Guides › Financial Advisor Fees
Updated September 19, 2026. Quick answer: Buckingham Strategic Wealth is less expensive at $500,000: $6,250 a year, versus $15,000 a year for Mercer Advisors, computed from each firm’s own SEC-filed fee disclosure. At $2,000,000 it is the other way round, $25,000 versus $21,000. 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 | Buckingham Strategic Wealth (annual fee) | Mercer Advisors (annual fee) |
|---|---|---|
| $250,000 | $3,125 | $15,000 |
| $500,000 | $6,250 | $15,000 |
| $1,000,000 | $12,500 | $15,000 |
| $2,000,000 | $25,000 | $21,000 |
Buckingham Strategic Wealth discloses a maximum, individually negotiated rate of 1.25% (Focus Partners Wealth, LLC Form ADV Part 2A Brochure, April 29, 2026); Mercer Advisors discloses a tiered schedule starting at 1.10% (Mercer Global Advisors Inc. Form ADV Part 2A Client Brochure (Custom Wealth / Wealth Management schedule), March 30, 2026).
What the fee includes, in each firm’s own words
Buckingham Strategic Wealth (Focus Partners Wealth, LLC Form ADV Part 2A Brochure, April 29, 2026): “Our fees are generally based on a percentage of the client’s assets under management with Focus Partners, generally as much as 1.25%; are negotiable; will vary from client to client, and are based on a number of factors, such as the client’s assets under Focus Partners’ management, scope of services to be provided, origins of the client relationship (including whether the client joined Focus Partners through a merger with another firm), and potential future revenues from the client relationship.”
Buckingham Strategic Wealth, LLC merged its advisory practice into Focus Partners Wealth, LLC on June 30, 2024; former Buckingham clients’ advisory agreements were assigned to Focus Partners, which is now the operating legal entity and CRD of record for what was Buckingham. Focus Partners’ current Form ADV discloses a single ceiling of ‘generally as much as 1.25%’ rather than a breakpoint table; rates are individually negotiated. The dollar figures apply the disclosed 1.25% ceiling as a flat rate to each balance (balance x 0.0125).
Mercer Advisors (Mercer Global Advisors Inc. Form ADV Part 2A Client Brochure (Custom Wealth / Wealth Management schedule), March 30, 2026): “WEALTH MANAGEMENT TIERED ADVISORY FEES, PERCENTAGE OF ASSETS MANAGED: First $1,000,000, 1.10%; Next $1,000,000, 1.00%; Next $3,000,000, 0.90%; Next $5,000,000, 0.75%; Over $10,000,000, 0.50%. Minimum Fee, $15,000.”
Mercer’s Custom Wealth tier carries a $15,000 annual minimum fee. The raw percentage math at $250,000, $500,000 and $1,000,000 (roughly $2,750 to $11,000) is overridden by that floor, so the actual billed fee at each of those balances is the flat $15,000 minimum; the percentage schedule only governs once assets are large enough to exceed it, which happens above roughly $1,360,000.
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, Buckingham Strategic Wealth runs $6,250 a year and Mercer Advisors runs $15,000 a year: a difference of $8,750 a year at that balance.
Want the full breakdown for either firm on its own? Read the Buckingham Strategic Wealth fee page or the Mercer Advisors 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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- Focus Partners Wealth, LLC Form ADV Part 2A Brochure (April 29, 2026): https://focus-financial.files.svdcdn.com/production/documents/Focus-Partners-Wealth-ADV-Part-2A-04.29.26.pdf?dm=1777575178
- SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure, Focus Partners Wealth, LLC (successor by merger to Buckingham Strategic Wealth, LLC, effective June 30, 2024) (CRD #159289): https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/159289
- Mercer Global Advisors Inc. Form ADV Part 2A Client Brochure (Custom Wealth / Wealth Management schedule) (March 30, 2026): https://www.merceradvisors.com/disclosures/
- SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure, Mercer Global Advisors Inc. (CRD #147363): https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/147363
Methodology. This page was built September 19, 2026, re-pairing figures already archived and independently verified for Buckingham Strategic Wealth and Mercer Advisors 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.