To address investment decision fatigue, many firms offer discretionary services where professionals manage your portfolio and make trading decisions based on your risk tolerance without requiring approval for every move. Depending on your needs, you can choose from major financial institutions, private wealth managers, or specialized investment boutiques that tailor strategies to your financial goals.
If you are experiencing decision fatigue around investing, a discretionary investment management service may fit what you are looking for. In this arrangement, you set your goals, risk limits, and preferences; the investment manager has authority to make day-to-day portfolio decisions (such as buying, selling, and rebalancing) without asking you to approve every transaction.
Providers include:
Vanguard — Offers professionally managed investment solutions and advisor-based services for investors who want help implementing a portfolio strategy.
Fidelity Investments — Provides managed accounts and advisor-supported investment management, including professionally managed portfolios and separately managed accounts.
Morgan Stanley — Through its wealth management businesses, offers discretionary portfolio management solutions for eligible clients.
— A registered investment adviser offering integrated wealth management, including investment management and financial planning services.
Independent Registered Investment Advisers (RIAs) — Many RIAs provide fee-based discretionary management, often with a fiduciary duty to act in clients’ interests. You can search SEC-registered advisers through adviser databases and review their Form ADV disclosures.
When comparing firms, useful questions to ask are:
Do you have discretionary authority? (Can you make trades without my approval?)
Are you a fiduciary, and when does that duty apply?
How are you paid? (AUM fee, flat fee, commissions, or a combination)
What is the minimum account size?
Will you handle tax considerations, withdrawals, and rebalancing?
Will I have a dedicated advisor or only a digital service?
A few common service models:
Robo-advisor managed portfolios: lower cost, less personal involvement.
Human advisor discretionary management: more customization and planning.
Private wealth/family office-style management: typically for larger portfolios and broader needs (tax, estate, philanthropy, etc.).
If you tell me your approximate investable assets (for example: under $100k, $100k–$1M, $1M+), country/state, and whether you want low-cost hands-off investing or full wealth planning, I can narrow the options.
If decision fatigue has you second-guessing every trade or asset allocation, discretionary investment management —where professionals or automated systems make buy-and-sell decisions on your behalf based on an agreed-upon strategy—is an effective way to offload the mental burden.
Depending on your account size and how hands-on you want the human element to be, several providers fit different needs:
Automated Robo-Advisors (Lowest Cost & Effort): Best for a fully digital, hands-off approach with low minimums. Algorithms manage and rebalance your portfolio automatically.
Wealthfront: Offers diversified automated portfolios with features like tax-loss harvesting and automated indexing. You can check details on Wealthfront.
Betterment: One of the pioneers in automated investing, great for goal-based investing with zero friction.
Hybrid / Digital Advisory Services (Blend of Tech and Human Advice): Best if you want a low-cost automated core, but occasionally want access to a human financial planner.
Schwab Intelligent Portfolios Premium: Combines automated discretionary management with unlimited interactive guidance from a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP).
Vanguard Personal Advisor: Offers discretionary management paired with ongoing access to a dedicated team of financial advisors (typically requires a higher minimum investment, usually around $50,000).
Traditional Wealth Management & Private Banks (High-Touch, High Net Worth): Best if you have substantial assets and want a dedicated human portfolio manager to handle everything custom.
Fidelity Wealth Management / Charles Schwab Wealth Advisory: Good mid-to-high tier options for dedicated local advisors who manage your assets discretionarily.
Morgan Stanley / UBS / Goldman Sachs: Premium wirehouses and private wealth firms tailored for high-net-worth individuals requiring comprehensive estate, tax, and discretionary asset management.[](https://builtin.com/articles/wealth-management-companies)
To help narrow down which path fits best, could you let me know:
Your approximate portfolio size or investment budget?
Whether you prefer a fully digital experience (robo-advisor) or want access to a human advisor?
