J.P. Morgan vs. Vanguard: Which Is the Best Personal Advisor for You?

BartekSzewczyk / Getty Images/iStockphoto

Commitment to Our Readers

GOBankingRates' editorial team is committed to bringing you unbiased reviews and information. We use data-driven methodologies to evaluate financial products and services - our reviews and ratings are not influenced by advertisers. You can read more about our editorial guidelines and our products and services review methodology.

20 Years
Helping You Live Richer

Reviewed
by Experts

Trusted by
Millions of Readers

When it comes to investing, J.P. Morgan and Vanguard are two of the biggest names in the financial industry. Whether you’re looking for hands-on portfolio management or a low-cost way to build wealth, these platforms offer compelling services. But which one is the right fit for you?

In this head-to-head comparison, we’ll break down the key differences between J.P. Morgan and Vanguard, including account types, investment options, fees, tools and customer support. By the end, you’ll have a clear idea of which platform aligns with your financial goals.

Here’s a look at how J.P. Morgan and Vanguard compare to help you decide which is best for you when it comes to personal advisor services.

Overview of J.P. Morgan and Vanguard

Before diving into the details, here’s a quick snapshot of both platforms:

Now, let’s explore how J.P. Morgan and Vanguard compare in different categories.

Personal Advisor Services at a Glance

Personal advisory is a hybrid robo-portfolio and professional advisor service in that you work with professional advisors to create a custom financial plan and then invest in the best expert-built portfolio of mutual funds or exchange-traded funds, or both, for that plan. After that, advisors are available to you if you need guidance.

J.P. Morgan requires assets of at least $25,000 in a personal advisory account. Its advisory fee is .6% for investment account balances up to $249,999, or .5% for balances of $250,000 and up. Those fees are for advisory services only — mutual fund expense ratios and other investment-specific fees, are extra.

Vanguard’s standard personal advisor service is comparable to J.P. Morgan’s, but the minimum investment is $50,000. However, where J.P. Morgan’s fee is based on account balance, Vanguard’s is based on the type of funds you invest in — index or actively managed.

The annual fee for investing in any of a Vanguard-selected collection of stock and bond index exchange-traded funds is no more than .35% per year. The annual fee for investing in a mix of active and index ETFs and mutual funds is no more than .4%.

J.P. Morgan vs. Vanguard: Account Types Comparison

As you’ll see below, J.P. Morgan and Vanguard personal advisor service features are quite similar.

Opening a Personal Advisor Account

It’s easy to open an account online with Vanguard or with J.P. Morgan, but keep the hefty minimums of $50,000 and $25,000, respectively, in mind.

Maintenance

Both platforms offer automatic rebalancing of your portfolio. You can make automated monthly deposits to put your savings on autopilot. You can also change your risk tolerance as needed.  

Both platforms also put a financial advisor at your fingertips. Your representative helps you prioritize your goals, discuss retirement spending, advise on debt management and manage unexpected expenses or income changes.

These personal advisors can get you started on a path toward wealth management, even if you aren’t starting with millions of dollars.

Portfolios

Both companies’ portfolios consist of pre-selected mutual funds, ETFs or a combination.

J.P. Morgan’s general investment allocation varies depending on your risk tolerance. You can expect a percentage of fixed-income investments, along with U.S. and international equities, with more stocks and equities in a longer-term, more aggressive portfolio.

Vanguard offers a choice of four ETFs to create a balanced portfolio. These ETFs are focused on U.S. stocks, U.S. bonds, international stocks and international bonds. Vanguard also offers an ESG-focused ETF for environmentally and socially conscious investors.

Goal Setting

Both J.P. Morgan and Vanguard help you better understand your financial portfolio and investment goals through questions related to your age, assets, goals, time frame and risk tolerance.

You can always monitor the performance of your accounts and view the various asset allocations.

J.P. Morgan vs. Vanguard: Brokerage Product Comparison

A personal advisor account is a simple way to invest in pre-built portfolios, with guidance from an advisor. But J.P. Morgan and Vanguard are full-service brokerages that can help you meet a range of saving and investing goals.

J.P. Morgan offers different tiers of investing, from $0 commission online stock to Private Client and Wealth Advisor services for high-net-worth individuals.

