Guides › Financial Advisor Fees
Updated September 19, 2026. Quick answer: CAPTRUST is less expensive at $500,000: $6,250 a year, versus $11,875 a year for Cetera, 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 | CAPTRUST (annual fee) | Cetera (annual fee) |
|---|---|---|
| $250,000 | $3,125 | $6,250 |
| $500,000 | $6,250 | $11,875 |
| $1,000,000 | $12,500 | $20,625 |
| $2,000,000 | $22,500 | $35,625 |
CAPTRUST discloses a tiered schedule starting at 1.25% (CAPTRUST Financial Advisors Form ADV Part 2A – Wealth Client Brochure, March 27, 2026); Cetera discloses a tiered schedule starting at 2.50% (Cetera Investment Advisers LLC Form ADV Part 2A Brochure, August 12, 2026).
What the fee includes, in each firm’s own words
CAPTRUST (CAPTRUST Financial Advisors Form ADV Part 2A – Wealth Client Brochure, March 27, 2026): “Advisory fees, minimum account sizes, and services are negotiable and detailed in the advisory agreement. Advisory fees generally will be calculated as a percentage of total assets under management. Adviser’s standard fee schedule, effective January 1, 2026, is as follows: Annual Advisory Fees Assets Under $10 Million at Initial Funding First $1M at 1.25% Next $1M at 1.00% Next $3M at 0.85% Assets over $5M at .70%”
CAPTRUST’s standard fee schedule (effective January 1, 2026) is marginal/tiered like a tax bracket. At $250,000 and $500,000 the entire balance falls in the first $1M tier, so the fee is balance x 1.25% ($3,125 and $6,250). At $1,000,000 the fee is $1,000,000 x 1.25% = $12,500. At $2,000,000 the fee is ($1,000,000 x 1.25%) + ($1,000,000 x 1.00%) = $12,500 + $10,000 = $22,500.
Cetera (Cetera Investment Advisers LLC Form ADV Part 2A Brochure, August 12, 2026): “Preferred Asset Management Program Advisory Fee Schedules Preferred Fee Schedule Account Size Maximum Annual Fee First $0 – $250,000 2.50% Next $250,001 – $500,000 2.25% Next $500,001 – $1,000,000 1.75% Next $1,000,001 – $2,500,000 1.50% Next $2,500,001 – $5,000,000 1.25% Next $5,000,001 – Over 1.00%”
This is the maximum allowable fee schedule for Cetera’s Preferred Asset Management Program (used as the representative program; Cetera discloses several similar programs – Prime, Premier, xMA – with slightly different max rates). It is a marginal/tiered schedule like a tax bracket: each dollar slice is billed at its own bracket’s rate and the amounts are summed. $250,000: 250,000×2.50%=$6,250. $500,000: $6,250 + (250,000×2.25%=$5,625) = $11,875. $1,000,000: +$8,750 (500,000×1.75%, the 500,001-1,000,000 slice) = $20,625. $2,000,000: +$15,000 (1,000,000×1.50%, the portion of the 1,000,001-2,500,000 slice up to $2,000,000) = $35,625. Bracket boundaries treated as contiguous $-width slices (e.g. 250,000 wide) for the arithmetic, consistent with how Cetera’s own brochure works a similar blended-fee example elsewhere in the document. Advisor may charge less; this is the stated maximum.
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, CAPTRUST runs $6,250 a year and Cetera runs $11,875 a year: a difference of $5,625 a year at that balance.
Want the full breakdown for either firm on its own? Read the CAPTRUST fee page or the Cetera 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
- CAPTRUST Financial Advisors Form ADV Part 2A – Wealth Client Brochure (March 27, 2026): https://www.captrust.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/2026-CAPTRUST-Form-2A-Wealth-Client-Brochure-FINAL.pdf
- SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure, CAPTRUST Financial Advisors (CRD #175112): https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/175112
- Cetera Investment Advisers LLC Form ADV Part 2A Brochure (August 12, 2026): https://files.adviserinfo.sec.gov/IAPD/Content/Common/crd_iapd_Brochure.aspx?BRCHR_VRSN_ID=1054832
- SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure, Cetera Investment Advisers LLC (CRD #105644): https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/105644
Methodology. This page was built September 19, 2026, re-pairing figures already archived and independently verified for CAPTRUST and Cetera 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 CAPTRUST and weighing a move? How to leave CAPTRUST covers what it costs to transfer out.