I’ve been trying to decide whether to stick with an online investment advisor or just manage my own portfolio again.
A bit of background: I started investing a few years ago during the pandemic using one of the popular robo advisor platforms. At the time it felt super easy, I just answered a few risk questions, deposited money, and let it run. It’s been fine overall, nothing crazy, but also nothing that feels like it’s really optimized for my situation.
Now that I’ve learned a bit more about ETFs, index funds, and rebalancing, I’m wondering if I’m just paying a fee for something I could realistically do myself in under an hour a month.
My situation isn’t complicated. I’m mid-30s, long-term horizon, fairly stable income, and I’m mostly just trying to grow steadily for retirement. I don’t trade or try to time the market.
Part of me likes the set and forget aspect of the online advisor, but another part of me feels like I might be overpaying for simplicity. I’ve also noticed the portfolio allocation hasn’t really changed much even when my goals shifted slightly.
So I’m curious:
Is an online investment advisor actually worth it in 2026, or is it mostly just convenience at a cost?
Would you stick with it or switch to DIY investing if you were in my position?
Is an online investment advisor actually worth it compared to managing your own portfolio in 2026?
byu/Sonjae-Ariciaga83 inpersonalfinance
Posted by Sonjae-Ariciaga83
2 Comments
you can do a set it and forget it portfolio on your own. no reason to give someone money to do something you can do on your phone in a few minutes.
Go with DIY approach since you have learnt basics. Why spend money for something you can manage? Go with your own comfort level.