Wealthfront
Framework category: yield venue
Robo-advisor with managed portfolios plus a Cash Account that sweeps to FDIC program banks with high coverage limits.
Primary use
Combined managed investing plus a high-yield cash sweep with sweep coverage advertised up to roughly $8M ($16M joint). Used by many readers as the primary cash-plus-investing venue.
Redundancy role
Core yield venue. Pairs with Betterment for robo redundancy and with Marcus for an off-stack FDIC-only bank anchor.
Historical yield range
Cash Account APY has historically been quoted around 3.30% base, with promotional boosts to roughly 3.95% to 4.20%. Direct investing accounts have no APY; expected return is market-dependent. Rates change weekly; verify before deploying.
Integration notes
Regulatory: Wealthfront Advisers is SEC-registered; Wealthfront Brokerage is FINRA/SIPC; Cash Account cash is swept to FDIC-insured program banks. Fees: no trading commissions on managed investing; no payment-for-order-flow; some cash/card fees (out-of-network ATM $2.50 plus owner fee, international transaction fees). No lockup. Cash interest accrues daily, paid monthly.
Watch-outs
Market loss risk in investing accounts; APY can change at any time; FDIC coverage depends on sweep mechanics and per-bank limits; SIPC does not protect against market losses; promotional rates expire.