Guides › Financial Advisor Fees
Updated September 17, 2026. Quick answer: Raymond James is less expensive at $500,000: $13,750 a year, versus $14,750 a year for LPL, computed from each firm’s own SEC-filed fee disclosure. See the full side-by-side table below for $250,000, $1 million and $2 million.
What each firm charges, side by side
| Account balance | LPL (annual fee) | Raymond James (annual fee) |
|---|---|---|
| $250,000 | $7,375 | $6,875 |
| $500,000 | $14,750 | $13,750 |
| $1,000,000 | $29,500 | $27,500 |
| $2,000,000 | $59,000 | $50,000 |
LPL discloses a maximum, individually negotiated rate of 2.95% (LPL Financial LLC Program Brochure, Form ADV Part 2A, Item 5 (“Fee Maximums”), July 1, 2026); Raymond James discloses a tiered schedule starting at 2.75% (Raymond James & Associates, Inc. Wrap Fee Program Brochure, Form ADV Part 2A Appendix 1, “Maximum Fee Schedule for AMS Managed and IAR Managed Programs”, June 26, 2026).
What the fee includes, in each firm’s own words
LPL Financial (LPL Financial LLC Program Brochure, Form ADV Part 2A, Item 5 (“Fee Maximums”), July 1, 2026): “Fee Maximums. Fee maximums vary by Program, as indicated below. … MWP: Maximum Advisory Fee 2.35%, Maximum Manager Fee 0.60%, Total Maximum Account Fee 2.95%.” Model Wealth Portfolios (MWP): 2.35% maximum Advisory Fee plus a 0.60% maximum Manager Fee.
LPL sets per-program fee ceilings rather than a single published breakpoint table; the figures above use Model Wealth Portfolios, LPL’s flagship managed-account program, at its 2.95% combined maximum. Other LPL programs cap lower (as low as 1.35% for Guided Wealth Portfolios); your actual rate depends on the program and is individually negotiated below the ceiling.
Raymond James (Raymond James & Associates, Inc. Wrap Fee Program Brochure, Form ADV Part 2A Appendix 1, “Maximum Fee Schedule for AMS Managed and IAR Managed Programs”, June 26, 2026): “We maintain a fee schedule (“maximum fee schedule”) that outlines the maximum fee rates that can be charged to clients at specific asset-level breakpoints. We calculate maximum Fees on a retroactive basis instead of on an incremental basis. As the aggregated Relationship Value reaches each higher asset tier, or “breakpoint,” the applicable Fee is reduced and assessed retroactively to the first dollar of your account assets. RJCS Equity/Balanced, Schedule A: Up to $1M, 2.75%; $1M-$2M, 2.50%; $2M-$5M, 2.25%; $5M-$10M, 2.00%; $10M+, 1.75%.”
Raymond James’s Consulting Services (RJCS) flagship program is a breakpoint schedule, not a marginal one: your entire account is billed at a single rate, based on which asset-level bracket the whole balance falls into, applied retroactively to the first dollar. The brochure publishes two rate columns for Equity/Balanced accounts, Schedule A and Schedule B, without specifying the eligibility difference between them in the sections reviewed this session; this page uses Schedule A, the higher, first-listed of the two, so the figures shown are a maximum, not a guaranteed rate. Applying each bracket boundary as inclusive of its own labeled ceiling (so a $1,000,000 account is billed at the “Up to $1M” rate and a $2,000,000 account at the “$1M-$2M” rate): $250,000 and $500,000 both fall in the “Up to $1M” bracket at 2.75%; $1,000,000 stays in that same bracket; $2,000,000 falls in the “$1M-$2M” bracket at 2.50%.
How this compares
Our benchmark of published adviser fee schedules puts the weighted median annual cost near $2,000 to $2,500 on $250,000 (the benchmark). At $500,000, LPL runs $14,750 a year and Raymond James runs $13,750 a year: a difference of $1,000 a year at that balance.
Want the full breakdown for either firm on its own? Read the LPL fee page or the Raymond James fee page for the complete tier table and source citations.
Comparing these two against a full move? Read the general mechanics of switching financial advisors, or use a dated termination letter once you decide.
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- LPL Financial LLC Program Brochure, Form ADV Part 2A, Item 5 (“Fee Maximums”) (July 1, 2026): https://files.adviserinfo.sec.gov/IAPD/Content/Common/crd_iapd_Brochure.aspx?BRCHR_VRSN_ID=1050527
- SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure, LPL Financial LLC (CRD #6413): https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/6413
- Raymond James & Associates, Inc. Wrap Fee Program Brochure, Form ADV Part 2A Appendix 1, “Maximum Fee Schedule for AMS Managed and IAR Managed Programs” (June 26, 2026): https://www.raymondjames.com/legal-disclosures
- SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure, Raymond James & Associates, Inc. (CRD #705): https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/705
Methodology. This page was built September 17, 2026, re-pairing figures already archived and independently verified for LPL and Raymond James from each firm’s own SEC-filed disclosure; sources linked above. Nothing here is personalized financial, tax, legal, or investment advice. See our Editorial Policy, Corrections, Affiliate Disclosure, and Disclaimer.
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