Guides › Financial Advisor Fees
Updated October 3, 2026. Quick answer: Thrivent is less expensive at $500,000: $7,750 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 | Cetera (annual fee) | Thrivent (annual fee) |
|---|---|---|
| $250,000 | $6,250 | $4,250 |
| $500,000 | $11,875 | $7,750 |
| $1,000,000 | $20,625 | $14,500 |
| $2,000,000 | $35,625 | $29,000 |
Cetera discloses a tiered schedule starting at 2.50% (Cetera Investment Advisers LLC Form ADV Part 2A Brochure, August 12, 2026); Thrivent discloses a tiered schedule starting at 2.00% (Thrivent Investment Management Inc. Managed Accounts Program Brochure, Form ADV Part 2A Appendix 1, July 2026).
What the fee includes, in each firm’s own words
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. Advisor may charge less; this is the stated maximum. The dollar figures in the table apply the schedule’s rates to each balance.
Thrivent (Thrivent Investment Management Inc. Managed Accounts Program Brochure, Form ADV Part 2A Appendix 1, July 2026): “You will be charged a Program Fee for each Account in the Program. The Program Fee will not exceed the applicable rate from the following fee schedule(s). Those maximums are the Advisor, Advisor Guided, SELECT, Income-Focused, Genesis, Shepherd, Impact and Shield schedule: Up to $99,999 2.00%, $100,000-$249,999 1.85%, $250,000-$499,999 1.70%, $500,000-$999,999 1.55%, $1,000,000-$2,999,999 1.45%, $3,000,000-$4,999,999 1.25%, $5,000,000-$9,999,999 1.00%, $10,000,000 and above 0.90%.”
Thrivent uses a breakpoint schedule: the single rate for your bracket applies to the whole balance, not just the amount above the breakpoint. These are the Maximum Program Fee rates on Thrivent’s Advisor, Advisor Guided, SELECT, Income-Focused, Genesis, Shepherd, Impact and Shield schedule, the one covering the programs open to new investors at the $25,000 minimum; the brochure states the Program Fee is negotiable, so an individual account can be lower. Thrivent’s separate SMA/UMA schedule runs higher, to a 2.50% maximum, and its Advantage schedule is closed to new investors. Optional Dedicated Planning Services is a separate fee component, but the brochure states the sum cannot exceed these same maximums. This is Thrivent Investment Management’s Managed Accounts Program (TIMI); the separate Thrivent Advisor Network channel discloses only a ceiling, not these breakpoints.
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, Cetera runs $11,875 a year and Thrivent runs $7,750 a year: a difference of $4,125 a year at that balance.
Want the full breakdown for either firm on its own? Read the Cetera fee page or the Thrivent 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 Thrivent, or read the general mechanics of switching financial advisors.
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Thrivent runs $7,750 a year at $500,000. See what else is available.
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Answer againSources
- 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
- Thrivent Investment Management Inc. Managed Accounts Program Brochure, Form ADV Part 2A Appendix 1 (July 2026): https://www.thrivent.com/files/24839.pdf
- SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure, Thrivent Investment Management Inc. (CRD #18387): https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/18387
Methodology. This page was built October 3, 2026, re-pairing figures already archived and independently verified for Cetera and Thrivent 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.