Which Wealth Manager Fits? Mezzi, Vanguard, and Fisher Compared

Updated September 26, 2026.

The best wealth-management option is the one whose responsibilities match the help you want. Mezzi supports financial guidance while you retain implementation. Vanguard Personal Advisor combines managed investing with access to human advisors. Fisher Investments offers discretionary portfolio management and a continuing service relationship. They are different ways to organize financial work.

This comparison keeps those differences visible. A lower subscription price does not automatically replace an investment-management engagement. A larger firm or higher fee does not automatically produce better outcomes. Start with the decisions and responsibilities, then compare the actual cost.

Method and disclosure: Mezzi publishes this guide. We reviewed official product pages and regulatory disclosures on September 26, 2026. We did not run a matched investment-performance test or verify outcomes for customer portfolios. Illustrations compare disclosed fee structures, not the value of identical services.

Three options at a glance

Vanguard's other advice tiers have different minimums and services. Fisher's disclosures also distinguish US and other-country arrangements. Compare the exact service and jurisdiction you would enter, rather than borrowing a favorable figure from a different program.

1. Mezzi: financial guidance across accounts and goals

Mezzi connects investments and banking, includes liabilities such as credit cards, and records other assets such as real estate. AI Personalization lets you save goals and constraints that should shape future discussions. Exposure X-Ray helps examine underlying exposure in supported funds alongside direct holdings.

This is relevant when the recurring question spans the whole financial picture. A portfolio change may compete with a cash need. A direct stock position may overlap with several funds. A property can contribute to net worth while providing little near-term liquidity. Those relationships are easier to examine when the information and context are together.

The work you keep

You remain responsible for reviewing the guidance and implementing changes at your financial institutions. Mezzi does not place trades, transfer money, or file tax returns. A connected account also does not guarantee complete transaction or tax-lot history; the account-group overview explains the available data and connection-dependent detail.

A useful test is to bring one decision with known inputs. Ask which information is missing and how the answer would change under a different assumption. Then compare the response with your statements and goals. This assesses the decision workflow without pretending that a fluent answer proves investment performance.

Cost and appropriate fit

Current plans include Free, Advisory at $399 annually, and Concierge at $999 annually. Paid advice and Delegations support ongoing financial questions, with plan-specific support and task allowances.

Choose Mezzi when you want help understanding and coordinating decisions while keeping the existing implementation arrangement. It can supplement a professional relationship when the roles are clear. If you want a provider responsible for maintaining a discretionary portfolio, evaluate one of the managed services instead of expecting a guidance subscription to do that job.

2. Vanguard Personal Advisor: managed investing with advisor access

Vanguard Personal Advisor combines automated investment management with access to human financial advisors. It requires an aggregate $50,000 in eligible Vanguard brokerage accounts. Its stated approach emphasizes diversified, long-term investing, with all-index and active/index portfolio choices.

That model can suit an investor who wants routine portfolio maintenance delegated but still values discussing goals and decisions with a person. The relevant comparison concerns the proposed portfolio and service—not whether the product uses a more impressive AI label.

Understand the fee before comparing it

Vanguard states a gross annual advisory fee of 0.35% for all-index options or 0.40% for an active/index mix, reduced by applicable revenue retained by Vanguard or affiliates to calculate the net advisory fee. Its current all-index illustration is approximately 0.30%–0.31%. Investment expense ratios are additional. The service page and brochure link explain these distinctions.

Use the gross and net figures correctly. A credit is not the same as eliminating fund expenses, and an approximate example is not a universal fee quote for every account composition. Ask for the actual expected cost of the portfolio offered to you.

Advisor access differs by service tier

Vanguard's advice comparison distinguishes Personal Advisor from Personal Advisor Select and Wealth Management. Select starts at $500,000 and includes a dedicated CFP professional; Wealth Management starts at $5 million. Do not assume the entry Personal Advisor service includes the same dedicated relationship or specialized services.

Write down the topics you need addressed—retirement withdrawals, debt, tax coordination, or a major transition—and confirm which are included. The right tier depends on the relationship you want, not just the amount you could transfer.

What to evaluate before enrolling

Review the holdings that would be eligible, the transition from appreciated positions, the investment choices, and the process for asking for advice. Confirm how investments elsewhere enter the discussion and what remains outside management.

