Does Wealthfront offer any referral benefits?

Both eligible existing clients and prospects have the opportunity to benefit from Wealthfront’s referral programs, which we outline below.

Platform Referral Program

Enables eligible clients and prospects to receive a 0.75% Annual Percentage Yield (APY) Boost for 3-months (on balances up to $150,000), 0.50% investing deposit match for 3-months (on deposits up to $100,000), or both benefits if qualifying accounts are opened within 30-days.

What types of accounts are eligible for the Platform Referral program?

How can I earn both a 0.75% APY Boost and 0.50% investing deposit match?

Once your friend signs up for an eligible Wealthfront account from your referral, you’ll have 30 days to earn an APY boost, investing deposit match, or both.

To earn the 0.75% APY boost: If you already have a funded Cash Account, interest from your APY boost will automatically begin accruing within 24-hours following the day your friend opens and funds a new Cash Account. If you don’t already have a Cash Account, you’ll have 30 days from when your friend signs up from your referral to open and fund your Cash Account to earn the APY boost. 

To earn the 0.50% investing deposit match: If you already have an eligible investing account, you’ll be eligible to receive the investing deposit match once your friend opens and funds an eligible investing account. If you don’t already have an eligible investing account, you’ll have 30 days from when a friend signs up from your referral to open and fund your eligible investing account.

Is there a balance limit for the 0.75% APY boost?

Yes – your 0.75% APY boost will be applied to the first $150,000 in your Cash Account.

For information on how referral programs work for Joint Cash Accounts, see this FAQ.

When does the 3-month APY boost start?

The 3-month APY boost starts once your Cash Account is opened and funded. If you already have a Cash Account, the 3-month APY boost starts once your friend signs up for an eligible Wealthfront account.

What kind of deposits and transfers are eligible for the investing match?

To earn the investing deposit match, you can make a deposit from an external account or transfer securities from an external brokerage account. You can also make a transfer from your Wealthfront Cash Account.

Is there a limit for matching investing deposits, and what is the maximum amount you can receive?

Yes. The deposit match will be made on net deposits of up to $100,000, during the 3 months window, across all of your taxable, individual investment accounts. Net deposits are counted as total deposits minus total withdrawals into the qualifying accounts.

The maximum amount you can receive is $500 (0.50% of $100,000).

How is the deposit match applied if I have multiple taxable, individual investing accounts?

The deposit match payout will be made to the taxable, individual investing account that had the highest net deposit balance during the 3-month deposit window.

Note that any deposit match payout made to a custodial account would be classified as unearned income for the minor, which may result in taxes at either the minor’s or their parents’ marginal tax rate. This can also impact the tax-gain harvesting (TGH) process (generally, more unearned income received during the year means less TGH at the end of the year) . Wealthfront does not provide tax advice. For further information on how unearned income for your child may impact your tax filing, please speak to a tax professional familiar with your personal circumstances.

How is the investing deposit match paid out?

The payout will be made in 4 quarterly installments, starting the first business day that falls 3 days after the 3-month deposit window has ended. For example, if your window ends on a Saturday, your first payout would be on a Tuesday (assuming it’s not a holiday). The payout be paid to the taxable, individual investing account that had the highest net deposit balance during the 3-month deposit window.

Your qualifying taxable, individual investing account must be in a funded state on the installment date to receive the payout. In addition, a decrease in net deposits during the payout period will result in an equivalent decrease in payout. 

Example payout calculation:

Assuming you have an eligible net deposit total of $100,000 during the match period, you would be set to receive four payments of $125. However, if you withdraw $20,000 (and make no additional deposits) during the payout phase, the $20,000 withdrawal would decrease your eligible net deposits to $80,000, and the second payout installment would be prorated at 80% of $125, becoming $100.

How many rewards can I earn?

You can send as many referrals as you’d like, but can only earn one 3-month, 0.50% investing deposit match. Completing additional referrals can extend the active Boost duration for the APY Boost, up to a maximum of 6-months across all promotions at any given time. For a full description of terms, conditions, and limitations, please refer to the full Platform Referrals Promotion terms and conditions.

Fee Waiver Program

Can result in a fee-waiver on $5,000 worth of assets held within Automated Investing Accounts at Wealthfront.

Eligibility requirements for referrers: To receive a fee waiver on up to $5,000 of assets within an Automated Investing Account, you must complete a referral to someone who isn’t already an existing client of Wealthfront’s products and services, and doesn’t name you as a secondary account holder for a Joint Automated Investing Account, or as a trustee on a Trust Automated Investing Account. Their first-ever Wealthfront account must be the Automated Investing Account, and this will need to be funded with a deposit of at least $500.

Eligibility requirements for new clients: To receive the $5,000 fee-waiver on investments held in an Automated Investing Account with Wealthfront, simply follow your friend's investment referral link to sign up and fund an account with a minimum deposit of at least $500.

Reward limits and maximums: When the eligible person you invite opens and funds an Automated Investing Account as their first-ever account, you’ll both get $5,000 managed for free. This will remain in effect so long as your friend remains a Wealthfront client. Wealthfront Advisers may, in its sole discretion and without prior notice to you, impose certain limitations or restrictions in connection with this Fee Waiver Program or any other promotion offered by Wealthfront Advisers or its affiliates, such as maximum number or value of waivers you can earn in a designated period of time, as determined by Wealthfront Advisers.

Unless prohibited by the terms and conditions of a specific promotion, clients can generally participate as a referrer in multiple referral programs. However, the maximum value of all rewards that can be received by any one person in connection with Wealthfront Advisers account referrals on a rolling 12-month basis cannot exceed $1,000. Additionally, interest received as part of the Cash Account Referral Program does not impact the maximum receivable benefit in connection to the Wealthfront Advisers account referrals.

Terms and conditions for referral programs are subject to change at any time and the full terms and conditions for our programs can be found on this webpage.