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Is Modera Wealth Management a Fiduciary? What Its Own Form CRS Says (2026)

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Updated September 28, 2026. Quick answer: Yes, on every account. Modera Wealth Management is registered with the SEC only as an investment adviser (it is not a broker-dealer), so the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 requires it to act as your fiduciary. Its own Form CRS states: “When we act as your investment adviser, we have to act in your best interest and not put our interest ahead of yours.”

How it’s registered

From Modera Wealth Management, LLC Form CRS (September 14, 2026): “MODERA WEALTH MANAGEMENT, LLC is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission as an investment adviser.”

The standard of conduct, in its own words

“When we act as your investment adviser, we have to act in your best interest and not put our interest ahead of yours.”

On commissions: “Our financial professionals are paid a salary and may also be paid a bonus.”

Fiduciary status by capacity

CapacityRegistrationStandard you’re owedCan earn commissionsSource
As your investment adviserSEC-registered investment adviserFiduciary duty (Investment Advisers Act of 1940)No (asset-based advisory fee: $12,000 a year, 2.40% on a $500,000 account)Modera Wealth Management, LLC Form CRS, September 14, 2026

What this means for what you pay

Fiduciary status is one input, not the whole picture. Modera Wealth Management discloses a published fee that runs $12,000 a year on a $500,000 account; see the full dollar breakdown from Modera Wealth Management’s own fee disclosure before deciding whether the standard of conduct here changes your answer.

If the answer above changes your mind about staying, see what it costs to leave Modera Wealth Management, or read the general mechanics of switching financial advisors.

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Sources

Methodology. This page was built September 28, 2026, quoting directly from Modera Wealth Management’s own current Form CRS, with the source linked above; any distinction we could not independently confirm this session is named as an honest gap rather than presented as verified. Nothing here is personalized financial, tax, legal, or investment advice, and it is not a substitute for reading the firm’s own Form CRS. See our Editorial Policy, Corrections, Affiliate Disclosure, and Disclaimer.

Comparing Modera Wealth Management against other options? See Modera Wealth Management alternatives, including a lower-fee full-service firm, a flat-fee route and a robo/hybrid.