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If you signed up for Personal Capital years ago and now see “Empower” branding, or if you’re searching “Empower vs Personal Capital” trying to figure out which is which, here’s the answer: they’re the same product. Personal Capital was acquired by Empower in 2020 and rebranded in 2023. This guide covers the full timeline, what changed, what didn’t, and what to do if you have an old Personal Capital account.

For broader Empower context, see Is Empower Worth It?.

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What’s in this guide

The short answer

Personal Capital is now Empower Personal Wealth. Same app, same features, same team — just different name.

The transition:

  • August 2020: Empower (a major retirement-plan administrator) acquired Personal Capital for $825 million.
  • 2020-2022: Personal Capital continued operating under its own brand while integration progressed.
  • February 2023: Personal Capital was officially rebranded to Empower Personal Wealth (Personal Dashboard for free tools, Personal Wealth for advisory).

Your existing Personal Capital account, login, and data all carried over.

Timeline — Personal Capital to Empower

  • 2009: Personal Capital founded by Bill Harris (former CEO of PayPal) and Rob Foregger.
  • 2010-2019: Grew rapidly. Became known for its free wealth dashboard with the Investment Checkup, Fee Analyzer, and Retirement Planner.
  • August 2020: Empower Retirement (subsidiary of Great-West Lifeco) announces acquisition of Personal Capital for $825M.
  • End of 2020: Acquisition closes.
  • 2021: Integration begins. Marketing emphasizes “Personal Capital, an Empower company.”
  • February 2023: Official rebrand to Empower Personal Wealth.
  • 2023-2025: Continued integration with Empower’s broader platform (401(k) administration, etc.).
  • 2026: Empower Personal Wealth + Personal Dashboard are the current names; “Personal Capital” no longer used in marketing.

What changed in the rebrand

  • Name: Personal Capital → Empower Personal Wealth.
  • App icon: Updated to Empower’s branding.
  • Domain: personalcapital.com still works (redirects to empower.com or empower-specific URLs).
  • Email: support emails come from empower.com domain.
  • Owner: Now part of Empower Retirement (a subsidiary of Great-West Lifeco).
  • Tighter integration with 401(k) plans: Empower administers ~19M+ investors; integration with the dashboard means more 401(k) holders get easy linking.

What stayed the same

  • All Personal Capital features carried over: dashboard, retirement planner, fee analyzer, advisory.
  • Pricing structure remained same initially.
  • Existing user accounts transferred automatically — no need to re-sign-up.
  • Linked accounts stayed linked.
  • Net worth history retained.
  • Customer service team continued (largely same staff).
  • Yodlee aggregator unchanged.
  • Custodian for advisory accounts (Schwab) unchanged.

If you signed up for Personal Capital years ago, your account is still active under Empower. Same email, same password.

Why Empower bought Personal Capital

Strategic reasons for the acquisition:

  1. Expand beyond 401(k) administration: Empower’s core business was 401(k) plans; Personal Capital gave them a consumer-facing personal finance dashboard.
  2. Cross-sell: Empower can introduce 401(k) participants to advisory services.
  3. Brand recognition: Personal Capital had strong consumer brand awareness.
  4. Wealth management margin: Advisory fees (0.49-0.89% AUM) are more lucrative than 401(k) administration.
  5. Customer acquisition: The free dashboard funnels new customers.

In retrospect, the acquisition was strategically successful: it transformed Empower from a B2B 401(k) administrator into a vertically-integrated personal finance platform.

Old Personal Capital login — does it still work

Yes. Your Personal Capital email + password should work on empower.com.

Steps:

  1. Visit empower.com.
  2. Click “Sign In.”
  3. Enter your Personal Capital email and password.
  4. You’re logged in to Empower. All your data (linked accounts, net worth history, retirement plans) is intact.

If your old password doesn’t work, click “Forgot Password” — Empower’s reset flow uses the same email you originally used with Personal Capital.

Did Empower change anything about the product

Mostly improvements:

  • Better integration with 401(k) plans Empower administers.
  • Newer mobile app with refreshed UI.
  • Some advisory tier consolidation.
  • Yodlee continues as the data aggregator.
  • More partner integrations (newer banks added).

A few changes some users noted:

  • Sales calls increased — Empower’s larger sales team reaches out more.
  • Some Personal Capital quirks (e.g., specific report layouts) changed.
  • Customer service hours standardized to Empower’s broader operations.

For most users, the experience is similar with minor improvements.

Pricing changes since the rebrand

  • Free dashboard: still genuinely free.
  • Advisory fees: similar to Personal Capital’s pre-acquisition rates (0.49-0.89% AUM).
  • Specific fee schedules may have minor adjustments based on asset levels.

If you locked in a Personal Capital rate before the rebrand, your advisory rate typically continues at the agreed-upon level.

What if I have a Personal Capital advisory account

If you have an active Personal Capital paid advisory (now Empower Personal Wealth):

  • Account stays active — assets at Schwab (the custodian) are unchanged.
  • Your advisor relationship likely continues with the same team.
  • Quarterly reviews continue normally.
  • Fee structure remains as agreed.

If you want to cancel: contact your advisor or Empower support directly. See How to Cancel Empower.

If you have an old Personal Capital account, just sign into empower.com with your original credentials. Everything carries over.

Sign in to Empower →

Track every account in one free dashboard Empower’s free Personal Dashboard tracks net worth, retirement readiness, and fees across your bank, brokerage, and 401(k) accounts. Try Empower Free →

FAQ

Did the Personal Capital founders leave?

Bill Harris (founder, former CEO) had departed before the acquisition. Other early team members transitioned out over 2-3 years.

Is Personal Capital still operating as a separate brand?

No. The Personal Capital brand is fully retired. All marketing and product use Empower Personal Wealth and Personal Dashboard.

Can I still find Personal Capital in app stores?

Searching “Personal Capital” usually leads to Empower Personal Dashboard. App store records were updated.

Did pricing change with the rebrand?

Initial pricing stayed similar. Empower has made minor adjustments since.

Did my Personal Capital subscription rate carry over?

Free dashboard users have no subscription. Paid advisory clients typically retained their original fee structure.

Is Empower Personal Wealth a different product or just renamed Personal Capital?

Same product, renamed. Existing users didn’t have to download a new app.

What about my data privacy with the new owner?

Empower’s privacy policy is similar to Personal Capital’s. Both used Yodlee as the aggregator. Privacy practices were not materially changed.

Can I delete my old Personal Capital data?

Yes. The data is now Empower data. Delete your account through Empower’s standard process.

Is the Empower free dashboard the same as Personal Capital’s was?

Yes — same dashboard, same tools, same fundamental value proposition.

Will Empower rebrand again?

No public plans. The Empower-branded strategy is consistent.

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