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Updated September 18, 2026. Quick answer: Edelman Financial Engines is a registered investment adviser. Per its own current fee brochure, a $500,000 account would run $8,250 a year under its published fee schedule; the minimum to open an account is no fixed published minimum for Wealth Planning (Wrap Fee Program, Client Fee Schedule). Already a client and thinking about leaving? Budget $0 from Edelman itself; custodian-dependent. Is it a fiduciary? Yes, as a registered investment adviser, on the advisory services this page covers.
How much does Edelman Financial Engines charge?
Per its own fee brochure, a $500,000 account would run $8,250 a year: 1.75% on the first $400,000, then 1.25% on the next $350,000 bracket, which this balance only partly fills.
Edelman Financial Engines at a glance
| Fact | What Edelman Financial Engines’ own pages say |
|---|---|
| Legal entity | Financial Engines Advisors L.L.C. |
| Registration | Financial Engines Advisors L.L.C. is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission as an investment adviser. |
| Fee on a $500,000 account | $8,250 a year, per its own current brochure |
| Minimum to open an account | No fixed published minimum for Wealth Planning (Wrap Fee Program, Client Fee Schedule) |
| Cost to leave (exit fee) | $0 from Edelman itself; custodian-dependent |
What Edelman Financial Engines’ own fee schedule charges
“Client Fee Schedule: $0-400,000, 1.75% on the first $400,000; $400,001-750,000, 1.25% on the next $350,000; $750,001-1,000,000, 1.00% on the next $250,000; $1,000,001-3,000,000, 0.75% on the next $2,000,000; no clients who receive discretionary investment management through the Firm will pay a fee more than the 1.75% annual fee outlined below.”
Fees above $25,000,000 are individually negotiable and not part of the published schedule.
| Account balance | Annual fee |
|---|---|
| $250,000 | $4,375 |
| $500,000 | $8,250 |
| $1,000,000 | $13,875 |
| $2,000,000 | $21,375 |
See the full breakdown, including how the figure is calculated, on Edelman Financial Engines’ own fee page.
Is Edelman Financial Engines a fiduciary?
Financial Engines Advisors L.L.C. is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission as an investment adviser.
“When we act as your investment adviser, we have to act in your best interest and not put our interest ahead of yours.”
Neither planners nor advisors are compensated based on client complexity, time spent with clients and products in which the client is invested in, nor do they receive commissions on any investments our clients may invest in through the firm.
Full detail, including the exact registration type and source: Edelman Financial Engines’ fiduciary status, explained.
The minimum to open an account
“Wealth planning clients wishing to open an account may be subject to a minimum account size, which is determined based on specific models created by the firm. That minimum account size may be reduced, increased, or waived, in whole or in part, at our discretion. Where a minimum is not met, we make available certain educational tools and guidance at no charge.”
No fixed published minimum for Wealth Planning (Wrap Fee Program, Client Fee Schedule). See the full minimum-investment breakdown, including what that minimum would cost per year, on Edelman Financial Engines’ minimum investment page.
What it costs to leave
Edelman Financial Engines’ own Form ADV states it does not receive any of the custodian-side transfer or account-closing fees you might be charged; the actual charge depends on which of its three custodians holds your account.
Full mechanics, sources, and the ACATS transfer process: how to leave Edelman Financial Engines.
What we would compare it against
Before you decide, run the numbers against another firm using the financial advisor fee comparison, or price the dollar cost of any percentage fee over time with the Financial Advisor Fee Calculator and the Fee Drag Calculator.
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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
- Edelman Financial Engines Wrap Fee Brochure (Financial Engines Advisors L.L.C.), Form ADV Part 2A (March 31, 2026): https://www.edelmanfinancialengines.com/content/dam/efe/corporate-brand/Legal-Documents/Wrap_Fee_Brochure.pdf
- Form CRS (Client Relationship Summary) (March 31, 2025): https://reports.adviserinfo.sec.gov/crs/crs_104510.pdf
- SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure, Financial Engines Advisors L.L.C. (CRD #104510): https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/104510
- Financial Engines Advisors L.L.C., SEC Form ADV filing: https://reports.adviserinfo.sec.gov/reports/ADV/104510/PDF/104510.pdf
Methodology. This page was built September 18, 2026, drawing directly on Edelman Financial Engines’ own current fee brochure and Form CRS, both linked above, plus this site’s own already-published fiduciary, minimum-investment, and (where one exists) how-to-leave pages for the same firm, each independently sourced when it was built. 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 Edelman Financial Engines’ own Form ADV Part 2A and Form CRS. We have not used Edelman Financial Engines as a client. Edelman Financial Engines did not pay for, review, or influence this content. See our Editorial Policy, Corrections, Affiliate Disclosure, and Disclaimer.
Comparing firms? See all 182 advisor firm reviews in one table, with each firm’s type and its fee on a $500,000 account.