Fidelity's IRA management fees depend on the service: Fidelity Go (robo-advisor) is free for balances under $25k, then 0.35% ($25k+); for higher balances, Wealth Management (human advisor) fees range from ~0.50% to 1.50% depending on assets, while self-directed accounts have no management fee but fund expense ratios apply. You also pay underlying fund expenses (expense ratios), but Fidelity charges no annual account maintenance or trading fees for most standard transactions.
With no account fees and no minimums to open a retail brokerage account, including IRAs. Get detailed pricing and learn more about how we compare to others on service, security, and more .
Advisory and account fees
Advisory fees: Managed accounts typically charge 0.25%–1.00% annually for professional portfolio management. Account maintenance/platform fees: Some accounts charge periodic fees for access or services. Fidelity has no maintenance fees or account service charges.
All the while, we'll monitor the markets and rebalance your IRA when needed. With Fidelity Managed FidFolios®, choose from 4 different investment objectives and let our team build and maintain a diversified stock portfolio for you. You can even personalize what you own by eliminating stocks or industries.
Fidelity's take on the "4% rule" suggests withdrawing 4% to 5% of your retirement savings in the first year, then adjusting that dollar amount annually for inflation to make your money last. It's a guideline, not a rigid rule, encouraging a flexible approach, often incorporating dynamic strategies or guardrails, to adapt to market changes, but it's based on historical data and may need adjustments for longer retirements or different market conditions, with some suggesting a 4.5% rate now.
A self-managed IRA allows you to choose your own investments from the myriad options provided within a custodial brokerage account. Self-managing your IRA investments can be rewarding, but it also comes with risks and considerations that you need to carefully evaluate.
Fidelity's cons include high fees for some services like broker-assisted trades and options contracts, lack of futures trading, a potentially dated platform for advanced users, lower interest on cash management accounts, and complexities with FDIC coverage on cash accounts. While great for beginners, some find the sheer number of options overwhelming, and higher minimums for certain robo-advisor features are a drawback.
From 2022 through 2025, NerdWallet4 has rated Fidelity the Best App for Investing and the Best Online Broker for Beginning Investors. StockBrokers5 also rated Fidelity #1 Overall Broker in 2022, 2023, and 2024 and Best In Class for 2025.
Fidelity's 45% rule is a guideline suggesting your retirement savings should generate roughly 45% of your pre-tax, pre-retirement income, with Social Security covering the rest, to maintain your lifestyle at age 67, assuming you save 15% of your income annually from age 25 and retire with about 10 times your salary saved. This rule helps estimate needed savings and is often paired with milestones like saving 1x income by 30, 3x by 40, and 10x by 67.
“High-net-worth individual” (HNWI) is a term the finance industry uses to describe someone who has at least $1 million in liquid assets and might require more customized and complex financial services, such as tax strategy, estate planning and wealth management.
Fidelity's fees for working with a human financial advisor start at 0.50% to 1.50% annually, depending on the program and account size. The entry-level robo service charges no advisory fee below $25,000, while full-service wealth management comes with higher costs based on assets under management.
Neither Fidelity nor Schwab is definitively "better" overall; they are both top-tier brokers, but Fidelity often edges out for cash management (better interest rates, no-fee funds), research, and fractional shares (broader selection, lower minimums), while Schwab excels for active traders (powerful thinkorswim platform) and offers more physical branches, with both providing excellent low-cost investing and strong educational resources for most investors. Your best choice depends on whether you prioritize cash yields/funds (Fidelity) or advanced trading tools/physical access (Schwab).
Fees to set up and maintain an IRA are uncommon. You're more likely to see fees for transactions, commissions and investment management, for example. These fees are important to consider when you're saving for retirement. Look for an IRA provider that doesn't charge a fee to set up or maintain the account.
The 7-year rule is one of the simplest asset allocation rules of thumb to understand. It simply states that you should only invest money in the stock market that you don't expect to need for at least seven years.
The "240,000 rule" (or $1,000-a-month rule) is a retirement guideline suggesting you need $240,000 saved for every $1,000 of monthly income you want in retirement, based on a 5% annual withdrawal rate ($240,000 x 0.05 = $12,000/year or $1,000/month). It's a simple way to estimate savings needs, but it doesn't account for inflation, taxes, market volatility, or other income sources like Social Security, making it a starting point, not a complete plan.
Your $500,000 can give you about $20,000 each year using the 4% rule, and it could last over 30 years. The Bureau of Labor Statistics shows retirees spend around $54,000 yearly. Smart investments can make your savings last longer.