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Updated September 18, 2026. Quick answer: Vanguard Personal Advisor is less expensive at $500,000: $1,750 a year, versus $13,750 a year for Raymond James, 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 | Raymond James (annual fee) | Vanguard Personal Advisor (annual fee) |
|---|---|---|
| $250,000 | $6,875 | $875 |
| $500,000 | $13,750 | $1,750 |
| $1,000,000 | $27,500 | $3,500 |
| $2,000,000 | $50,000 | $7,000 |
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); Vanguard Personal Advisor discloses a published gross rate of 0.35% (Vanguard Digital Advisor and Vanguard Personal Advisor Brochure (Form ADV Part 2A), 2026-08-20).
What the fee includes, in each firm’s own words
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%.
Vanguard Personal Advisor (Vanguard Digital Advisor and Vanguard Personal Advisor Brochure (Form ADV Part 2A), 2026-08-20): “Personal Advisor’s annual gross advisory fee for Vanguard Brokerage Accounts is 0.35% for its all‐index investment options and 0.40% for the exclusive active/index mix. … Enrollments in Personal Advisor require an aggregate $50,000 balance or greater” All-index investment option (any enrolled balance; $50,000 aggregate minimum to enroll): 0.35%; Active/index mix investment option (any enrolled balance): 0.40%.
Flat (non-tiered) gross advisory fee applied to the entire enrolled Vanguard Brokerage Account balance regardless of balance size: 0.35% for the all-index investment option (used here as the base case) or 0.40% if the active/index mix is elected. Dollar figures = balance x 0.0035. This is Vanguard’s disclosed gross fee before the affiliate-revenue credit that Vanguard also applies (which further lowers the net fee actually charged, per the same brochure); the gross rate is used here because it is the stated contractual rate, not an estimate.
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, Raymond James runs $13,750 a year and Vanguard Personal Advisor runs $1,750 a year: a difference of $12,000 a year at that balance.
Want the full breakdown for either firm on its own? Read the Raymond James fee page or the Vanguard Personal Advisor 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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- 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
- Vanguard Digital Advisor and Vanguard Personal Advisor Brochure (Form ADV Part 2A) (2026-08-20): https://files.adviserinfo.sec.gov/IAPD/Content/Common/crd_iapd_Brochure.aspx?BRCHR_VRSN_ID=1055528
- SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure, Vanguard Advisers, Inc. (CRD #106715): https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/106715
Methodology. This page was built September 18, 2026, re-pairing figures already archived and independently verified for Raymond James and Vanguard Personal Advisor 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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