Guides › Financial Advisor Fees
Updated September 19, 2026. Quick answer: SoFi Invest is less expensive at $500,000: $1,250 a year, versus $8,250 a year for Northwestern Mutual, 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 | Northwestern Mutual (annual fee) | SoFi Invest (annual fee) |
|---|---|---|
| $250,000 | $4,125 | $625 |
| $500,000 | $8,250 | $1,250 |
| $1,000,000 | $16,500 | $2,500 |
| $2,000,000 | $33,000 | $5,000 |
Northwestern Mutual discloses a maximum, individually negotiated rate of 1.65% (Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company Private Client Services Disclosure Brochure, September 2026); SoFi Invest discloses a flat, non-negotiable rate of 0.25% (Form ADV Part 2A – SoFi Wealth LLC Brochure, 2026-03-27).
What the fee includes, in each firm’s own words
Northwestern Mutual (Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company Private Client Services Disclosure Brochure, September 2026): “NMWMC generally charges an annual Net Advisory Fee of no more than 1.65% on assets in a Private Client Services account. The corresponding annual Gross Advisory Fee is no more than 1.76% before the application of the 0.11% fee offset for proprietary investment management fees discussed below.”
Northwestern Mutual does not publish a public dollar-breakpoint schedule; the tiers on your account are negotiated with your advisor and recorded in a private Statement of Investment Selection. The figures above apply the disclosed 1.65% ceiling as a flat rate; your advisor may offer a lower custom schedule.
SoFi Invest (Form ADV Part 2A – SoFi Wealth LLC Brochure, 2026-03-27): “Clients are charged an annual asset-based fee (the “wrap fee”) at the rate of 0.25% based on the value of each account enrolled in the program. This fee is non-negotiable.”
Flat, non-negotiable 0.25% annual wrap fee applied to the full account balance at any AUM level (SoFi Wealth’s automated/robo investing service, branded SoFi Invest, has no stated minimum or tiering in the fee schedule itself). Dollar figures = balance x 0.0025.
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, Northwestern Mutual runs $8,250 a year and SoFi Invest runs $1,250 a year: a difference of $7,000 a year at that balance.
Want the full breakdown for either firm on its own? Read the Northwestern Mutual fee page or the SoFi Invest fee page for the complete tier table and source citations.
Thinking about leaving one of these firms instead of pricing what you would pay to stay? See what it costs to leave Northwestern Mutual, or read the general mechanics of switching financial advisors.
Compare your next step
Just comparing fees? Keep reading the fee guide.Optional next step
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Source: WiserAdvisor’s service descriptionSources
- Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company Private Client Services Disclosure Brochure (September 2026): https://www.northwesternmutual.com/assets/pdf/brochures/private-client-services-disclosure.pdf
- SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure, Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC (CRD #2881): https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/2881
- Form ADV Part 2A – SoFi Wealth LLC Brochure (2026-03-27): https://files.adviserinfo.sec.gov/IAPD/Content/Common/crd_iapd_Brochure.aspx?BRCHR_VRSN_ID=1028153
- SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure, SoFi Wealth LLC (CRD #167958): https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/167958
Methodology. This page was built September 19, 2026, re-pairing figures already archived and independently verified for Northwestern Mutual and SoFi Invest 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.