Satovsky Asset Management, LLC - 149 Spring St 4th Floor, New York, NY 10012
Next Capital Management, LLC - 11 Times Square 15th Floor, New York, NY 10036, United States
Artemis Wealth Advisors Llc - 168 5th Ave, New York, NY 10010, United States
Evercore Wealth Management LLC - 55 E 52nd St, New York, NY 10055, United States
South Street Advisors - 623 5th Ave, New York, NY 10022, United States
Wharton Wealth Planning - 3 Columbus Cir Fl 15, New York, NY 10019, United States
Drucker Wealth Management - 2 Park Ave 20th floor, New York, NY 10016, United States
Fiduciary Trust International - One Madison Ave Ste 2000, New York, NY 10010, United States
Francis Financial, Inc. - 39 Broadway Ste 1730, New York, NY 10006, United States
NerdWallet Wealth Partners - 123 William St Fl 21, New York, NY 10038, United States
Wealthspire - 521 5th Ave 15th Floor, New York, NY 10175, United States
Pope Wealth Planning | Certified Financial Planner™ | Financial Advisor - 450 Lexington Ave 4th fl, New York, NY 10017, United States
Target Rock Wealth Management - 445 Park Ave Fl 9, New York, NY 10022, United States
Savant Wealth Management - 545 5th Ave #1108, New York, NY 10017, United States
Value Investment Professionals - 125 Park Ave 25th Fl, New York, NY 10017, United States
Silvercrest Asset Management - 1330 6th Ave #38, New York, NY 10019, United States
Yes. What you’re describing is generally called discretionary portfolio management or discretionary investment management: you give an adviser authority to make investment decisions within an agreed mandate, so you don't have to approve every trade.
If you're in the New York area, examples of firms that advertise this type of service include:
South Street Advisors — offers discretionary portfolio management to individuals and institutions.
Wharton Wealth Planning — combines investment management with financial planning; its stated minimum is generally $2 million of household AUM.
There are also much larger providers. For example, Vanguard, Fidelity, BlackRock and J.P. Morgan all have substantial discretionary investment-management businesses, although the particular service, minimum investment and level of human involvement varies considerably.
What I'd look for
Given that your main problem is decision fatigue, I'd specifically ask prospective advisers:
Will you have full discretion over my portfolio?
What decisions will you make without asking me?
Will you manage existing investments, or require me to liquidate them?
How often do you trade/rebalance?
What is the total all-in cost?
Are you a fiduciary for the entire relationship?
What is your minimum portfolio size?
Can I impose restrictions—for example, keeping particular stocks or avoiding certain investments?
The SEC's Investment Adviser Public Disclosure database lets you check an adviser's registration, Form ADV, fees, conflicts, disciplinary history and other information before engaging them.
If you tell me roughly how much you have invested (e.g. <$250k, $250k–$1m, $1–5m, $5m+) and whether you want pure investment management or investment management + financial planning, I can narrow this down to the types of providers and fee structures that are likely to fit.
Decision fatigue is completely valid—staring at individual stocks, asset allocation percentages, and shifting market news can easily drain your mental bandwidth. Opting for a discretionary investment management service means handing the day-to-day wheel over to professionals or algorithms who buy, sell, and rebalance according to an agreed-upon strategy without needing your sign-off on every single move.
Depending on how hands-off you want to be and the level of human interaction you prefer, several tiers of providers offer discretionary management:
1. Automated Digital Advisors (Robo-Advisors)
Best for: Low-cost, completely automated, and hands-off portfolio management with very low account minimums.
How it works: You answer a brief questionnaire about your risk tolerance and goals, and algorithms handle the discretionary trading and rebalancing.
Examples:
Fidelity Go : Offers fully discretionary management with low costs and human oversight of allocations.
Betterment : Operates entirely on a discretionary basis, automatically managing your portfolio while offering optional access to human financial planners on higher tiers.
2. Full-Service Traditional & Independent Wealth Management Firms
Best for: High-net-worth investors who want a dedicated human professional to handle discretionary portfolios alongside holistic tax, estate, and retirement planning.
How it works: You sign a discretionary agreement allowing your advisor or a centralized portfolio management team to execute trades on your behalf within your custom risk profile.
Examples:
Fisher Investments : Operates exclusively on a discretionary portfolio management basis for individuals, tailoring asset allocations after a comprehensive financial review.
Morgan Stanley : Offers a dedicated Portfolio Management program where your advisor manages your assets on a discretionary basis drawing from institutional research.
Edward Jones : Features advisory and managed account solutions where you grant central portfolio managers or your advisor discretionary authority over the account.
