Guides › Financial Advisor Fees
Updated October 3, 2026. Quick answer: Edward Jones has the lower published fee at $500,000: $6,875 a year, versus up to $10,175 a year (the sum of the firm’s published maximum fee components) for Morgan Stanley, 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 | Edward Jones (annual fee) | Morgan Stanley (annual fee) |
|---|---|---|
| $250,000 | $3,500 | Up to $5,088 |
| $500,000 | $6,875 | Up to $10,175 |
| $1,000,000 | $13,075 | Up to $20,350 |
| $2,000,000 | $23,375 | Up to $40,700 |
Edward Jones discloses a tiered schedule starting at 1.40% (Edward Jones Guided Solutions Flex Account Schedule of Fees, February 2025 (REV. FEB 2025, document IAS-10455O-A-FS)); Morgan Stanley discloses published fee components that sum to a maximum of 2.035% (Morgan Stanley Consulting Group Advisor (CGA) Program Wrap Fee Brochure, Form ADV Part 2A Appendix 1, March 30, 2026).
What the fee includes, in each firm’s own words
Edward Jones (Edward Jones Guided Solutions Flex Account Schedule of Fees, February 2025 (REV. FEB 2025, document IAS-10455O-A-FS)): “The Guided Solutions Flex Fee is comprised of the Program Fee and the Platform Fee, net of any applicable fee reduction or fee offset. The Program Fee is assessed beginning at an annual fee rate of 1.35%, payable monthly in arrears: First $250,000, 1.35%; Next $250,000, 1.30%; Next $500,000, 1.20%; Next $1,500,000, 1.00%; Next $2,500,000, 0.80%; Next $5,000,000, 0.60%; Over $10,000,000, 0.50%. A Platform Fee is charged on accounts enrolled in Guided Solutions Flex. This fee is in addition to the Program Fee. The Platform Fee is assessed beginning at an annual fee rate of 0.05%, payable monthly in arrears.”
Edward Jones’s Guided Solutions Flex Fee is a marginal (tiered) schedule: each bracket’s combined rate (Program Fee plus Platform Fee) applies only to the slice of assets inside that bracket, like a tax bracket, not the whole balance. $500,000 pays $3,500 plus 1.35% on the next $250,000 ($3,375) for $6,875; $1,000,000 pays $6,875 plus 1.24% on the next $500,000 ($6,200) for $13,075; $2,000,000 pays $13,075 plus 1.03% on the next $1,000,000 ($10,300, since $2,000,000 still falls inside the $1,000,000-to-$2,500,000 bracket) for $23,375. Edward Jones also offers a separate, generally non-discretionary brokerage-style program (Guided Solutions Fund, mutual-fund-only) that carries the identical rate table; this page uses the broader Guided Solutions Flex version, which covers stocks, bonds, ETFs and mutual funds. The dollar figures in the table apply the schedule’s rates to each balance.
Morgan Stanley (Morgan Stanley Consulting Group Advisor (CGA) Program Wrap Fee Brochure, Form ADV Part 2A Appendix 1, March 30, 2026): “The maximum annual MSWM Fee for CGA accounts is 2.00% of the market value of the eligible assets in the account. … The Platform Fee is a 0.035% annual asset-based fee. The Platform Fee is in addition to the MSWM Fee, is non-negotiable and is generally applicable to all CGA accounts.” 2.00% maximum MSWM Fee plus a non-negotiable 0.035% Platform Fee.
Morgan Stanley discloses only a maximum negotiated rate for its flagship Consulting Group Advisor program, not a public breakpoint table; the figures above are the disclosed ceiling (2.035% combined) applied flat. Fees are stated as negotiable and often lower.
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, Edward Jones runs $6,875 a year and Morgan Stanley runs up to $10,175 a year (the published maximum): a difference of $3,300 a year between those figures at that balance.
Want the full breakdown for either firm on its own? Read the Edward Jones fee page or the Morgan Stanley 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 Edward Jones or what it costs to leave Morgan Stanley, or read the general mechanics of switching financial advisors.
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Edward Jones runs $6,875 a year at $500,000. See what else is available.
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Answer againSources
- Edward Jones Guided Solutions Flex Account Schedule of Fees (February 2025 (REV. FEB 2025, document IAS-10455O-A-FS)): https://www.edwardjones.com/us-en/disclosures
- SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure, Edward D. Jones & Co., L.P. (CRD #250): https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/250
- Morgan Stanley Consulting Group Advisor (CGA) Program Wrap Fee Brochure, Form ADV Part 2A Appendix 1 (March 30, 2026): https://files.adviserinfo.sec.gov/IAPD/Content/Common/crd_iapd_Brochure.aspx?BRCHR_VRSN_ID=1033575
- SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (CRD #149777): https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/149777
Methodology. This page was built October 3, 2026, re-pairing figures already archived and independently verified for Edward Jones and Morgan Stanley 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.