Guides › Financial Advisor Fees
Updated September 19, 2026. Quick answer: Buckingham Strategic Wealth is less expensive at $500,000: $6,250 a year, versus $14,750 a year for LPL Financial, 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 | Buckingham Strategic Wealth (annual fee) | LPL Financial (annual fee) |
|---|---|---|
| $250,000 | $3,125 | $7,375 |
| $500,000 | $6,250 | $14,750 |
| $1,000,000 | $12,500 | $29,500 |
| $2,000,000 | $25,000 | $59,000 |
Buckingham Strategic Wealth discloses a maximum, individually negotiated rate of 1.25% (Focus Partners Wealth, LLC Form ADV Part 2A Brochure, April 29, 2026); LPL Financial discloses a maximum, individually negotiated rate of 2.95% (LPL Financial LLC Program Brochure, Form ADV Part 2A, Item 5 (“Fee Maximums”), July 1, 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).
LPL Financial (LPL Financial LLC Program Brochure, Form ADV Part 2A, Item 5 (“Fee Maximums”), July 1, 2026): “Fee Maximums. Fee maximums vary by Program, as indicated below. … MWP: Maximum Advisory Fee 2.35%, Maximum Manager Fee 0.60%, Total Maximum Account Fee 2.95%.” Model Wealth Portfolios (MWP): 2.35% maximum Advisory Fee plus a 0.60% maximum Manager Fee.
LPL sets per-program fee ceilings rather than a single published breakpoint table; the figures above use Model Wealth Portfolios, LPL’s flagship managed-account program, at its 2.95% combined maximum. Other LPL programs cap lower (as low as 1.35% for Guided Wealth Portfolios); your actual rate depends on the program and is individually negotiated below the ceiling.
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 LPL Financial runs $14,750 a year: a difference of $8,500 a year at that balance.
Want the full breakdown for either firm on its own? Read the Buckingham Strategic Wealth fee page or the LPL Financial 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
- 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
- LPL Financial LLC Program Brochure, Form ADV Part 2A, Item 5 (“Fee Maximums”) (July 1, 2026): https://files.adviserinfo.sec.gov/IAPD/Content/Common/crd_iapd_Brochure.aspx?BRCHR_VRSN_ID=1050527
- SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure, LPL Financial LLC (CRD #6413): https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/6413
Methodology. This page was built September 19, 2026, re-pairing figures already archived and independently verified for Buckingham Strategic Wealth and LPL Financial 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.