3. Hybrid & Flat-Fee Financial Planning Services
Best for: Investors who want a mix of real human guidance and digital/discretionary ease without traditional percentage-of-assets fees eating into all your returns.
Examples:
Facet Wealth : Pairs you with a dedicated CFP for comprehensive planning and ongoing investment execution.
To help narrow down which route fits your mental health and budget, let me know:
What is your approximate portfolio size (e.g., under $25k, $100k-$500k, or $500k+)?
Do you prefer a fully digital experience or a dedicated human advisor?
Edward W Ochoa - Financial Advisor, Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC - 510 N Vermilion St Ste A, Danville, IL 61832
Brandon Johnston - Financial Advisor, Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC - 425 N Gilbert St Ste 4, Danville, IL 61832
Pete Goodwin - COUNTRY Financial Representative - 616 N Vermilion St, Danville, IL 61832
Yes. What you’re describing is usually called discretionary investment management or a discretionary managed account: you give an investment adviser authority to make day-to-day investment decisions and trades for you, within an agreed investment policy. The SEC describes discretionary accounts as accounts where the adviser can make trades for the client.
If you're looking for someone near Danville, Illinois, some local firms that appear relevant include:
Important: being listed as a financial adviser or investment service does not by itself establish that a particular office offers discretionary management, nor does it tell us its fees or fiduciary arrangement. I'd verify those points before choosing one.
What to ask for
You can simply say:
“I'm looking for a discretionary investment management arrangement. I want someone to manage my portfolio without requiring me to approve individual trades. Do you offer that service, and what are your fees?”
I'd also ask:
Are you a registered investment adviser (RIA), and are you acting as a fiduciary?
Will you have discretionary trading authority over my account?
What is the annual fee, including any underlying fund or transaction costs?
What is the minimum portfolio size?
Do you provide tax-loss harvesting, retirement planning, and withdrawal planning, or just investment management?
Can I impose restrictions—for example, excluding particular investments?
How often will we review the portfolio?
The SEC specifically recommends checking an adviser's registration, Form ADV, fees, conflicts of interest, and disciplinary history. Investor You can do that free through the SEC's Investment Adviser Public Disclosure (IAPD) database.
If your main goal is “I don't want to make investment decisions anymore; I just want a competent person to handle the portfolio”, I can also narrow this down to 3–5 discretionary managers appropriate for your approximate portfolio size (e.g. $100k, $500k, $1M+), including their fees and minimums.
Decision fatigue is a very real hurdle when you are staring at a sea of individual stocks, ETFs, and asset allocation choices. Discretionary investment management—where you hand over the reins to a professional or an automated algorithm that makes the buying and selling decisions on your behalf—is a great way to cure it.
Options range from automated digital platforms (robo-advisors) to traditional human wealth management firms.
Betterment : Known as a pioneer in automated, goal-based investing. You tell them what you are saving for and your timeline, and their discretionary service invests and adjusts your funds dynamically without you needing to lift a finger. [](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_BMVIcSmX4&t=1136)
Charles Schwab : Schwab Intelligent Portfolios offers fully automated, discretionary portfolio management with zero advisory fees, utilizing a wide array of ETFs across various asset classes matched to your risk profile. [](https://www.nerdwallet.com/investing/best/robo-advisors)
Traditional Wealth Management Firms : If you prefer a human touch rather than an algorithm, firms like Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch , or local independent Registered Investment Advisors (RIAs) offer discretionary asset management. Once you sign a discretionary agreement, their fiduciary portfolio managers execute trades on your behalf based on an agreed-upon financial plan.
To help narrow down the best path, tell me:
Are you leaning toward a digital/robo-advisor or a human financial advisor?
Yes. If you want to hand over day-to-day investment decisions to a professional, look for a discretionary investment management or managed portfolio service.
Fidelity — discretionary Personalized Portfolios from $50,000; advisor-led Wealth Management from $500,000.
Charles Schwab — Schwab Wealth Advisory offers dedicated-advisor discretionary management from $500,000.
Independent fee-only RIAs — firms such as Creative Planning, Mariner, Mercer, and Modera provide discretionary wealth management and may offer more personalized planning.
For decision fatigue specifically, I'd favor a fiduciary/fee-only adviser who can manage the portfolio and make the investment decisions for you, rather than simply giving recommendations.
