Guided Investing by First Citizens Investor Services

Automated investing to support your unique goals

Your goals, our guidance

If you're looking for an automated, research-backed investment tool, First Citizens Guided Investing was designed with you in mind. Once you answer a few simple questions, we'll recommend a portfolio based on your unique aspirations, time horizons and risk tolerance, and you can monitor and make changes at your own pace.

Get started with Guided Investing

Ready to get started?

Guided Investing At A Glance
Invest with direction

First Citizens Guided Investing helps take the guesswork out of building a portfolio by providing models based on our team's best thinking.

  • Stay on track with automatic rebalancing
  • Adjust your risk tolerance at any time
  • Open individual and joint taxable investment accounts, as well as traditional and Roth IRAs
  • $5,000 balance required to get started
  • 0.3% annualized management fee on the assets in your account—charged monthly in advance

How to get started

Follow these steps to start investing with Guided Investing through First Citizens Investor Services.

Step 1
Log in to Digital Banking

Log in to your Digital Banking account, select Open an Investment Account in the sidebar and select Guided Investing. Guided Investing is available to existing customers enrolled in Digital Banking.

Step 2
Answer some questions

Select from a traditional or Roth IRA—or an individual or joint taxable brokerage account—then share your time horizon and risk appetite. Guided Investing will recommend a model based on your preferences.

Step 3
Complete your account details

You'll need to provide proof of US citizenship, your Social Security number, legal address and a few other details explained in the account-opening process. Once submitted, you'll receive a response in 2 to 3 business days.

Step 4
Fund your account

Transfer funds into your account via ACH transfer, wire transfer or a transfer of securities.

Step 5
Manage your account

Once opened, your new account will appear on your Digital Banking dashboard in 1 business day for convenient access.

Investment and insurance products are not a deposit, not FDIC-insured, not guaranteed by First Citizens, not insured by any federal government agency and may lose value.

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Guided Investing FAQ
People often ask us

We recommend a model portfolio to you based on an analysis of your risk tolerance as determined by an interactive questionnaire. Included in the questionnaire are questions about your appetite for investment risk, investment time horizon and investing experience. We then generate a recommended investment portfolio based on your responses. Our portfolios have been developed using a combination of investing experience and academic analysis. They're intended to benefit from an asset allocation and diversification approach aligned with your risk tolerance.

Yes. You must be at least 18 years old and a US citizen with a permanent US address to open a Guided Investing account. The process is fast and easy, and it can be done entirely online in about 5 to 10 minutes. The minimum initial investment is $5,000 per account.

No. You can't change allocations or add or remove certain securities, but you can update your risk tolerance at any time to explore what other portfolios might look like. We build our portfolios based on an analysis of each client's risk tolerance, which is gathered through an interactive questionnaire. The portfolios are intended to benefit from diversification and are structured to reflect your risk tolerance.

If you feel you have more complex needs, we have financial professionals who can provide additional advice and planning. To learn more, contact us at 877-269-4932 and choose the appropriate option from the voice menu.

This material is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be an offer, specific investment strategy, recommendation, or solicitation to purchase or sell any security or insurance product, and should not be construed as legal, tax, or accounting advice. Please consult with your legal or tax advisor regarding the particular facts and circumstances of your situation prior to making any financial decision. While we believe that the information presented is from reliable sources, we do not represent, warrant, or guarantee that it is accurate or complete.

Links to third-party websites may have a privacy policy different from First Citizens Bank and may provide less security than this website. First Citizens Bank and its affiliates are not responsible for the products, services, and content on any third-party website.

Third parties mentioned are not affiliated with First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company.

Your investments in securities and insurance products are not insured by the FDIC or any other federal government agency and may lose value. They are not deposits or other obligations of, or guaranteed by, any bank or bank affiliate and are subject to investment risks, including possible loss of the principal amounts invested. Past performance does not guarantee future results. There is no guarantee that a strategy will achieve its objective.

About the Entities, Brands, Products and Services Offered

First Citizens Wealth® (FCW) is a registered trademark of First Citizens BancShares, Inc., a bank holding company. The following affiliates of First Citizens BancShares Inc. are the entities through which FCW products and services are offered. Brokerage products and services are offered through First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. (FCIS), a registered broker-dealer, Member FINRA and SIPC. Advisory services are offered through FCIS, First Citizens Asset Management, Inc. (FCAM), and SVB Wealth LLC (SVBW), all SEC registered investment advisers. Certain brokerage and advisory products and services may not be available from all investment professionals, in all jurisdictions, or to all investors. Insurance products are offered through FCIS, a licensed insurance agency. Banking, lending, trust products and services, and certain insurance products are offered by First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company, Member FDIC, and an Equal Housing Lender icon: sys-ehl, and First Citizens Delaware Trust Company.

For more information about FCIS, FCAM, or SVBW and its investment professionals, visit: FirstCitizens.com/Wealth/Disclosures.

See more about First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. and our investment professionals at FINRA BrokerCheck.