WealthFluent vs RIA (2026)
A Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) is a firm registered with the SEC or a state under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (or the state analogue). Fiduciary duty to advisory clients is a legal obligation, not a marketing slogan. Form ADV. IAPD. Discretion or not. Custody rules. WealthFluent is DIY software. Not an RIA. Not a fiduciary. Magpie is not an advisor. No custody. You execute.
This page is a comparison, not a verdict. Prices and plan names change. Check the firm’s Form ADV, and check ours. WealthFluent is not a financial advisor. Nothing here is advice or a recommendation.
This is not the same page as WealthFluent vs a 1% Advisor. That one is the fee-math and the 1% trap. This one is the firm and the fiduciary contract. A software RIA is a different product again: PortfolioPilot (Global Predictions Inc.) is an RIA delivered through software. This page is vs hiring a human, traditional RIA firm. For the credential versus the firm, see WealthFluent vs CFP. For Empower’s AUM path, see WealthFluent vs Empower. For the category map, see Best retirement planning software.
At a glance
| Feature | WealthFluent | Typical RIA firm |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | DIY software you run. Tools, not recommendations | A registered advisory firm. Human service contract |
| Regulatory | Not an RIA. Subscription software. Magpie is not an advisor | Registered with the SEC or a state. Form ADV. Look the firm up on IAPD |
| Fiduciary | No. We are not a fiduciary | Legal duty to advisory clients under the Advisers Act (or state analogue). Not a marketing badge |
| Flagship cost | Premium $144/year (web). Does not scale with the pot | Median about 1% AUM on the first $1M (Kitces 2024 average about 0.96%). Confirm the ADV |
| On $500K (illustrative) | $144 | About $5,000 at 1%. Not a quote for an unnamed firm |
| On $1M (illustrative) | Still $144 | About $10,000 at 1%. Confirm the ADV |
| Other fee models | Essentials ~$72/year; Lifetime $1,200 once (60-day money-back) | Hourly often $200–$400 (median ~$300). Standalone plan ~$3,000. Retainers often $4,500–$7,500+ |
| Discretion | None. You approve, modify, or dismiss. You execute | Discretionary (firm trades) or non-discretionary (you approve). Read the agreement |
| Custody | None. You stay in the accounts you already have | Often none at the firm. Assets at a qualified custodian. Custody rule still applies if they have custody |
| Advice | Not advice. Optimizer and Magpie are tools | Personalized investment advice to clients under the advisory contract |
| Plan | Lifetime Wealth Planning → personalized, investable benchmark | A plan, usually reviewed on a cycle. Implementation is often the point of the fee |
| AI | Magpie on your connected file. Informs and educates. Does not trade. Not an advisor | Varies. Most traditional firms are not Magpie. A software RIA is PortfolioPilot |
| Who it is for | Self-directed investors who will run the tools | People who want a fiduciary on the hook, implementation, or complexity they will not run |
| Trial | 14-day free trial | Varies. Some offer a consult or a paid plan. Confirm with the firm |
Web and the Apple App Store for WealthFluent. There is no Google Play listing to claim. App Store billing can differ from the web prices above. That is intentional, not a mismatch to “fix.”
What an RIA actually is
An RIA is a firm, not a person, and not a credential.
The firm registers with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission or with a state securities regulator. The federal statute is the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. States have analogues. In broad terms, a firm with about $100 million or more in regulatory assets under management can register with the SEC (required at $110 million). Below that, the firm is generally state-registered. Exceptions exist (multi-state, certain mid-sized advisers, and others). Confirm the firm on IAPD (Investment Adviser Public Disclosure at adviserinfo.sec.gov).
Registration is a filing. It is not a skill rating. A typical Form ADV says registration as an investment adviser does not imply a certain level of skill or training. That line is there for a reason.
Form ADV is the public registration. Part 1 is the check-the-box filing. Part 2 is the brochure (Part 2A for the firm, Part 2B for the people). Fees, conflicts, discretion, custody, and disciplinary history live there. Read it. Do not take a comparison page’s typical 1% as that firm’s price.
Fiduciary duty for an RIA is a legal obligation to advisory clients. The SEC’s 2019 interpretation describes a duty of care and a duty of loyalty. The firm must not put its own interest ahead of the client’s. Full and fair disclosure of material conflicts is required. That is law. It is not a slogan on a website. It is also not a guarantee of returns, and it is not a substitute for reading the ADV.
A CFP® is a professional credential held by a person, administered by CFP Board. An RIA is the firm. A CFP may work at an RIA, at a broker-dealer, independently, or not in advice at all. An RIA’s people may or may not be CFPs. Credential versus firm. Details: WealthFluent vs CFP.
Discretion versus non-discretion. Discretionary authority means the firm can place trades without asking you each time. Non-discretionary means you approve. Both can be RIAs. Both can owe a fiduciary duty. WealthFluent has neither. You approve, modify, or dismiss. You execute.