Vanguard offers similar service tiers, from $0 trades on your own to wealth management. It also offers a higher-level personal advisory service called Personal Advisor Select, which, similar to J.P. Morgan’s Private Client service, provides investors with dedicated advisors for more personalized advice.

Here’s a side-by-side comparison of common account types you can access with a regular brokerage account at either firm.

Retirement Planning

J.P. Morgan and Vanguard both offer a choice of Roth IRAs and regular IRAs to help you reach your retirement goals. If you’re a business owner, work with either brokerage to set up a 401(k) or SEP IRA.

College Planning

If eligible, you can open a 529 plan through J.P. Morgan or Vanguard for tax-advantaged savings toward education costs for college, vocational education or trade school. Both brokerages offer a state-sponsored plan — Vanguard’s is sponsored by Nevada, and J.P. Morgan’s is sponsored by New York — so you’ll need to review your state’s rules for out-of-state plans before you invest. If you decide to move forward with either company, you’ll have several pre-built portfolios to choose from.

J.P. Morgan vs. Vanguard: Online and Mobile Experience

The Vanguard app for Android devices has a 3.6-star rating on Google Play and a 4.7-star rating on the App Store.

J.P. Morgan’s app earns similar scores — 3.9 stars on Google Play and 4.8 stars on the App Store.

Both brokers’ apps let you connect external bank accounts, but J.P. Morgan’s gives Chase customers the bonus of managing banking and investing accounts from a single dashboard.

Here’s how user ratings for the Vanguard and J.P. Morgan apps compare:

• Vanguard at the App Store: 4.7 out of 5 stars, 173.83K reviews
• Vanguard at Google Play: 3.6 out of 5 stars, 9.9K reviews
• J.P. Morgan Mobile at Google Play: 3.9 stars, 1K reviews
• J.P. Morgan Mobile at the App Store: 4.8 stars, 6.8K reviews

J.P. Morgan vs. Vanguard: Security

Vanguard, like most financial service firms, uses state-of-the-art security standards and encryption to protect from fraud. If funds are taken from your account in an unauthorized online transaction, Vanguard will reimburse the assets stolen, according to its online fraud policy. However, you must follow certain best practices to protect yourself, outlined in a section termed “Your responsibilities.” These include:

• Reviewing your accounts regularly
• Protecting your username, password and other account information
• Protecting your computer with up-to-date security and anti-spyware, antivirus and firewall software
• Not sharing personal or financial information in emails
• Cooperating with Vanguard in any investigations

J.P. Morgan uses multiple methods to secure your accounts, including asking for authentication if you sign on from an unfamiliar device. American Banker recently reported that JPMorgan Chase uses sophisticated AI technology to detect and prevent fraud.

However, J.P. Morgan does not specifically state that it will reimburse funds stolen due to online fraud.

Customer Service

Vanguard’s customer service hours for personal investors span 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday.

J.P. Morgan’s general customer service hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Which Platform Is Best for You?

Choose J.P. Morgan if:

• You already bank with Chase and want integration.
• You trade stocks, ETFs, or options actively.
• You prefer in-person financial advice at a Chase branch.

Choose Vanguard if:

• You focus on long-term investing with low fees.
• You want access to some of the lowest-cost index funds.
• You need retirement planning and wealth management tools.

Final Thoughts to GO: J.P. Morgan vs. Vanguard

Both J.P. Morgan and Vanguard offer strong investment services, but the best choice depends on your financial goals.

• J.P. Morgan is better for hands-on investors who want real-time insights and integration with Chase accounts.
• Vanguard is the go-to choice for passive, low-cost investing and retirement planning.

Whichever you choose, both platforms provide solid options to grow your wealth.

Daria Uhlig and Joe Evans contributed to the reporting for this article.

Information is accurate as of Feb. 20, 2025

Editorial Note: This content is not provided by any entity covered in this article. Any opinions, analyses, reviews, ratings or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author alone and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any entity named in this article.

Advice services are provided by Vanguard Advisers Inc., a registered investment advisor, or by Vanguard National Trust Company, a federally chartered, limited-purpose trust company.

INVESTMENT AND INSURANCE PRODUCTS ARE: NOT A DEPOSIT • NOT FDIC INSURED • NO BANK GUARANTEE • MAY LOSE VALUE

Share This Article: