Guides › Financial Advisor Fees
Updated October 3, 2026. Quick answer: UBS has the lower published fee at $500,000: up to $12,500 a year (the published maximum), versus $15,000 a year for Mercer, computed from each firm’s own SEC-filed fee disclosure. At $1,000,000 it is the other way round, $25,000 versus $15,000. At $2,000,000 it is the other way round, $50,000 versus $21,000. 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 | Mercer (annual fee) | UBS (annual fee) |
|---|---|---|
| $250,000 | $15,000 | Up to $6,250 |
| $500,000 | $15,000 | Up to $12,500 |
| $1,000,000 | $15,000 | Up to $25,000 |
| $2,000,000 | $21,000 | Up to $50,000 |
Mercer discloses a tiered schedule starting at 1.10% (Mercer Global Advisors Inc. Form ADV Part 2A Client Brochure (Custom Wealth / Wealth Management schedule), March 30, 2026); UBS discloses a published maximum rate of 2.5% (UBS Financial Services Inc. Form ADV Part 2A Brochure (PMP/AAP fee schedule), March 31, 2026).
What the fee includes, in each firm’s own words
Mercer Advisors (Mercer Global Advisors Inc. Form ADV Part 2A Client Brochure (Custom Wealth / Wealth Management schedule), March 30, 2026): “WEALTH MANAGEMENT TIERED ADVISORY FEES, PERCENTAGE OF ASSETS MANAGED: First $1,000,000, 1.10%; Next $1,000,000, 1.00%; Next $3,000,000, 0.90%; Next $5,000,000, 0.75%; Over $10,000,000, 0.50%. Minimum Fee, $15,000.”
Mercer’s Custom Wealth tier carries a $15,000 annual minimum fee. The raw percentage math at $250,000, $500,000 and $1,000,000 (roughly $2,750 to $11,000) is overridden by that floor, so the actual billed fee at each of those balances is the flat $15,000 minimum; the percentage schedule only governs once assets are large enough to exceed it, which happens above roughly $1,360,000.
UBS (UBS Financial Services Inc. Form ADV Part 2A Brochure (PMP/AAP fee schedule), March 31, 2026): “UBS Investment Advisory Fee Schedule, Maximum Fee: All Assets and strategy types (Equity, Balanced and Fixed Income Accounts): 2.50%.”
UBS’s core retail advisory programs (Portfolio Management Program, Advisor Allocation Program) disclose a flat 2.50% maximum, negotiable rate rather than a published breakpoint table. UBS does publish a genuine tiered dollar schedule for Institutional Consulting, but that program requires a $5,000,000 minimum and is not representative of a typical account.
How this compares
The median ria charges roughly 1.0% of assets under management annually (the benchmark). At $500,000, Mercer runs $15,000 a year and UBS runs up to $12,500 a year (the published maximum): a difference of $2,500 a year between those figures at that balance.
Want the full breakdown for either firm on its own? Read the Mercer fee page or the UBS 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 UBS, or read the general mechanics of switching financial advisors.
Find the right next step for your situation
About how much do you have invested? Pick the range that fits; your next step appears immediately below.
UBS runs up to $12,500 a year (the published maximum) at $500,000. See what else is available.
If your portfolio is $250,000 or more, this connects you (free, with no obligation to hire anyone) with 2 to 3 vetted advisors.
Before you start, what actually happens. 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. Clear Money Guide is paid when you complete the form, whether or not you ever hire anyone.
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Compare Mercer and UBS against a fee-based match.
Price the destination before you decide. The matching service below introduces you to advisers who pay to meet you.
Before you start, what actually happens. 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.
The Kapitalwise form opens here; you stay on this page.
What happens when you press the button
It asks about nine questions: age, investable assets, location; then your name, email and phone number, and verifies the phone by text. Nothing loads and nothing reaches Kapitalwise until you press the button.
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Answer againSources
- Mercer Global Advisors Inc. Form ADV Part 2A Client Brochure (Custom Wealth / Wealth Management schedule) (March 30, 2026): https://files.adviserinfo.sec.gov/IAPD/Content/Common/crd_iapd_Brochure.aspx?BRCHR_VRSN_ID=1034469
- SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure, Mercer Global Advisors Inc. (CRD #147363): https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/147363
- UBS Financial Services Inc. Form ADV Part 2A Brochure (PMP/AAP fee schedule) (March 31, 2026): https://www.ubs.com/us/en/wealth-management/about-us/disclosure-documents.html
- SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure, UBS Financial Services Inc. (CRD #8174): https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/8174
Methodology. This page was built October 3, 2026, re-pairing figures already archived and independently verified for Mercer and UBS 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.