All comparisons

WealthAdvisor365 vs. Empower

Your money is at Empower. Who plans your taxes?

A conversation, not a sales pitch. Nothing has to move.

Credentialed and on the record

  • Certified Financial Planner
  • IRS Enrolled Agent
  • Financial Planning Association
  • National Association of Personal Financial Advisors
  • National Association of Enrolled Agents
  • Kiplinger
  • MarketWatch
  • Realtor.com
  • Sam’s List

Side by side

Empower and us, side by side

Empower and us, side by side
ComparisonWealthAdvisor365Empower
Firm model Independent and fee-only. We answer to you, not to shareholders or a parent company. A large national company with an advice arm and a brokerage arm under one financial group.
Built for Business owners and high earners with complex taxes. Workplace 401(k) savers and everyday investors, with no focus on business owners.
Who you work with A CFP® professional and IRS Enrolled Agent who knows your full picture, every meeting. Empower reps, many licensed to sell as brokers as well as give advice.
Tax planning Your adviser is a tax professional. Strategy is planned all year, not in April. Tax tweaks inside your portfolio. No year-round plan across your business and household taxes.
Business-owner planning Entity choice, owner pay, 401(k) design, and tax planning around a business sale are core work. Built around ready-made portfolios and retirement advice, not owner pay, entities, or exits.
How we're paid One fee, paid only by you. We earn nothing from what you invest in. Your fee, plus rep bonuses for recommending Empower's own and partner products.
Products We sell nothing. Your money stays in your name at Altruist. Offers its own and revenue-sharing funds. The SEC fined it for not disclosing those conflicts.
Standard of care A fiduciary on everything we advise on, every time. Fiduciary on advisory accounts. Brokerage advice follows a looser sales rule.

What you get with us

01

Tax planning all year

02

Your business in the plan

03

One person who knows you

A conversation, not a sales pitch. Nothing has to move.

What advice really costs

What advice really costs
CostIndependentBig brokerage
Advisory fee2 ~0.95% ~0.75%
Fund costs3 ~0.35% ~0.75%
Platform and trading4 ~0–0.05% ~0.15–0.45%
Total per year ~1.30–1.35%
~$26k–$27k a year
~1.65–1.95%
~$33k–$39k a year

Service fit

Which fits you best?

WealthAdvisor365 may suit you if you value

  • Advice that can compare the best options across institutions
  • An adviser’s independent judgment and client-first recommendations
  • Direct access to a consistent adviser and planning team
  • A simpler, tax-aware strategy that is easy to understand and built to endure
  • An adviser who stays ahead of the decisions affecting your wealth
  • A personal relationship, transparent pricing, and advice without commissions

Empower may suit you if you prefer

  • Keeping your financial life inside one large institution
  • A firm’s in-house tools, research, and investment menu
  • Brand scale and a large service organization
  • More investment choices and greater product complexity
  • Managing your own finances with occasional professional input
  • A standardized wealth-management experience

Discussing a transfer

  1. 1

    Review

    After an introductory conversation, any account review takes place within the agreed engagement scope.

    Your part: Discuss which records are needed after engagement.

  2. 2

    Plan

    Review the proposed holdings, account changes, tax considerations and transfer requirements before proceeding.

    Your part: Ask questions, then decide.

  3. 3

    Transfer

    Transfer requirements and timing depend on the accounts, holdings and institutions involved.

    Your part: Review and sign.

Questions before a transfer

What should I review before a transfer?
Review account eligibility, paperwork, fees, tax implications and any restrictions on trading or withdrawals.
Do I have to move everything?
The accounts and holdings included depend on the agreed scope and the receiving custodian’s requirements.
What if I change my mind?
The introductory conversation is complimentary and carries no obligation. Any later engagement is governed by its written agreement.

No documents are needed for the introductory conversation.

Your money stays in your name

  • Registered Investment Adviser

  • CFP® professional

  • IRS Enrolled Agent

  • Independent custody

Common questions

Questions about switching

See what one adviser can do for you

Complimentary introductory conversation. No obligation to engage.

Sources and disclosures. Empower information is based on publicly available sources and may change. Confirm current terms directly with Empower. WealthAdvisor365 is not affiliated with or endorsed by Empower.