Guides › Financial Advisor Fees
Updated September 18, 2026. Quick answer: Stifel Nicolaus discloses a maximum, individually negotiated rate of 2.0% in its Wrap Fee Programs Disclosure Brochure, Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated (March 31, 2026). Converted to dollars, that runs $10,000 a year on a $500,000 account; see the full table below for $250,000, $1 million and $2 million.
The published numbers
From the Wrap Fee Programs Disclosure Brochure, Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated (March 31, 2026): “For the Programs described in this brochure, absent special circumstances, each Client pays an asset-based wrap Stifel Fee of up to 2.00%, which covers our account reporting and investment advisory services, trade execution for trades through or with Stifel, compensation to the Financial Advisor, and, as applicable, portfolio management and clearing services. You can generally negotiate the Stifel Fee with your Financial Advisor, subject in certain cases to final approval from Stifel.”
The published maximum: 2.0% per year.
What you would pay
| Account balance | Annual fee (dollars) | Effective rate |
|---|---|---|
| $250,000 | $5,000 | 2.00% |
| $500,000 | $10,000 | 2.00% |
| $1,000,000 | $20,000 | 2.00% |
| $2,000,000 | $40,000 | 2.00% |
Ceiling type: the brochure states the Stifel Fee is individually negotiated ‘up to 2.00%’ with no fixed floor. dollar_at = balance x 0.02 at each balance (the maximum a client could be charged): 250000×0.02=5000, 500000×0.02=10000, 1000000×0.02=20000, 2000000×0.02=40000. Separate, generally non-negotiable Product Fees of 0.10%-0.85% (Manager-Traded Portfolios) or 0.10%-0.50% (MBT Portfolios) apply on top of the Stifel Fee for portfolios that use an outside/internal manager, and are NOT included in this calculation (analogous to excluding underlying fund expense ratios).
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, Stifel Nicolaus’s own published maximum rate runs up to $10,000 a year.
Thinking about leaving Stifel Nicolaus instead of pricing what you would pay to stay? See what it costs to leave, or read the general mechanics of switching financial advisors.
Compare your next step
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Source: WiserAdvisor’s service descriptionSources
- Wrap Fee Programs Disclosure Brochure, Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated (March 31, 2026): https://www.stifel.com/docs/pdf/disclosures/Advisory/Stifel%20-%20Wrap%20Accounts%20Disclosure%20Brochure.pdf
- SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure, Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated (CRD #793): https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/793
- Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated, SEC Form ADV filing: https://reports.adviserinfo.sec.gov/reports/ADV/793/PDF/793.pdf
Methodology. This page was built September 18, 2026, drawing on Stifel Nicolaus’s own SEC-filed disclosure and, where cited, its published fee schedule, with sources linked above; any figure 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. See our Editorial Policy, Corrections, Affiliate Disclosure, and Disclaimer.
Is Stifel Nicolaus a fiduciary? See what its own Form CRS says, and how that compares to what you would pay.
What does it take to open an account? See Stifel Nicolaus’s minimum investment, straight from its own Form ADV Part 2A brochure.
Weighing whether to move ahead? Read the full Stifel Nicolaus review, including its fiduciary status and what it costs to leave.
Comparing Stifel Nicolaus against other options? See Stifel Nicolaus alternatives, including a flat-fee route and a robo/hybrid, plus a lower-fee full-service firm.