Guides › Financial Advisor Fees
Updated September 18, 2026. Quick answer: Yes, on every account. Buckingham Strategic Wealth is registered with the SEC only as an investment adviser (it is not a broker-dealer), so the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 requires it to act as your fiduciary. Its own Form CRS states: “When we act as your investment advisor, we have to act in your best interest and not put our interests ahead of yours.”
How it’s registered
From Form CRS (Client Relationship Summary) (March 31, 2025): “Focus Partners Wealth, LLC (“Focus Partners”) is an investment advisory firm registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”).”
The standard of conduct, in its own words
“When we act as your investment advisor, we have to act in your best interest and not put our interests ahead of yours.”
On commissions: “Our standard investment management fee schedule is simple, transparent, and based on a percentage of the assets managed.”
Fiduciary status by capacity
| Capacity | Registration | Standard you’re owed | Can earn commissions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| As your investment adviser | SEC-registered investment adviser | Fiduciary duty (Investment Advisers Act of 1940) | No (asset-based advisory fee: up to $6,250 a year, 1.25% on a $500,000 account, the published maximum, which the firm says is negotiable) | Form CRS (Client Relationship Summary), March 31, 2025 |
What this means for what you pay
Fiduciary status is one input, not the whole picture. Buckingham Strategic Wealth discloses a published fee that runs up to $6,250 a year on a $500,000 account (the published maximum, which the firm says is negotiable); see the full dollar breakdown from Buckingham Strategic Wealth’s own fee disclosure before deciding whether the standard of conduct here changes your answer.
If the answer above changes your mind about staying, read the general mechanics of switching financial advisors, or use a dated termination letter once you decide.
Compare your next step
Just comparing fees? Keep reading the fee guide.Optional next step
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The matching service is run by WiserAdvisor, an independent advisor-matching company. It opens on their site, asks for your ZIP code and a few questions, and matches you with 2 to 3 vetted advisors. It is free to you. WiserAdvisor states the service is built for portfolios of $250,000 and above. By submitting, you consent to emails, phone calls and text messages from WiserAdvisor and up to three advisors, so expect to be contacted. Advisers pay for the introduction. Clear Money Guide is paid when you complete the form, whether or not you ever hire anyone. There is no obligation to hire anyone.
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Source: WiserAdvisor’s service descriptionSources
- Form CRS (Client Relationship Summary) (March 31, 2025): https://reports.adviserinfo.sec.gov/crs/crs_159289.pdf
- SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure, Focus Partners Wealth, LLC (successor by merger to Buckingham Strategic Wealth, LLC) (CRD #159289): https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/159289
- Focus Partners Wealth, LLC (successor by merger to Buckingham Strategic Wealth, LLC), SEC Form ADV filing: https://reports.adviserinfo.sec.gov/reports/ADV/159289/PDF/159289.pdf
Methodology. This page was built September 18, 2026, quoting directly from Buckingham Strategic Wealth’s own current Form CRS, with the source linked above; any distinction we could not independently confirm this session is named as an honest gap rather than presented as verified. Nothing here is personalized financial, tax, legal, or investment advice, and it is not a substitute for reading the firm’s own Form CRS. See our Editorial Policy, Corrections, Affiliate Disclosure, and Disclaimer.
What does it actually take to open an account? See Buckingham Strategic Wealth’s minimum investment, quoted verbatim from its own Form ADV Part 2A / wrap-fee brochure.
Weighing whether to move ahead? Read the full Buckingham Strategic Wealth review, including its fiduciary status and what it costs to leave.
Comparing Buckingham Strategic Wealth against other options? See Buckingham Strategic Wealth alternatives, including a lower-fee full-service firm, a flat-fee route, and a robo/hybrid.
Already with Buckingham Strategic Wealth and weighing a move? How to leave Buckingham Strategic Wealth covers what it costs to transfer out.