Fisher Investments vs. Fidelity: what’s the difference?
Discover what makes Fisher Investments and Fidelity Investments unique as financial advisory firms and which one might suit your personal and financial needs best.
Summary
Fisher Investments is a high-profile investment firm that offers financial planning services to wealthy investors.
Fidelity financial advisors offer full-service brokerage and investment planning financial advice to customers of broad income and experience levels.
Finding the right financial advisor can help you reach your investment goals.
Fisher Investments vs. Fidelity: what’s the difference?
Fisher Investments is a firm that provides highly personalized portfolios for wealthy investors. Instead of offering brokerage services or online trading portals, Fisher financial advisors focus on designing customized portfolios based on the research of esteemed author and investor Ken Fisher.
Fidelity is a brokerage and investment strategy firm aimed at providing affordable, accessible fiduciary services to a wide range of customers. Fidelity financial advisors offer stock and ETF trades as well as various no-expense-ratio index funds that are suitable for both experienced and beginner investors.
The main difference between Fisher Investments and Fidelity is that Fisher focuses on portfolio-building for advanced, wealthy investors, while Fidelity offers full-scope financial services to clients from diverse income brackets. Fidelity is also the only firm of the two that offers brokerage services.
What are Fidelity and Fisher Investments’ specific investment strategies?
Fisher Investments’ investment strategy is focused on managing a variety of global investments that seek to capitalize on sector, country, and industry cycles. Their strategies involve leveraging top-down economic research and expanding portfolios based on ongoing risk and trend analysis.
The investment strategy of Fidelity financial advisors is centered on personal, clearly defined investment goals and committing to periodic reviews of your portfolio. They promote asset allocation portfolio diversification and provide educational resources to all levels of investors.
What fees can I expect from Fidelity and Fisher Investments?
Fisher Investments fees follow the Assets Under Management (AUM) system, which involves charging clients a percentage-based fee depending on the size of their portfolio. Fisher Investment advisors charge 1.25% per year for your first $1 million, 1.125% per year for your next $4 million, and 1% per year for assets over $5 million. These fees cover everything; there are no additional charges.
With Fidelity fees, all trades, including stocks, ETFs, and options trading, are zero-commission. They charge $0.65 per contract on options and $1 per bond or CD in secondary trading. Their interest rate on uninvested cash is 4.97%, and their gross advisory fee is 0.50%–1.50%, depending on your portfolio.
Is Fisher Investments or Fidelity better?
When comparing Fidelity Investments vs. Fisher Investments, both have advantages and drawbacks. Weighing up the pros and cons is one of the best ways to understand which firm is best suited to your needs.
Pros of Fisher Investments
Ongoing support from a personally assigned financial advisor.
Access to comprehensive research programs and investment knowledge.
Exceptional customer service, including virtual and in-person branches.
Cons of Fisher Investments
Minimum portfolio requirement of $500,000.
There is no brokerage platform.
Prohibitively high management fees.
Pros of Fidelity
No-commission stock, ETF, and trading options.
High-rated mobile app.
Accessible educational resources for investors on all levels.
Cons of Fidelity
Relatively high broker-assistance trading fees.
No futures trading options.
No paper trading.
Fidelity vs. Fisher Investments: which should I choose?
The firm that best suits your needs depends on who you are and what your requirements are. If you are an advanced investor with a large portfolio driven towards active, capitalistic growth, Fisher Investments financial services is likely the best choice for you.
If you are looking for something more full-spectrum in investment strategy and financial planning, Fidelity is most likely the better option for you. Fidelity financial advisors can accommodate most investor’s needs, from stock trading to retirement planning.
In addition to basic services, fee structures, and pros and cons, there are other important questions to ask when choosing between two different firms, such as Fisher Investments vs Fidelity.
How do Fidelity and Fisher Investments remain competitive and adapt to changing market conditions?
Fisher Investments has a rigorous research program that constantly adapts and evolves in response to changes in the global economic system. This program is one of its strengths, and its competitiveness is defined by its high-status financial service provisions.
Fidelity also monitors changing market conditions and remains competitive by offering quality educational resources and technology to its increasingly diverse client base.
Which platform provides better customer service and support?
Both Fisher Investment customer service and Fidelity customer service have strong reputations.
Fisher’s customer service is modeled on a more personalized, robust approach. It offers high-level investors an ongoing relationship with their advisors, whose services are uniquely customized per client.
Fidelity’s customer service shines through its comprehensive range of educational resources and customer service options, including a vast network of advisors who can provide both in-person and online support.
Can I access my Fidelity or Fisher Investments accounts through their websites and mobile apps?
Fisher Investments' financial services website is relatively simple, especially considering its high-profile demographic.
There is no login option because Fisher does not hold its client's money. However, registered clients can receive login details for a third-party group to check assets, balance, and performance. Fisher Investments does not currently have a mobile app.
Fidelity has a clean but comprehensive website featuring a login system for viewing your trading progress, a virtual assistant for FAQs, and a news channel. They also have a regularly updated mobile app with advanced features that are available on both iOS and Android.
Get expert financial advice
When it comes to Fisher Investments vs Fidelity, the choice depends on your budget and your individual needs. Fisher Investments best accommodates experienced investors who want to continue growing their wealth, while Fidelity is best suited to people who wish to full-scope brokerage and financial services at a high value for money exchange.
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