What does FutureAdvisor do?
FutureAdvisor was a robo-advisor and automated investment management service that used algorithms to provide portfolio analysis and discretionary investment management. Its original Managed Service included personalized advice, daily automated monitoring, portfolio analysis, rebalancing and tax-loss harvesting.
However, BlackRock acquired FutureAdvisor in 2015, and in 2023, BlackRock shut down the retail-facing FutureAdvisor business and moved those clients to Ritholtz Wealth Management.
Ritholtz Wealth Management is an SEC-registered investment adviser that has been in business as an investment advisor since 2013. It's May 2026 reports $6.96 billion in discretionary assets and $733.6 million in non-discretionary assets.
Ritholtz does not currently market FutureAdvisor as a separate retail robo-advisor. Its relevant automated advisory offerings are Good Advice and Liftoff, which are designed for clients who want an online investment management process built around risk tolerance, financial goals and model portfolios.
Key service:
- Good Advice online investment management
- Good Advice model portfolios and tax-loss harvesting
- Liftoff automated advisory service
- Liftoff model-portfolio implementation
- Liftoff periodic rebalancing
Investment philosophy:
Ritholtz’s automated investment approach is model-based and goal-driven.
For Good Advice and Liftoff, clients complete an online risk-tolerance assessment and provide financial-goal information. Ritholtz then selects an appropriate proprietary model portfolio, generally built with diversified, low-cost ETFs, mutual funds, index funds, stocks or similar investment products.
Good Advice also includes active tax-loss harvesting, while Liftoff relies on selected money managers to implement and periodically rebalance the model portfolios.
What are the pros and cons of FutureAdvisor?
The main strength of the current Ritholtz automated model is that it keeps the digital platform structure while adding clearer planning, model portfolio and advisor-firm oversight.
Pros:
- Automated platform structure: Good Advice and Liftoff both use online platforms, risk questionnaires and model portfolios, which keep the service relatively structured and digital.
- Tax-loss harvesting in Good Advice: Good Advice includes active tax-loss harvesting, a feature that was also central to FutureAdvisor’s earlier managed service.
- No firmwide account minimum: Ritholtz states that it does not impose requirements for opening or maintaining accounts.
Cons:
- The FutureAdvisor brand is not separately marketed: The service has effectively become a legacy brand in this context, not a current sign-up destination.
- Good Advice costs more than old FutureAdvisor: Good Advice can charge up to 0.75% of AUM, compared with FutureAdvisor’s standard 0.50% fee before the transfer.
- More parties may be involved: Liftoff uses selected money managers, so clients should understand both Ritholtz’s role and the money manager’s role.
FutureAdvisor fees: How much does FutureAdvisor cost?
Before the Ritholtz transfer, FutureAdvisor’s standard managed service fee was 0.50% of AUM. After the transfer, the relevant Ritholtz automated offerings are Good Advice and Liftoff.
Service stage | Main service | Fee | Minimum | Service model |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Before Ritholtz transfer | FutureAdvisor | Standard 0.50% AUM | At least $5,000 | Algorithmic discretionary management, monitoring, rebalancing, tax-loss harvesting |
After Ritholtz transfer | Good Advice | Maximum 0.75% AUM | No minimum | Online platform, proprietary models, planning/consulting, tax-loss harvesting |
After Ritholtz transfer | Liftoff | Maximum 0.50% AUM | No minimum | Automated platform, proprietary models, selected money managers, periodic rebalancing |
What is FutureAdvisor’s minimum account size?
FutureAdvisor’s pre-transfer managed service required at least $5,000 of investable assets.
Ritholtz does not state a formal minimum account requirement for Good Advice or Liftoff.
Who should choose FutureAdvisor?
FutureAdvisor works well for:
- Former FutureAdvisor clients: They are the group directly affected by the BlackRock-to-Ritholtz transfer.
- Investors who want a digital platform plus model portfolios: Good Advice and Liftoff both use online risk and goal inputs to assign model portfolios.
- Tax-aware investors: Good Advice includes active tax-loss harvesting.
Who might not benefit as much:
- Users looking for the old FutureAdvisor platform: The current official materials do not show FutureAdvisor as a separate active retail product.
- Personalized-advice seekers on a tight budget: Good Advice is the individualized automated service; its maximum fee is higher.
- DIY investors: These services are built around managed portfolios, not self-directed investing.
FutureAdvisor: Is it secure?
FutureAdvisor and Ritholtz are both registered investment advisers, but registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training.
Ritholtz recommends independent custodians, including Schwab, Fidelity, Betterment Securities and Altruist, each of which is an independent, unaffiliated SEC-registered broker-dealer and SIPC member.
Ritholtz also maintains physical, electronic and procedural safeguards and has an identity-theft protection program.
FutureAdvisor: Customer service
Ritholtz provides a general inquiry form, phone contact, and office locations. Clients can connect with the firm to learn more about its services.
For Good Advice and Liftoff specifically, clients are encouraged to review their accounts through the online platform and notify the firm or money manager of changes in their financial situation. The firm also states that Good Advice and Liftoff clients generally receive verbal reports at least annually.
FutureAdvisor: Mobile App
Ritholtz has an official Ritholtz Wealth mobile app. The developer is Ritholtz Wealth Management, LLC, and the app lets users view account information, balances and contact an advisor.
Is FutureAdvisor worth it?
The old FutureAdvisor service had a clear robo-advisor structure, a $5,000 minimum and a standard 0.50% AUM fee.