Custody. If an adviser has custody of client assets, the custody rule (SEC Rule 206(4)-2, or the state analogue) generally requires a qualified custodian and, in many cases, a surprise exam. Many traditional RIAs do not take custody. Assets sit at a broker-dealer custodian. They may still have discretion to trade. WealthFluent has no custody and no discretion.
WealthFluent is none of this. We sell software. We are not an RIA. We are not a fiduciary. Magpie is not an advisor. Tools, not recommendations. Not advice.
Fee math on $500K and $1M
Do not treat the next table as a quote from an unnamed firm. Confirm the ADV.
Typical 2026 AUM still clusters near 1% on the first $1 million. Kitces Research (2024, 621 U.S. advisors) reported a survey-wide average of about 0.96%, with the median on the first $1 million around 1%. Hourly work is often about $200 to $400 (median about $300). A standalone plan is often about $3,000. Retainers often land around $4,500 and can run $7,500 or more. Those are industry figures, not a specific firm’s schedule.
Illustrative annual cost, using 1% AUM versus our pricing as of August 31, 2026:
| Product | How it is priced | On $500K | On $1M |
|---|---|---|---|
| WealthFluent Premium | Flat subscription (web) | $144 | $144 |
| WealthFluent Essentials | Flat subscription (web) | ~$72 | ~$72 |
| WealthFluent Lifetime | Once (60-day money-back) | $1,200 once | $1,200 once |
| Typical RIA (1% AUM) | Percent of assets | About $5,000 | About $10,000 |
| Typical RIA (~0.96% avg) | Percent of assets | About $4,800 | About $9,600 |
| Hourly RIA | Often $200–$400 / hour (median ~$300) | Per hour, not per year | Per hour, not per year |
| Standalone plan | Project | About $3,000 once | About $3,000 once |
| Annual retainer | Flat | Often $4,500–$7,500+ | Often $4,500–$7,500+ |
| Empower wealth management (as we list it) | 0.89% AUM on the first $1M | About $4,450 | About $8,900 |
Premium stays $144 a year as the portfolio grows. A 1% fee on $500K is $5,000. On $1M it is $10,000. The software does not get more expensive because you did the job.
That math is real and incomplete. Advice, implementation, behavioral coaching, and someone on the hook are what the 1% is supposed to buy. For the longer fee-drag version, see WealthFluent vs a 1% Advisor, The 1% Fee Trap, and fee drag. Empower’s AUM path is a different product: WealthFluent vs Empower.
Apple App Store in-app prices for WealthFluent can differ from these web prices. Disclose that if you shop on iOS. Do not treat it as an error.
What 1% is supposed to buy
The honest case for an RIA is not the software. It is a fiduciary on the hook, implementation, and a human who can tell you not to sell in a panic:
- Someone with a legal duty to advisory clients, and a Form ADV you can read
- Trades they will actually place (discretion), or a process that gets them placed
- Behavioral coaching when the plan is the hard part
- Household complexity you do not want to run yourself: equity comp, a business, a trust, a divorce, a concentrated position
- A phone number
If that is the job, 1% (or an hourly, a plan fee, or a retainer) may be the right product. WealthFluent will not pretend to be that firm. Do not hire an RIA for a login and a PDF. Read the ADV. Ask what happens when you call.
What $144 is supposed to buy
If you are self-directed, the job is different. Premium is $144 a year on the web (Essentials about $72; Lifetime $1,200 once, 60-day money-back). 14-day trial.
- Account aggregation. Assets and liabilities, read-only.
- Financial Wellness Score. Plus debt-health and related scores on current plans.
- Lifetime Wealth Planning. Milestones, probability distributions, a personalized, investable benchmark. Not a risk bucket. The free When can I retire? calculator is the short front door.
- Portfolio Optimization. Simulate a change, then recommended trades across the 401(k), the old rollover, the IRAs, and taxable, with tax-aware placement. You approve, modify, or dismiss. You execute. Not advice. No custody.
- Magpie. On your actual file. Your Roth, not a Roth. Informs and educates. Does not trade. Not an advisor. Portfolio Optimization Engine and Market Analysis are Premium and Lifetime. Product URL: wealthfluent.com/financial-intelligence/.
Generic AI can explain a Roth. Magpie can explain yours. Magpie is hosted on Amazon Bedrock. Inputs are not used for training, not stored persistently, and do not leave Bedrock to reach the underlying model provider.
We founded WealthFluent in 2020 in Edwards, Colorado. David J. Kon (CEO), Dr. Stanley J. Kon (Chairman), and Joshua P. Kon (CTO). Frank J. Fabozzi, PhD, sits on the advisory board.
On the optimizer and assist tools, Fabozzi has said: “Say goodbye to spreadsheets! WealthFluent’s unique product combines electronic access to fundamental security data with all your assets and liabilities and a set of tools for managing customized portfolios. Enormous productivity is achieved with its Optimizer and Assist tools for wealth portfolio management.”
