Guides › Financial Advisor Fees
Updated September 19, 2026. Quick answer: Fidelity Wealth Management is less expensive at $500,000: $6,250 a year, versus $12,500 a year for Carson Wealth, 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.
More head-to-head fee comparisons: Buckingham Strategic Wealth vs Carson Wealth Fees, Carson Wealth vs Creative Planning Fees and Carson Wealth vs Edward Jones Fees.
What each firm charges, side by side
| Account balance | Carson Wealth (annual fee) | Fidelity Wealth Management (annual fee) |
|---|---|---|
| $250,000 | $6,250 | $3,750 |
| $500,000 | $12,500 | $6,250 |
| $1,000,000 | $25,000 | $11,750 |
| $2,000,000 | $50,000 | $20,750 |
Carson Wealth discloses a maximum, individually negotiated rate of 2.5% (CWM, LLC Form ADV Part 2A Brochure, December 2025); Fidelity Wealth Management discloses a tiered schedule starting at 1.50% (capped at $6,250) (Fidelity Wealth Services Form ADV Part 2A Brochure (Strategic Advisers LLC), March 30, 2026).
What the fee includes, in each firm’s own words
Carson Wealth (CWM, LLC Form ADV Part 2A Brochure, December 2025): “The annual investment advisory fee charged range up to a maximum of 2.50% of the assets held in the account.”
CWM, LLC (the SEC-registered adviser behind the Carson Wealth brand) discloses a single ceiling rate of 2.50% per year rather than a dollar-breakpoint table. Fees are individually negotiated based on advisor, account size, complexity, and other factors, and are typically lower than the ceiling for larger accounts. The dollar figures apply the disclosed 2.50% maximum as a flat rate to each balance (balance x 0.025), which represents a worst-case/ceiling estimate, not a guaranteed quote.
Fidelity Wealth Management (Fidelity Wealth Services Form ADV Part 2A Brochure (Strategic Advisers LLC), March 30, 2026): “ANNUAL ADVISORY FEE SCHEDULE FOR PROGRAM ACCOUNTS: Wealth Management and Private Wealth Management. If Average Daily Assets total $500,000 or less: For Average Daily Assets from $0 to $500,000, 1.50% (up to a maximum of $6,250). If Average Daily Assets total more than $500,000: For the first $500,000, 1.25%; for the next $500,000, 1.10%; for the next $1,000,000, 0.90%.”
This is the Gross Advisory Fee; Fidelity applies a Credit Amount that can lower the Net Advisory Fee a client actually pays, which is not quantified in the public schedule.
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, Carson Wealth runs $12,500 a year and Fidelity Wealth Management runs $6,250 a year: a difference of $6,250 a year at that balance.
Want the full breakdown for either firm on its own? Read the Carson Wealth fee page or the Fidelity Wealth Management 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 Fidelity Wealth Management, or read the general mechanics of switching financial advisors.
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
- CWM, LLC Form ADV Part 2A Brochure (December 2025): https://carsonhub.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/CWM-LLC-ADV-Part-2A-December-2025.pdf
- SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure, CWM, LLC (CRD #155344): https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/155344
- Fidelity Wealth Services Form ADV Part 2A Brochure (Strategic Advisers LLC) (March 30, 2026): https://www.fidelity.com/bin-public/060_www_fidelity_com/documents/FWS-program-fundamentals.pdf
- SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure, Strategic Advisers LLC (CRD #104555): https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/104555
Methodology. This page was built September 19, 2026, re-pairing figures already archived and independently verified for Carson Wealth and Fidelity Wealth Management 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.
Weighing whether to move ahead? Read the full Fidelity Wealth Management review, including its fiduciary status and what it costs to leave.
Already with Carson Wealth and weighing a move? How to leave Carson Wealth covers what it costs to transfer out.