Guides › Financial Advisor Fees
Updated October 3, 2026. Quick answer: Buckingham Strategic Wealth has the lower published fee at $500,000: up to $6,250 a year (the published maximum, which the firm says is negotiable), versus up to $10,000 a year (the published maximum) for J.P. Morgan, computed from each firm’s own SEC-filed fee disclosure. Where a firm publishes only a maximum rate, the figure shown is that maximum, and what you pay may be lower. 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 | Buckingham Strategic Wealth (annual fee) | J.P. Morgan (annual fee) |
|---|---|---|
| $250,000 | Up to $3,125 | Up to $5,000 |
| $500,000 | Up to $6,250 | Up to $10,000 |
| $1,000,000 | Up to $12,500 | Up to $20,000 |
| $2,000,000 | Up to $25,000 | Up to $40,000 |
Buckingham Strategic Wealth discloses a published maximum rate of 1.25%, which the firm says is negotiable (Focus Partners Wealth, LLC Form ADV Part 2A Brochure, April 29, 2026); J.P. Morgan discloses a published maximum rate of 2.0% (J.P. Morgan Securities LLC Wrap Fee Program Brochure, Form ADV Part 2A Appendix 1, June 30, 2026).
What the fee includes, in each firm’s own words
Buckingham Strategic Wealth (Focus Partners Wealth, LLC Form ADV Part 2A Brochure, April 29, 2026): “Our fees are generally based on a percentage of the client’s assets under management with Focus Partners, generally as much as 1.25%; are negotiable; will vary from client to client, and are based on a number of factors, such as the client’s assets under Focus Partners’ management, scope of services to be provided, origins of the client relationship (including whether the client joined Focus Partners through a merger with another firm), and potential future revenues from the client relationship.”
Buckingham Strategic Wealth, LLC merged its advisory practice into Focus Partners Wealth, LLC on June 30, 2024; former Buckingham clients’ advisory agreements were assigned to Focus Partners, which is now the operating legal entity and CRD of record for what was Buckingham. Focus Partners’ current Form ADV discloses a single ceiling of ‘generally as much as 1.25%’ rather than a breakpoint table; rates are individually negotiated. The dollar figures apply the disclosed 1.25% ceiling as a flat rate to each balance.
J.P. Morgan Advisors (J.P. Morgan Securities LLC Wrap Fee Program Brochure, Form ADV Part 2A Appendix 1, June 30, 2026): “The maximum annual rate for JPMS’ component of the Fee is 2.00% for all Programs except for: CBP, which has a maximum annual rate for JPMS’ component of the Fee of 0.70%.”
J.P. Morgan Advisors discloses a flat 2.00% maximum JPMS-component rate for its main programs (Portfolio Advisor, Portfolio Manager, STRATIS, UMA, ICS), not a public breakpoint table. In STRATIS strategies, an additional Portfolio Manager fee (up to 0.75%) and Model Portfolio Provider fee (up to 0.38%) can stack on top of the 2.00%, and the smaller Customized Bond Portfolios program caps at 0.70% instead.
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, Buckingham Strategic Wealth runs up to $6,250 a year (the published maximum) and J.P. Morgan runs up to $10,000 a year (the published maximum): a difference of $3,750 a year between those figures at that balance.
Want the full breakdown for either firm on its own? Read the Buckingham Strategic Wealth fee page or the J.P. Morgan 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 J.P. Morgan, or read the general mechanics of switching financial advisors.
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Buckingham Strategic Wealth runs up to $6,250 a year (the published maximum) at $500,000. See what else is available.
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Answer againSources
- Focus Partners Wealth, LLC Form ADV Part 2A Brochure (April 29, 2026): https://focus-financial.files.svdcdn.com/production/documents/Focus-Partners-Wealth-ADV-Part-2A-04.29.26.pdf?dm=1777575178
- SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure, Focus Partners Wealth, LLC (successor by merger to Buckingham Strategic Wealth, LLC, effective June 30, 2024) (CRD #159289): https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/159289
- J.P. Morgan Securities LLC Wrap Fee Program Brochure, Form ADV Part 2A Appendix 1 (June 30, 2026): https://www.jpmorgan.com/content/dam/jpm/securities/documents/adv/jpma-wrap-fee-program-brochure.pdf
- SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure, J.P. Morgan Securities LLC (CRD #79): https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/79
Methodology. This page was built October 3, 2026, re-pairing figures already archived and independently verified for Buckingham Strategic Wealth and J.P. Morgan 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.