Betterment Review for 2026

When it comes to robo-advisors, Betterment is one of the best-known names on the market. But what exactly does it offer? How does its pricing structure compare to other advisors, and, most importantly, is it worth the money?

In this review, we’ll take a look at the company's history, services, and pricing. We’ll also discuss its features, including retirement planning, IRAs and 401(k)s, automated investing options, and more.

Betterment Overview

Betterment is a robo-advisor for automated investing services and financial planning. It was founded in 2010, has more than $65 billion in assets under management and 1 million+ customers, and its mission is to help people manage investments, save for their future, and maintain financial independence.

In addition to traditional investment accounts, there are other cash-management services worth considering: It offers checking accounts, retirement savings accounts, and cash management products.

It has robust features, including tax-loss harvesting, goal-based investing, automated rebalancing, as well as financial advisor counseling. Its services are available to eligible US residents, including US citizens, permanent residents, and some visa holders who meet Betterment’s eligibility rules.

With Betterment, brokerage assets are protected by SIPC up to $500,000, including up to $250,000 for cash claims.

Cash Reserve funds become eligible for FDIC insurance once deposited at program banks, up to $2 million for individual accounts and $4 million for joint accounts, subject to conditions.

Who Is Betterment for?

A Betterment account is an excellent choice for anyone looking for low-cost automated investing options. The company’s variety of services is suited to beginners and experienced investors alike. It's also great for individuals who want to take a more hands-off approach to their investments.

If you are looking to make a home down payment, or need advice on investing in a college fund or a retirement plan, Betterment's algorithms will find the best option based on your risk tolerance and long-term goals.

Betterment offers several features specifically for retirement planning. Its prime features in this category are automatic rollovers and tax-loss harvesting, to help you save money on taxes, as well as guidance on what to do when you retire.

It also offers Traditional, Roth, and SEP IRAs, plus Solo 401(k)s for self-employed users and 401(k) plans for businesses.

​​How It Works

The sign-up process is simple: First, provide basic information, including your age, income, investment goals, and Social Security number. Betterment will recommend a portfolio of stocks and bonds that aligns with your goals and risk tolerance. You can invest in Betterment's recommendation or create your own portfolio.

The company has a variety of portfolios to choose from, including socially responsible investing (SRI), Climate Impact, Social Impact, Broad Impact, Core, Value Tilt, Innovative Technology, and Crypto ETF portfolios.

To fund your account, you need to link your external bank account to the platform and set up deposits, which can be either one-time or recurring.

After you've opened an account and invested your money, Betterment takes care of the rest. It will monitor your investments, rebalance them, and adjust them based on market changes. A slew of features will make investing more convenient, and you can access most of them through Betterment’s mobile app.

It allows you to check your account balance and portfolio performance, make deposits, change your settings, and manage your investments on the go. You can also use the app to find financial advice and learn more about the company's key assets.

Betterment also now offers self-directed investing, which lets customers trade eligible stocks and ETFs in fractional shares with no trading commissions or management fees.

Pricing, Discounts, and Fees

There are five main retail product tracks to know about: Checking, Cash Reserve, Digital investing, Premium, and self-directed investing. For managed investing, the base price is $5/month.

You switch to 0.25% annually once you either set up at least $200 in recurring monthly deposits or reach a $24,000 balance across eligible Betterment accounts.

The checking plan comes with no fee and doesn't have any minimum balance requirements. It includes a Visa debit card, ATM fee reimbursement worldwide, and no overdraft or account fees.

And if you are looking to open an investment account, you can choose between digital and premium investing. With the former, you can get investment advice for $5/month or 0.25% per year, depending on your balance and recurring deposits, with no minimum balance required to open an account. The plan's name comes from the fact you would receive their advice online.

This plan includes:

• Socially responsible investing options
• Low-cost investing portfolios
• Advanced tax-saving strategies (e.g., asset location and tax-loss harvesting)
• Automatic features (e.g., portfolio rebalancing, dividend reinvestment)
• Account choices
• Checking and cash reserve accounts with no additional fees

However, if you wish to get advice from Betterment's team of licensed financial experts, you should choose the Premium investing plan for 0.65% per year on the first $1 million of eligible balances.

Unlike the previous two, this plan requires a minimum balance of $100,000.

This plan includes all the features of the digital plan, plus:

• Unlimited calls and emails with Betterment specialists
• In-depth advice on investments held outside of Betterment

If your balance exceeds $1 million, both Digital and Premium receive discounted tiered pricing on the portion above that threshold: 0.15% from $1 million to $2 million and 0.10% above $2 million.

For Premium customers, the extra 0.40% Premium charge applies only to the first $1 million.

These fees cover all transactions, transfers, trades, rebalancing, and the advice you would be getting from Betterment.

Betterment does not charge trading or deposit fees, but it does charge a $75 outbound transfer fee per investing account.

If you don’t have a minimum balance of $100,000 but still wish to have professionals review your financials and provide in-depth advice, Betterment’s official pricing page now emphasizes Premium rather than the flat-fee advice packages previously promoted in older reviews, so those packages should not be treated as a core current offering without separate verification.

Retirement Planning

When it comes to retirement planning, Betterment is one of the best robo-advisors on the market. Its tools can help you determine how much you should be saving based on your retirement goals. Your financial plan will be tailored based on factors such as your retirement age, zip code, and Social Security payments.

Once you opt-in, you can review different tools that will help you make a savings plan. You can calculate how much to save, connect external accounts to get a clearer picture of your finances, learn to prioritize your accounts, and make adjustments to your savings plan along the way.

Betterment also has an IRA account option, which can help you earn more money for retirement or even retire early. It also offers 401(k) plans for companies who wish to help employees prepare for retirement.

They get to review, design, manage, and adjust their employees’ retirement through these plans. For individuals, Betterment also supports Solo 401(k)s, which adds another retirement option that was missing from many older summaries of the platform.

Mobile App

We already mentioned how Betterment has a mobile app for iOS and Android devices, which allows users to track their investment portfolio on the go.

The app has many outstanding features and is quite popular among clients, with a 4.8 rating on the App Store and a 4.7-star rating on Google Play. The iPhone app listing shows about 60K ratings. It’s also user-friendly: You can review your account balance and goals, make deposits and withdrawals, change your investment settings, and more.

Customer Support

Finally, we'll take a look at Betterment's customer service. The company offers a wide range of support options, including:

• Phone support is open Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. (ET)
• Email support is available through Betterment support channels
• Live chat support with in-app chat for logged-in users

The support team reviews inquiries through phone, email, chat, and its help center. Betterment also has a very informative FAQ section where you might find the answers to your questions yourself.

Our Verdict

Overall, we think that Betterment is an excellent option for those looking for a low-cost, easy-to-use robo-advisor with a wide range of excellent features.

It's perfect for those who want to save for retirement, people building long-term goals with automated portfolios, and users who want cash management and investing under one login.

It's also a great option for those who want to invest in diversified ETF portfolios without managing the day-to-day trading themselves.

For users who want more control, Betterment now also offers self-directed investing alongside its robo-advisor service.