A robo-advisor—algorithmic portfolio management for self-directed investors—works well for straightforward situations where cost and hands-off management are prioritized.

Vision Retirement offers a robo option as part of our investment menu, with our Automated Investing w/Guidance service built on the Betterment platform and a CFP® professional available to consult whenever you have questions.

If a robo-advisor is what you're after, the question isn't "Vision or robo?" but whether you want robo management on its own, the same management with a CFP® professional you can call, or something more involved like our Membership or Fiduciary Investment Management services. Our discovery call will help you figure out which fits.

Major firms offer advisor services backed by national brand recognition and scale, often at very competitive fees. The structural difference with Vision Retirement comes down to three things: we're an independent RIA (with no affiliated broker-dealer product menu), we don't sell proprietary funds, and every client works with a dedicated CFP® professional from their first call onward. We're also smaller, meaning lower advisor-to-client ratios and more direct access. The right choice depends on whether you value the scale and lower fees of a national platform or the boutique service and integrated tax/estate coordination of an independent RIA.

While both Vision Retirement and Facet are fee-based fiduciaries, our structure and approach differ. Facet is a subscription-based, virtual-only firm with a national footprint and larger client base per advisor. Vision is a boutique RIA based in Ridgewood, NJ, offering both virtual and in-person service, a smaller advisor-to-client ratio, and additional services (investment management and integrated tax preparation through our sister company Advisor Tax Prep). The right fit ultimately depends on whether you value scale and lower fees or boutique service and integration.

Some people do, which can work for simple scenarios. The math favors working with a CFP® professional, however, when decisions are irreversible or interconnected such as when to claim Social Security, how to sequence withdrawals, whether or not to perform a Roth conversion, and how to plan for healthcare costs. Get any one of these wrong, and the costs can far exceed what it costs to work with an advisor—often over many years.

A fiduciary financial advisor is a financial professional who’s legally and ethically bound to always act in a client’s best interest. Unlike other financial advisors who operate under a “best interest” standard (Reg BI)—meaning they must recommend products appropriate for a client’s needs—a fiduciary is held to a higher standard of care.

The CFP® designation is a widely recognized credential. Regulated by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, CFPs® must pass a difficult exam and meet strict standards with respect to education and work experience. Better yet, CFPs® are held (by law) to a fiduciary standard and will thus always put your best interests above their own.

A financial custodian is a specialized institution or entity responsible for safeguarding a client’s financial assets such as stocks, bonds, or cash. Vision Retirement works directly with two custodians: LPL and Fidelity.