Edward Jones & Co. is piloting a program called Edward Jones Digital Managed Solutions, a mostly automated investment platform that offers users some assistance from remote advisors.

The program marks the St. Louis-based brokerage’s latest move to modernize its 100-year-old model. It requires a minimum investment of $5,000, charges a 0.65% annual fee and is staffed by newly hired advisors compensated with a salary and “merit-based” discretionary bonuses. 

Will Trout, a principal at Datos Insights who works with wealth firms but has not advised Edward Jones, addressed questions about the platform launch. 

AdvisorHub: What is your big-picture view of Edward Jones’ new platform?

Will Trout: Edward Jones’ Digital Managed Solutions is a pragmatic response to market evolution, not a threat to advisors or evidence the advisor model is obsolete. The firm is building what modern advisory platforms need: the ability to serve clients across different preferences and life stages. Some want self-serve tools, others want relationships, and many want both at different times. 

The real story is how effectively Edward Jones integrates the digital platform with its advisor network. If genuinely complementary—digital as entry, advisor as upgrade—Edward Jones leverages a distribution advantage that competitors like Fidelity and Schwab can’t readily replicate. Execution details—advisor compensation, integration, marketing—will determine success.

AH: What is the critical question for this strategy?

WT: Can Edward Jones position Digital Managed Solutions as complementary to its advisor network rather than competitive? If advisors embrace it as a way to serve more clients—including self-serve—the advisor network becomes strong. If seen as cannibalizing relationships, it becomes a problem. So far, Edward Jones appears to be framing it as an entry product and advisor tool, not a replacement.  

AH: What should advisors clarify with Edward Jones?

WT: How will Digital Managed Solutions integrate with advisor workflows, and will advisors receive compensation for clients migrating from the digital platform? That determines whether advisors see this as recruitment or threat. What AUM level is the platform targeting, and how does that overlap with typical advisor books? What does the client journey look like from digital to advisor-led? Are there built-in touchpoints for advisor engagement, or do clients self-select?

AH: Is it a surprise that Edward Jones is developing a hybrid robo solution? What does it say about advisor obsolescence?

WT: Edward Jones recognized what major platforms already learned: younger clients expect digital access alongside traditional advisor relationships. The deliberate launch approach suggests focus on building the right product rather than rushing to market.

The local-advisor model remains competitive in rural and mid-market America where Edward Jones has deep relationships and branch presence. That’s a different distribution model than Fidelity and Schwab have built. 

So this release doesn’t signal advisor obsolescence. It signals that different client segments have different preferences. Some younger clients start with self-serve tools and access advisors when needed. Others prefer traditional relationships from the start. Edward Jones is building optionality for both.

AH: Is Edward Jones late to the hybrid-digital-human model party?

WT: Edward Jones is moving thoughtfully. Fidelity and Schwab launched services in 2015. Wells Fargo, Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley and UBS all launched similar services between 2016 and 2017. Edward Jones is announcing rollout in August 2026 with broad availability mid-2027. But there’s a difference between being early and being effective.

Early movers have iterated and refined their platforms over that time. Edward Jones has observed what works and what doesn’t. They’re launching into a proven category, not an experiment. 

AH: Given Edward Jones’ delayed entry, and the fact that some firms, including UBS have abandoned these efforts, is there room for another player?

WT: The timing is a bit late but not disqualifying.  

UBS launched Advice Advantage around 2017 as a digital entry point for affluent clients. It didn’t survive as a standalone offering. Why? UBS’s pricing model didn’t find a clear market position: cost-conscious clients went to Fidelity or Schwab, while UBS’s core clients wanted the full advisory relationship. UBS’s brand (ultra-high-net-worth wealth management) didn’t align with a self-serve digital offering. 

Edward Jones enters from a different market position. Its core brand is accessible advice for middle-market and mass-affluent clients. Digital-first access is a natural extension. Edward Jones advisors in mid-market and rural America serve clients who may prefer starting with self-serve tools and accessing an advisor when needed. Edward Jones also has distribution advantages that larger firms lacked with a more regional presence.

Is there room for another player? Yes, if positioned correctly. 

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