Guides › Financial Advisor Fees
Updated September 18, 2026. Quick answer: Creative Planning is less expensive at $500,000: $6,000 a year, versus $12,500 a year for Kestra (Kestra Private Wealth Services / Kestra Advisory Services), 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 | Creative Planning (annual fee) | Kestra (Kestra Private Wealth Services / Kestra Advisory Services) (annual fee) |
|---|---|---|
| $250,000 | $3,000 | $6,250 |
| $500,000 | $6,000 | $12,500 |
| $1,000,000 | $11,000 | $25,000 |
| $2,000,000 | $21,000 | $50,000 |
Creative Planning discloses a tiered schedule starting at 1.20% (Creative Planning, LLC Form ADV Part 2A, March 31, 2026); Kestra (Kestra Private Wealth Services / Kestra Advisory Services) discloses a maximum, individually negotiated rate of 2.5% (Kestra Advisory Services, LLC Wrap Fee Program Brochure (Form ADV Part 2A, Appendix 1), August 20, 2026).
What the fee includes, in each firm’s own words
Creative Planning (Creative Planning, LLC Form ADV Part 2A, March 31, 2026): “Annual Fee Calculation: 1.20% on the first $500,000, then 1.00% on assets of $500,001-$2,000,000, then .85% on assets of $2,000,001-$5,000,000, then .80% on assets of $5,000,001-$10,000,000, then .70% on assets of $10,000,001-$25,000,000.”
Clients under $200,000 in assets generally are not eligible for standard individual service; the schedule shown is Creative Planning’s standard individual/HNW fee calculation.
Kestra (Kestra Private Wealth Services / Kestra Advisory Services) (Kestra Advisory Services, LLC Wrap Fee Program Brochure (Form ADV Part 2A, Appendix 1), August 20, 2026): “All fees are negotiable, subject to the maximum amount set forth below. FSP Fee Schedule Fee Type Assets Minimum Maximum Manager Fee $5,000+ 0.02% 0.45% Advisor Fee $5,000+ 0.00% 2.48% Client Fee $5,000+ 0.02% 2.50% … Client Fee is the sum of the Advisor Fee plus the Manager Fee. In instances where the maximum Advisor Fee plus the Manager Fee would exceed 2.5 percent, the Advisor fee is reduced so the Client Fee does not exceed 2.5 percent.” Fund Strategist Portfolios (FSP) Program – Client Fee (Advisor Fee + Manager Fee), $5,000+ accounts: 0.02% min – 2.50% max; Separately Managed Accounts (SMA) Program – Client Fee, $100,000+ accounts: 0.02% min – 2.50% max; Unified Managed Account (UMA) Program – Client Fee, $5,000+ accounts: 0.02% min – 2.50% max; APM-Wrap / most other AdvisorEnterprise programs – Maximum Client Fee: 2.50%; One passive/index-model program – Maximum Client Fee (lower cap): 1.50%.
Kestra’s advisory fee is entirely advisor-negotiated within a published floor/ceiling band; across its AdvisorEnterprise programs (FSP, SMA, UMA, APM-Wrap, etc.) the Client Fee ranges from about 0.02% up to a firm-wide Maximum Client Fee of 2.5% (one narrower passive-model program caps at 1.5%). No fixed dollar-bracket schedule is disclosed – the rate a given client pays is set individually by their Advisor within that band. dollar_at values apply the 2.5% ceiling uniformly as the worst-case maximum (250,000 x 0.025 = $6,250; 500,000 x 0.025 = $12,500; 1,000,000 x 0.025 = $25,000; 2,000,000 x 0.025 = $50,000). Kestra Private Wealth Services, LLC (CRD 155193, SEC file 801-71936), the second Kestra RIA entity, publishes an identical negotiable/2.5%-ceiling structure in its own Form ADV Part 2A/Appendix 1 brochures (also downloaded to sources/kestra/), so the two entities are not in conflict; Kestra Advisory Services was used as the primary citation as the larger/parent RIA (formerly NFP Advisor Services).
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, Creative Planning runs $6,000 a year and Kestra (Kestra Private Wealth Services / Kestra Advisory Services) runs $12,500 a year: a difference of $6,500 a year at that balance.
Want the full breakdown for either firm on its own? Read the Creative Planning fee page or the Kestra (Kestra Private Wealth Services / Kestra Advisory Services) 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.
Compare your next step
Just comparing fees? Keep reading the fee guide.Optional next step
Explore an adviser match
Compare the services and the full fee before deciding whether to hire anyone.
- No fee to request a match
- No obligation to hire
Expect questions about your situation, your name, email and phone, and phone verification by text. A match is not guaranteed.
The form is run by Kapitalwise, our advisor-matching partner. Kapitalwise sends your details to advisers who pay for the introduction, so expect calls and texts. Clear Money Guide is paid when you submit the form, whether or not you ever hire anyone. This is free to you and there is no obligation to hire anyone.
Opens here. Nothing loads and nothing reaches Kapitalwise until you press the button.
How our partner relationships workCompare an adviser match before you decide
Ask about the full fee, what it covers and how the adviser is paid. A match is an introduction, not a recommendation from Clear Money Guide.
- Free matching service
- No obligation to hire
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.
Continue to WiserAdvisorOpens on WiserAdvisor’s site in a new tab.
Source: WiserAdvisor’s service descriptionSources
- Creative Planning, LLC Form ADV Part 2A (March 31, 2026): https://creativeplanning.com/wp-content/uploads/Creative-Planning-Form-ADV-Part-2A.pdf
- SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure, Creative Planning, LLC (CRD #105348): https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/105348
- Kestra Advisory Services, LLC Wrap Fee Program Brochure (Form ADV Part 2A, Appendix 1) (August 20, 2026): https://files.adviserinfo.sec.gov/IAPD/Content/Common/crd_iapd_Brochure.aspx?BRCHR_VRSN_ID=1055475
- SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure, Kestra Advisory Services, LLC (“Kestra AS”) (CRD #283330): https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/283330
Methodology. This page was built September 18, 2026, re-pairing figures already archived and independently verified for Creative Planning and Kestra (Kestra Private Wealth Services / Kestra Advisory Services) 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.
Already with Creative Planning and weighing a move? How to leave Creative Planning covers what it costs to transfer out.