Honest comparison
PeakWorth vs Schwab Intelligent Portfolios
Schwab's robo is “free” because the cash allocation pays for it. PeakWorth is the planning layer above any of them.
The short version
Schwab Intelligent Portfolios charges $0 advisory fee — but funds the service via a mandatory cash allocation (typically 6%–30% of the portfolio) that creates a real opportunity-cost drag, especially in a high-equity market. It manages money. It still does not plan. PeakWorth is the planning layer above Schwab's robo or any other.
Schwab Intelligent Portfolios is best for
Investors comfortable with a meaningful mandatory cash allocation in exchange for a $0 advisory fee, who want a Schwab-branded account and (at the Premium tier) flat-fee CFP access.
Standard: $0 advisory fee, $5,000 minimum, 6%–30% mandatory cash allocation (FDIC-swept, paid the going Schwab Bank rate). Premium: $300 one-time setup + $30/mo, $25,000 minimum, includes unlimited CFP access.
PeakWorth is best for
Households who want a real multi-decade plan and decision engine and would rather choose their own cash allocation than have one priced into the management.
14-day free trial. Then $9.99/mo Navigator.
Feature by featureHow they compare
| Feature | PeakWorth | Schwab Intelligent Portfolios |
|---|---|---|
Stated advisory fee | $9.99/mo | $0 (Standard) · $30/mo + $300 setup (Premium) |
Mandatory cash allocation Opportunity-cost drag in equity bull markets | None — you choose | 6%–30% of portfolio |
Account minimum | None | $5,000 (Standard) · $25,000 (Premium) |
Automated rebalancing | ||
Tax-loss harvesting | On $50k+ taxable accounts | |
Unlimited CFP access | AI advisor on your numbers (Peak plan) | Premium tier only |
Holds and trades your assets | No — planning only | |
Multi-decade net worth projection | ||
FI age — when work becomes optional | Retirement-readiness check | |
Decision Hub (buy/rent, kids, job change) | Built-in | |
Tax-aware projections Household-wide, marginal bracket, withdrawal order | Within Schwab accounts only | |
Account aggregation (full picture) | Schwab-held assets | |
Built for dual-income households |
Run the math on your own portfolio
Open full calculatorReal, after inflation
Typical 0.8–1.2%
USD per year
Schwab IP Premium fee structure
On top of AUM
vs expected return
Schwab Premium: $300 setup + $30/mo, plus a mandatory cash sleeve (~10% modeled here, range 6%–30%) earning the Schwab Bank rate.
Terminal wealth — flat fee
$4,370,459
Terminal wealth — Schwab IP Premium
$4,100,595
Foregone wealth from fees
$269,864
after 30 years
Estimates only. Assumes fees come out of returns each year and the flat fee comes out of contributions before they compound. Actual results vary with market returns, tax treatment, and contribution timing.
The real reasonsWhy people switch
- $0 advisory fee is real, but the 6%–30% mandatory cash drag often costs more in a rising market than a 0.25% management fee would.
- Premium's $30/mo + $300 setup gets you CFP access; PeakWorth's Peak plan runs an AI advisor on your real numbers at a comparable monthly fee — and adds the Decision Hub.
- Schwab Intelligent Portfolios manages a single Schwab account well. PeakWorth plans the entire household across every institution.
- If your only question is “what should my allocation be,” Schwab's robo answers it. The other 95% of household questions are PeakWorth's job.
Context
Schwab Intelligent Portfolios is a serious product wrapped in a deliberately confusing fee story. The $0 advisory fee is real — and is funded by the mandatory cash allocation, which is swept to Schwab Bank and paid the going (typically lower than market) rate. The opportunity cost of holding 6%–30% of the portfolio in cash during equity bull markets is the actual price.
Premium ($25k minimum, $300 setup, $30/mo) layers in unlimited CFP access on top of the same Standard service. That is genuinely useful if you want a human voice on demand. PeakWorth's Peak plan covers the same planning-conversation territory with an AI advisor that knows your real numbers, plus the Decision Hub and the FI age, at a comparable flat fee — and does not require you to hold your assets at Schwab.
The most common stack: keep Schwab (or Schwab Intelligent Portfolios, or another low-cost broker) for the management and custody piece, and use PeakWorth as the planning and decision layer above. For the category-level discussion of robo-advisors vs planning tools, see /vs/robo-advisor.
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Run it through PeakWorthFrequently asked
Is Schwab Intelligent Portfolios actually free?
There is no stated advisory fee. The cost shows up indirectly via the mandatory 6%–30% cash allocation, which is swept to Schwab Bank at a typically lower-than-market rate. In a strong equity market that opportunity cost can exceed what a 0.25% management fee would have cost. In a low-rate, low-return environment it's roughly a wash.
Should I pay for Premium ($30/mo + $300 setup)?
Premium adds unlimited CFP access on top of the Standard robo. If you value a human on the phone for one-off planning questions, it's reasonably priced. If you want a continuous, household-wide plan with a Decision Hub and an always-on AI advisor, PeakWorth's Peak plan ($19.99/mo) is comparable per month and gives you the planning layer Premium doesn't.
Does PeakWorth replace Schwab Intelligent Portfolios?
No — PeakWorth doesn't manage money. It plans. The clean setup is to keep Schwab Intelligent Portfolios (or any low-cost broker) for the portfolio management and use PeakWorth for the multi-decade plan, decision modeling, and AI advisor.
How is this different from other robos?
Same category — automated rebalancing, tax-loss harvesting (on $50k+ taxable accounts), and a target allocation. The fee structure is the differentiator: Betterment and Wealthfront charge an explicit ~0.25%/yr; Schwab embeds the cost in a mandatory cash position. None of them plan. See /vs/robo-advisor for the full comparison.
PeakWorth provides educational projections, not financial advice. We are not a registered investment advisor, broker-dealer, tax preparer, or attorney. Consult a licensed professional before making major financial decisions. Read full disclosures