Choose Vanguard when its long-term investment approach and advisor-access model fit your preferences. An investor seeking frequent tactical trading or a completely customized specialist mandate should investigate that fit carefully. A low managed-investing fee can be attractive without being the right solution for every planning need.

3. Fisher Investments: an active discretionary-management relationship

Fisher describes a top-down global investment approach and a dedicated client-service relationship. Its US FAQ says the current focus is high-net-worth investors with $1 million or more. The firm's investment-policy process determines strategic portfolio decisions; client service helps explain the account and maintain the relationship.

This is an implementation relationship. Fisher can make investment decisions under the agreed mandate, while assets are held at a third-party custodian. An investor should understand both the investment process and how personal circumstances constrain it.

Published US fees

The currently linked US Form CRS, dated February 5, 2025, lists annual fees calculated and billed quarterly: 1.5% for relationships below $1 million; for relationships at or above $1 million, 1.25% on the first $1 million, 1.125% on the next $4 million, and 1% above $5 million. These are marginal tiers. Later pages of the same file describe other-country arrangements and should not be substituted for the US schedule.

The disclosure also identifies possible third-party trading costs, investment expenses, and separate third-party planning charges. Obtain the applicable agreement and current quote before engaging the firm. A tiered advisory fee is not necessarily the entire household's financial-services cost.

What a fair evaluation asks

Ask how the portfolio is tailored to your cash needs, existing holdings, restrictions, and willingness to tolerate periods of underperformance. Request the benchmark and net-of-fee performance context relevant to the proposed strategy. A broad market comparison may be inappropriate if the portfolio has a materially different risk or asset mix.

Also ask what the service relationship actually includes: who contacts you, which planning work is delivered, and how the firm coordinates with your CPA or attorney. “Wealth management” can cover a broad range of work, so the written engagement is more useful than assumptions about the label.

Where it fits

Consider Fisher when you want to delegate portfolio decisions to its investment process and value the associated service. It is less aligned with someone who primarily wants to retain every investment decision and obtain a low-cost second perspective across outside accounts.

That is a difference in responsibility, not a claim that one investor type is more sophisticated. Good fit requires understanding the arrangement well enough to stay with it through ordinary difficulty—and recognizing when a change in your own circumstances requires a review.

A fee comparison at $1 million

Assume a hypothetical constant $1 million balance for a full year. The figures below exclude fund expenses, transaction costs, taxes, and other separate services.

At $2 million, the Fisher tier calculation is $1 million × 1.25% plus $1 million × 1.125% = $23,750 annually, before other costs. Applying 1.125% to the whole $2 million would understate the marginal schedule.

These calculations make the cost visible. They do not prove that switching creates the same dollar amount of net savings or the same investment result. Price any planning and implementation work you would still need after a change. Avoid projecting a guaranteed lifetime benefit from one year's fee difference.

Use a decision brief instead of a generic ranking

Write a one-page brief before evaluating providers. Include the assets and accounts involved, the decisions you want help with, the responsibilities you want delegated, and the services you intend to keep elsewhere. Add the cash needs and restrictions that must remain intact.

For example, a household might want to retain a concentrated legacy holding, keep $80,000 available for a property expense, and simplify the remaining investment portfolio. The provider should explain whether and how that arrangement fits its service. A proposal that ignores the cash commitment or assumes the legacy holding disappears does not answer the brief.

Compare the resulting plan, not just the sales presentation. Identify the next action, its owner, cost, and tax implications. If you are switching providers, preserve records and understand transfer versus liquidation before authorizing a move.

The same exercise may show that you want to keep a manager and add connected guidance, or remain self-directed and hire a specialist for one project. For those alternatives, see our financial-advisor alternatives guide.

Frequently asked questions

Which wealth-management firm is best for everyone?

None. The appropriate service depends on investment philosophy, planning needs, desired implementation, eligibility, and cost. Compare the specific engagement rather than a universal ranking.

Does Mezzi manage my investments like Vanguard or Fisher?

No. Mezzi provides connected guidance and analysis that you review and implement. Vanguard and Fisher manage eligible investments under their respective advisory arrangements.

Does Vanguard Personal Advisor always charge exactly 0.30%?

No. Vanguard publishes gross fees, applicable revenue credits, and approximate net examples. All-index and active/index options differ, and investment expenses are additional.

Is Fisher's tiered fee applied to the whole balance at one rate?

For US relationships at or above $1 million, the cited schedule uses marginal tiers. Calculate each portion at its applicable rate and confirm the current agreement and additional costs.