occurrences are rare. Investors should consider their tolerance for these risks and their overall investment objectives before investing in U.S. Treasuries. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
The yield earned from U.S. Treasuries is exempt from state and local income taxes. However, interest income from Treasuries is subject to federal income tax. Tax treatment may vary depending on your individual circumstances. To understand implications for your specific financial situation, consult with a tax professional.
Tax-Loss Harvesting: The effectiveness of the tax-loss harvesting strategy to reduce the tax liability of the client will depend on the client’s entire tax and investment profile, including purchases and dispositions in a client’s (or client’s spouse’s) accounts outside of Wealthfront Advisers and type of investments (e.g., taxable or nontaxable) or holding period (e.g., short-term or long-term).
Wealthfront Advisers’ investment strategies, including portfolio rebalancing and tax loss harvesting, can lead to high levels of trading. High levels of trading could result in (a) bid-ask spread expense; (b) trade executions that may occur at prices beyond the bid ask spread (if quantity demanded exceeds quantity available at the bid or ask); (c) trading that may adversely move prices, such that subsequent transactions occur at worse prices; (d) trading that may disqualify some dividends from qualified dividend treatment; (e) unfulfilled orders or portfolio drift, in the event that markets are disorderly or trading halts altogether; and (f) unforeseen trading errors. The performance of the new securities purchased through the tax-loss harvesting service may be better or worse than the performance of the securities that are sold for tax-loss harvesting purposes.
Tax loss harvesting may generate a higher number of trades due to attempts to capture losses. There is a chance that trading attributed to tax loss harvesting may create capital gains and wash sales and could be subject to higher transaction costs and market impacts. In addition, tax loss harvesting strategies may produce losses, which may not be offset by sufficient gains in the account and may be limited to a $3,000 deduction against income. The utilization of losses harvested through the strategy will depend upon the recognition of capital gains in the same or a future tax period, and in addition may be subject to limitations under applicable tax laws, e.g., if there are insufficient realized gains in the tax period, the use of harvested losses may be limited to a $3,000 deduction against income and distributions. Losses harvested through the strategy that are not utilized in the tax period when recognized (e.g., because of insufficient capital gains and/or significant capital loss carryforwards), generally may be carried forward to offset future capital gains, if any.
Portfolio Line of Credit is a margin lending product offered exclusively to clients of Wealthfront Advisers by Wealthfront Brokerage LLC. You should consider the risks and benefits specific to margin when evaluating your options. Learn more about these risks in the Margin Handbook. PLOC eligibility is subject to a minimum account balance which is subject to change.
Other disclosures: The information contained in this communication is provided for general informational purposes only, and should not be construed as investment or tax advice. Nothing in this communication should be construed as a solicitation, offer or recommendation to buy or sell any security. Any links provided to other server sites are offered as a matter of convenience and are not intended to imply that Wealthfront Advisers, Wealthfront Brokerage or any affiliate endorses, sponsors, promotes and/or is affiliated with the owners of or participants in those sites, or endorses any information contained on those sites, unless expressly stated otherwise.
All investing involves risk, including the possible loss of money you invest, and past performance does not guarantee future performance. Please see our Full Disclosure for important details.
Wealthfront Brokerage is a member of SIPC, which protects securities customers of its members up to $500,000 (including $250,000 for claims for cash). Explanatory brochure available upon request or at www.sipc.org. It is important to understand that SIPC protects customer accounts against losses caused by the financial failure of the broker-dealer, but not against an increase or decrease in the market value of securities in customers’ accounts.
Investment management and advisory services are provided by Wealthfront Advisers LLC (“Wealthfront Advisers”), an SEC-registered investment adviser, and brokerage related products, including the Cash Account, are provided by Wealthfront Brokerage LLC, a Member of FINRA/SIPC.
Wealthfront, Wealthfront Advisers and Wealthfront Brokerage are wholly owned subsidiaries of Wealthfront Corporation.
Copyright 2024 Wealthfront Corporation. All rights reserved.