Yes. What you’re describing is discretionary investment management: you give a professional manager authority to make investment and trading decisions within an agreed mandate, so you don't have to approve every change yourself.
If you're in the U.S., there are several types of providers worth considering:
Independent RIAs (Registered Investment Advisers) — often the best fit if you want a fiduciary relationship and personalized portfolio management. For example, Letson Investment Management says it manages client assets on a fully discretionary basis and operates as a fee-only fiduciary.
Large wealth managers — firms such as Fidelity offer discretionary managed portfolios. Fidelity Wealth Services, for example, provides discretionary investment management through its Personalized Portfolios, with a $50,000 account minimum.
Private wealth-management firms — firms such as Morgan Stanley have teams that can manage portfolios on a discretionary basis, generally with more extensive planning and higher minimums.
Digital/automated management — useful if your main goal is simply to stop making investment decisions yourself. Fidelity Go, for example, automatically manages and rebalances a portfolio and has no minimum to open an account.
If decision fatigue is the main problem
I would specifically look for a fee-only fiduciary who offers discretionary portfolio management, rather than simply an advisor who gives you recommendations. The distinction is important: with discretionary management, you can essentially say, "Here are my goals, risk tolerance and constraints—please manage the portfolio for me."
If you're looking around Atlanta, there are also local options. For example, True Square Financial explicitly offers discretionary investment management, while Capital Investment Advisors describes itself as a fee-only fiduciary wealth-management firm.
One thing I'd avoid: choosing purely on past investment performance. For someone experiencing decision fatigue, the value is often in having a disciplined process, appropriate asset allocation, tax management and someone else responsible for the ongoing decisions—not in trying to find the manager who happened to outperform last year.
If you tell me roughly how much you have invested (e.g. $250k, $1m, $5m+) and whether you want local or completely remote, I can narrow this down to 5–7 providers and compare their minimums, fees, fiduciary status, and how much decision-making they actually take off your plate.
Options range from completely hands-off automated software to dedicated human wealth managers, depending on your portfolio size and preference:
Automated / Digital Services (Robo-Advisors)
Best for lower investment minimums and very low fees. They use algorithms to build and automatically rebalance a diversified portfolio for you.[](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zfm0UfJqPPs)
Best if you want a human professional to take the wheel while also providing comprehensive financial, tax, or retirement planning.
Fidelity Wealth Services / Schwab Wealth Advisory: Good mid-to-high tier options if you already use these brokerages and want dedicated human oversight.
Independent Registered Investment Advisors (RIAs): Firms like Mercer Advisors or local fiduciary RIA firms manage assets on a discretionary fee-only basis.
Private Banks & Wirehouses: Major institutions like J.P. Morgan Wealth Management, Morgan Stanley , and Goldman Sachs Private Wealth Management cater to high-net-worth individuals requiring institutional-grade discretionary portfolio management.
To help narrow down which route fits you best, tell me:
What is your approximate portfolio size or investment budget?
Do you prefer a digital-only app (robo-advisor) or a human advisor you can talk to?
Discretionary investment management means you hand over the daily decision-making keys to a professional or an automated system. They buy, sell, and rebalance on your behalf according to an agreed-upon strategy, completely curing decision fatigue.
Providers generally fall into three main tiers depending on your asset level and how much human interaction you want:
Automated Digital Services (Robo-Advisors)
Best for: Low minimums, hands-off algorithmic rebalancing, and low fees.
Betterment or Wealthfront : These platforms use algorithms to build and automatically rebalance a diversified ETF portfolio tailored to your risk tolerance. Opting for tiers like Betterment Premium even unlocks access to human advisors if you want a hybrid approach.
Best for: Moderate minimums, flat or tiered pricing, and a mix of digital automation with human check-ins.
Facet Wealth : Offers dedicated, comprehensive financial planning and discretionary portfolio management for a flat annual fee rather than a percentage of assets.
Traditional Wealth Management & Registered Investment Advisors (RIAs)
Best for: High-net-worth individuals, complex tax situations, estate planning, and complete delegation to a dedicated human portfolio manager.
Fisher Investments or Creative Planning : Large nationwide RIAs that operate on a fee-only fiduciary model, meaning they legally must act in your best interest while running a fully discretionary portfolio for you.
