Wells Fargo Advisors Review: Highlights
• Wells Fargo Advisors is a full-service investment firm that offers both brokerage and managed accounts.
• Every account, except for the company’s robo account, usually must be opened through a local financial advisor.
• Investment accounts connect with deposit accounts at Wells Fargo Bank.
Overview of Wells Fargo Advisors
A wide range of investment services is available through Wells Fargo Advisors. Combined with cash-management features through Wells Fargo Bank, Wells Fargo can serve as a one-stop shop for broader money management.
Investing
Through brokerage and investment-advisory accounts, clients of Wells Fargo Advisors can trade the following securities:
- Common and preferred stocks
- Options
- Funds (mutual, exchange-traded, and closed-end)
- Unit Investment Trusts (UITs)
- Bonds and other fixed-income assets, including brokered CDs
- Annuities
Then there are more specialized assets. These can include products like hedge funds in certain programs.
Nearly every account, whether managed or brokerage, must be opened through a financial advisor at a branch location or advisor office. There are many offices throughout the United States, including some independent Wealth Management firms that partner with Wells Fargo Advisors. The main exception to this setup is the Intuitive Investor program, which uses a digital advisor and can be opened online.
To help its clients save on taxes, Wells Fargo Advisors offers a variety of tax-sheltered accounts. Options include custodial accounts, 529 plans, Coverdell Education Savings Accounts, and several types of IRAs.
Financial Planning
Investing is just the beginning at Wells Fargo Advisors. The firm also offers financial planning through its many investment advisor representatives. The exact services available will vary by the financial planner selected. Possibilities include:
- Cash Flow Analysis
- Education Planning
- Retirement Planning
- Special Needs Analysis
- Risk Planning
- Wealth Planning
- Sports & Entertainment
- Divorce Planning
Banking
Through its sister company Wells Fargo Bank, Wells Fargo Advisors is able to provide its clients with a large suite of cash-management tools. Deposit accounts opened through the banking side of the company are linked on the company’s website and mobile app, and this setup allows for quick transfers of money.
Then there is Premier, a banking service with extra perks. Premier customers get discounts on a variety of services, including ATM fees, wire transfers, and jumbo mortgages. Some fees at Wells Fargo Advisors are also reduced or waived for Premier customers.
One step above Premier is Wells Fargo’s Private Bank. This service offers high-end banking for the company’s wealthiest clients. Available services include custom lending solutions, philanthropic services, and family wealth planning.
Wells Fargo automatically creates a cash sub-account for many brokerage accounts. The sub-account has routing and account numbers and can be used much like a bank account. Checks can be ordered for the sub-account.
Wells Fargo Advisors Fees
The Premier program has a $35 monthly fee for clients with qualifying linked balances below $250,000. Above that level, the monthly fee can be waived. The $250,000 balance requirement can be calculated across both investing and bank accounts. Regular bank accounts have their own minimums and fees, which vary by account.
Investing accounts have different pricing schedules. Managed accounts often cost around 2.0% per year, although the exact fee depends on the program and can be negotiable. The robo program, Intuitive Investor, costs 0.35% per year, with discounts available for linked Wells Fargo bank accounts. Full-service accounts may require either $25,000 or $50,000, depending on the exact program selected. The automated service requires $500 to start.
Brokerage accounts opened through Wells Fargo Advisors generally have no minimum-deposit requirements, although unfunded accounts may be closed. They are also subject to fees and commissions on trades. These numbers will be disclosed at the point of account opening. Self-directed brokerage accounts opened through WellsTrade, the company’s discount firm, have no annual fees and no commissions on many online trades.
Financial planning costs can range widely depending on the amount of work that needs to be done and the type of relationship selected. Clients should review the exact planning fees with their advisor before moving forward.
Find a Financial Advisor
If you are looking for a professional money management service in your area, you can
find a Financial Advisor on the Wiser Advisor
(or read
Wiser Advisor review).
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Investing on Margin
Wells Fargo Advisors offers margin to help its clients achieve a more advanced level of trading. Short positions are possible, as is leverage for long positions. And option spreads are a possibility.
Rates on margin loans are in line with current market standards. Customers with larger loan balances or larger household asset levels may qualify for lower rates than standard pricing.
Website
Accounts opened through Wells Fargo Advisors are accessible through the Wells Fargo website, where accounts from WellsTrade and Wells Fargo Bank will also appear under the same login. Trading tools are fairly basic with limited charting and standard order entry.
The strength of the site is its emphasis on personal finance. There is a free FICO score, for example, and various tools for budgeting and saving can easily be found.
Mobile App
The Wells Fargo app more or less mirrors the website in mobile form. Under the Explore tab, it’s possible to find other services within the Wells Fargo family of companies. There’s a branch locator under the “Make an appt.” button, and we found other buttons for credit cards and loans.
Other Software
Wells Fargo Advisors and WellsTrade do not offer advanced desktop platforms for trading. There is also no smartwatch app for their services.
Extra Services
Fractional Shares: With a linked WellsTrade account, it’s possible to trade stocks and ETFs in dollar amounts.
IRA Service: Wells Fargo Advisors offers SEP, SIMPLE, Roth, and Traditional IRAs. There can be annual and termination fees on these accounts, depending on the account type and delivery preferences.
Dividend Reinvestment Plan: Cash dividends can be reinvested as additional shares of the securities that paid them.
Extended Hours: WellsTrade and Wells Fargo Advisors offer pre-market and after-hours trading in equities.
Stock-Lending Income Program: Not available.
Initial Public Offerings: Wells Fargo Advisors, but not WellsTrade, offers access to primary stock releases.
Autopilot Mutual Fund Purchases: Available.
Our Recommendations
Stock and ETF Trading: Due to commissions and annual fees, we don’t recommend a brokerage account
through Wells Fargo Advisors. Although WellsTrade is a cheaper alternative, it doesn’t have any advanced
software. We would head to Charles Schwab and trade on thinkorswim.
Retirement Planning & Long-Term Investing: A relationship with a Wells Fargo financial advisor who has experience with retirement planning is highly recommended.
Small Accounts: Due to minimums for advisory accounts, Wells Fargo Advisors isn’t a great pick for full-service investing. The company’s robo program can serve as a substitute, though, with only a $500 minimum. WellsTrade imposes no minimums at all.
Beginners: Newbies will be in good hands at Wells Fargo Advisors.
Mutual Funds: Either WellsTrade or Wells Fargo Advisors would be decent for mutual funds. Be sure
to pay attention to loads, transaction fees, and expense ratios. Charles Schwab
offers many no-transaction-fee mutual funds.
Wells Fargo Advisors Review Verdict
Wells Fargo Advisors has a decent full-service advisory program that is even better with links to Wells
Fargo Bank. Customers with more than $250,000 in qualifying linked balances can get especially good value here.
Updated on 3/22/2026.
Chad Morris is a financial writer with more than 20 years experience
as both an English teacher and an avid trader. When he isn’t writing
expert content for Brokerage-Review.com, Chad can usually be found
managing his portfolio or building a new home computer.
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