Essentials is $15/month or about $72/year: planning and scores, with Magpie listed on pricing. Premium adds the Portfolio Optimizer, Market Analysis, and spouse/partner login. Lifetime is Premium, paid once.
$144 is not cheaper advice. We do not sell advice.
Choose an RIA if…
You want a fiduciary on the hook. You want implementation. You will not run the tools. You need behavioral coaching, or complexity you will not run. Read the Form ADV. Confirm fees, discretion, and custody. Do not hire a 1% relationship for a dashboard and an annual meeting.
A software RIA (personalized recs from a registered firm, you still execute) is a different contract than a traditional human firm. If that is the job, evaluate PortfolioPilot. If Empower’s AUM wealth-management path is the job, evaluate Empower.
Choose WealthFluent if…
You will do the work. You were going to run the books, the plan, and the trades anyway. You want assets and liabilities in one place, a lifetime plan that produces a personalized benchmark, recommended trades across accounts as software (not as advice), and Magpie on that file. Magpie is not an advisor.
You do not want to become an advisory client to get a trade list.
Use both if…
Some households reasonably keep an RIA for the fiduciary relationship and still run WealthFluent for Lifetime Wealth Planning, the cross-account optimizer, and Magpie on the same books. We do not need you to fire the firm. We need the job we actually do to be the one you came for. Do not pay twice for the same work.
FAQ
Does WealthFluent replace an RIA?
Only if you were going to do the work yourself anyway. We do not take discretion. We are not a fiduciary. We are not an RIA. A 1% fee on $500K is about $5,000 a year; Premium is $144. That math is real and incomplete. Advice, implementation, behavioral coaching, and someone on the hook are what the RIA fee is supposed to buy. You can use both.
Is WealthFluent an RIA?
No. WealthFluent is DIY software. We are not a Registered Investment Advisor. We are not a fiduciary. Magpie is not a financial advisor. No custody. You execute. If you want an RIA, hire one. Confirm any firm on IAPD (adviserinfo.sec.gov) and read its Form ADV.
What is the difference between an RIA and a CFP?
An RIA is a firm registered with the SEC or a state. A CFP is a professional credential held by a person. They are not the same thing. A CFP may or may not work at an RIA. An RIA’s people may or may not be CFPs. Details: WealthFluent vs CFP.
Is a 1% fee standard?
It is common, not a law. Kitces 2024 put the survey-wide average around 0.96%, with the median near 1% on the first $1 million. Some firms charge less as assets grow. Some charge hourly (often $200–$400, median about $300), a standalone plan (about $3,000), or a retainer (often $4,500–$7,500+). Use the firm’s current ADV, not this page, before you decide. Longer math: WealthFluent vs a 1% Advisor.
Can I use both WealthFluent and an RIA?
Yes. Keep the firm for the fiduciary relationship if that is the job. Run WealthFluent for the lifetime plan, the optimizer, and Magpie if that is the other job. We do not need you to fire anyone to start a 14-day trial.
What’s included in the 14-day trial?
A 14-day free trial of WealthFluent so you can connect accounts and use the tools before you pay. The default Premium trial includes the Portfolio Optimizer and Market Analysis. Confirm current trial terms on the site.
How is this page different from vs a 1% Advisor or vs PortfolioPilot?
WealthFluent vs a 1% Advisor is the fee-math / 1% trap. WealthFluent vs PortfolioPilot is vs a specific RIA software product (Global Predictions). This page is vs hiring a human, traditional RIA firm: registration, fiduciary as law, ADV, discretion, custody.
Is this financial advice?
No. WealthFluent is not a financial advisor. Magpie is not a financial advisor. An RIA’s personalized advice is for its clients under its agreement. This page is information for a buying decision about DIY software versus hiring a fiduciary firm, not a recommendation of securities.
Start a 14-day free trial
If the work is your whole file (plan, books, and the trades that close the gap) as DIY software, start there. If the work is a fiduciary on the hook, hire an RIA. If you need both jobs, only pay twice when the jobs are actually different.
Start your free trial · Free trial · Pricing · Financial Intelligence / Magpie · vs a 1% Advisor · vs PortfolioPilot · vs CFP · vs Empower · Best retirement planning software · When can I retire? · The 1% Fee Trap · Fee drag
Disclosure
WealthFluent is not a financial advisor and does not provide investment advice. Magpie is not a financial advisor. Platform analytics and AI output are tools for informed decision-making. They are not recommendations. An RIA is a firm registered with the SEC or a state; fiduciary duty and personalized investment advice are for that firm’s advisory clients under its agreement and Form ADV. Industry fee figures (about 1% AUM on the first $1 million, Kitces 2024 average about 0.96%, hourly / plan / retainer medians) are survey benchmarks, not a quote from an unnamed firm. Competitor features and fees are summarized from publicly stated terms and from the comparison on our pricing page, checked August 31, 2026. They change. Verify on the firm’s site and Form ADV before you buy. This page is for information only. Do your own research. Consider a qualified professional before you make financial decisions.
Page copy dated August 31, 2026.