Personal Capital

What Personal Capital does

Personal Capital, founded in 2009 by former PayPal CEO Bill Harris, operates a hybrid wealth management platform that pairs algorithmic investment management with a 209-advisor human advisory force to serve high-net-worth individuals. The core product is a virtual registered investment advisory (RIA) service delivered through a digital dashboard that aggregates investment, cash, credit, and retirement accounts alongside financial planning tools for retirement, tax optimization, and legacy planning. Under a tiered service model restored in 2025, the firm requires a $100,000 minimum investment and has grown average client holdings to approximately $400,000.

The company monetizes primarily through fee-based, recurring advisory charges calculated on assets under management. AUM stood at $7 billion as of early 2026, up from $4.2 billion a year earlier. Distribution combines a direct-to-consumer digital channel with a B2B2C corporate channel, the WealthSpark partnership with Alight Solutions and AllianceBernstein, which markets Personal Capital's planning tools to employees of Alight's 1,400 corporate clients. The firm was acquired by Empower in 2020 and now operates as a private subsidiary within the Empower platform, which is in turn owned by Great-West Lifeco; Empower's combined platform serves more than 20 million users across retirement administration, IRAs, high-yield cash, private client, and personal strategy offerings.

Operationally, Personal Capital is headquartered in San Carlos, California, employs between 251 and 500 people, and is led by CEO Jay Shah alongside a management team including a CIO, CTO/CIO, CFO, CMO, general counsel, and chief growth officer. The firm raised $75 million in 2019 prior to the Empower acquisition and now funds growth through its parent.

Name

Personal Capital

Legal name

Personal Capital Corporation

Website

https://personalcapital.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Personal Capital is a hybrid wealth management platform combining algorithmic investment management with 209 human financial advisors to serve high-net-worth individuals with a $100,000 minimum, operating as a subsidiary of Empower under CEO Jay Shah.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wealth Management

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) Wealth Management (FSAEABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Digital/Hybrid RIAs (Robo-Enabled, Tech-Forward) (FSAAACAJ), Financial Planning–Led RIAs (FSAAACAB)

Keywords

• Wealth management services
• Financial planning tools
• Investment advisory services
• Registered investment advisor
• Robo-advisory platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Redwood Shores

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations

Revenue model

1. Advisory Services: Personal Capital generates revenue through fee-based advisory services for high-net-worth individuals. The firm charges management fees calculated based on the amount of assets under management, with a $100,000 minimum investment threshold and average initial client investment of approximately $400,000.
2. Investment Management Platform: The company raised $75 million in funding, supporting its robo-advisory platform operations. Customer acquisition costs in the sector range from $300-$1,000 per client.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Personal Capital operates as a virtual registered investment advisor (RIA) providing hybrid wealth management that combines algorithmic investment management with human financial advisors. The firm offers personalized financial planning, investment management, tax optimization, retirement planning, and legacy planning services to high-net-worth individuals with a $100,000 minimum investment threshold. It also distributes financial planning tools to corporate employees through the WealthSpark partnership with Alight Solutions and AllianceBernstein.

Product overview

Personal Capital is a virtual registered investment advisor (RIA) offering a unified wealth management platform with a tiered service model. The core offering includes personalized financial planning and investment advisory services with a $100,000 minimum investment threshold. The company has developed a partnership with Alight Solutions and AllianceBernstein called WealthSpark to market financial planning tools to corporate clients. Personal Capital operates with approximately 209 advisors and has grown assets under management to $7 billion from $4.2 billion a year ago, with average client investment of approximately $400,000 per client.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wealth Management Services Virtual registered investment advisory (RIA) services offering personalized financial planning and investment management with a tiered service model starting at a $100,000 minimum investment, targeted at high-net-worth individuals with average investments of approximately $400,000.
• WealthSpark Financial planning tools marketed to corporate clients for employee wealth management, distributed through Alight Solutions' 1,400 corporate client companies as a B2B2C partnership-enabled offering.

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Alight SolutionscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 24 January 2026Personal Capital formed a partnership with Alight Solutions and AllianceBernstein called WealthSpark to market financial planning tools to Alight's 1,400 corporate client companies. This B2B2C partnership enables distribution of Personal Capital's wealth management services through employer benefit platforms.
• AllianceBernsteincoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 January 2026AllianceBernstein joined with Personal Capital and Alight Solutions in the WealthSpark partnership to provide financial planning tools to corporate employees. AllianceBernstein contributes investment management expertise to the collaborative offering.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Vanguard Personal Advisor Services: Vanguard Personal Advisor Services is the most direct competitor, offering hybrid robo + human advisor wealth management services. Vanguard's 600+ advisor force outnumbers Personal Capital's 209, and Vanguard competes on brand and fees. The two firms are explicitly compared in the data, with Personal Capital leading on organic net new asset growth.
• Betterment: Betterment is one of the largest independent robo-advisors and competes directly with Personal Capital in automated wealth management. Both target affluent consumers with digital-first advice, though Betterment is more purely algorithmic and has raised comparable funding ($100M+). Cited as a direct competitor in the provided data.
• Wealthfront: Wealthfront is a leading independent robo-advisor offering automated portfolio management, financial planning, and direct indexing. It competes directly with Personal Capital in the digital wealth management space, primarily targeting younger, tech-forward investors with lower minimums. Both compete for the same digitally-engaged affluent customer.

Broad incumbents

• Schwab Intelligent Portfolios: Schwab Intelligent Portfolios is Schwab's robo-advisory offering, integrated into the broader Schwab brokerage ecosystem. As an incumbent, Schwab offers lower-cost access to automated wealth management at scale, with strong brand and asset-gathering capabilities that compete with Personal Capital's premium hybrid offering.
• Fidelity Go: Fidelity Go is Fidelity's digital advisory service, leveraging Fidelity's massive 401(k) and retail customer base. As a broad incumbent, Fidelity offers low-cost automated investing integrated with broader financial services, competing for the same affluent hybrid-advice customer that Personal Capital targets.
• Merrill Lynch Guided Investing: Merrill Lynch Guided Investing is Bank of America's hybrid digital + human advisor wealth management offering. As an incumbent within a major wirehouse, Merrill offers brand, scale, and integrated banking/wealth services, competing for HNW clients that Personal Capital serves through its tiered hybrid model.

Emerging players

• SigFig: SigFig is a digital wealth management platform that raised $40M and competes directly in the automated portfolio management market alongside Personal Capital and Betterment. While smaller in scale, SigFig focuses on bank partnerships and enterprise distribution, with some overlap with Personal Capital's WealthSpark partnership approach.
• Facet Wealth: Facet Wealth is a tech-forward hybrid RIA offering personalized financial planning with access to CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER professionals at lower minimums than traditional wealth managers. It targets the same underserved HNW segment as Personal Capital but with a younger, more digital-native approach and lower entry thresholds.
• Ellevest: Ellevest is a digital wealth management platform focused on women investors, offering automated portfolios and financial planning. It operates in the same digital wealth management category as Personal Capital but with a niche-vertical focus, representing an emerging player with partial overlap in target customer segments.
• Robinhood Gold / Advisory: Robinhood has expanded from commission-free trading into managed portfolios and advisory services. While historically focused on younger retail investors, Robinhood is moving upmarket with hybrid offerings that increasingly overlap with Personal Capital's digital wealth management proposition, representing a fast-moving emerging competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PersonalCapital
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCFPLlGp16vPjBb-G7SnUWhQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/PersonalCapital
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/empowertoday
• Instagraminstagram.com/officialempowertoday
• TikToktiktok.com/@empowertoday?lang=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds10 records

Investors13 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Personal Capital