Guides › Financial Advisor Fees
Updated October 3, 2026. Quick answer: Creative Planning has the lower published fee at $500,000: $6,000 a year, versus up to $10,000 a year for Ameriprise (the 2.0% maximum Advisory Fee, which the firm says is negotiable, before the Platform Fee, any Manager Fee and Investments and Infrastructure Support Fee that can stack on top), 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 | Ameriprise (annual fee) | Creative Planning (annual fee) |
|---|---|---|
| $250,000 | Up to $5,000 | $3,000 |
| $500,000 | Up to $10,000 | $6,000 |
| $1,000,000 | Up to $20,000 | $11,000 |
| $2,000,000 | Up to $40,000 | $21,000 |
Ameriprise discloses a published maximum rate of 2.0%, which the firm says is negotiable (Ameriprise Managed Accounts Client Disclosure Brochure (Wrap Fee Program), Form ADV Part 2A Appendix 1, June 2026); Creative Planning discloses a tiered schedule starting at 1.20% (Creative Planning, LLC Form ADV Part 2A, March 31, 2026).
What the fee includes, in each firm’s own words
Ameriprise (Ameriprise Managed Accounts Client Disclosure Brochure (Wrap Fee Program), Form ADV Part 2A Appendix 1, June 2026): “The Asset-based Fee is comprised of the total of (1) a negotiable Advisory Fee of up to a maximum annual rate of 2.0%; (2) a Platform Fee rate that varies by Program; and (3) any applicable Manager Fee.” 2.00% maximum Advisory Fee (SPS Advisor Program), before an additional Platform Fee of 0.02% to 0.05% and an Investments and Infrastructure Support Fee of 0.03% that can stack on top.
Ameriprise’s SPS Advisor program (a discretionary program) discloses only a maximum negotiated Advisory Fee of 2.0%, not a public dollar-tiered table; the brochure says minimum Advisory Fee rates vary with the total value of the assets in the client’s Managed Accounts (Advisory Tiers) but does not list them in its fee table. The figures above apply the disclosed 2.0% Advisory Fee ceiling as a flat rate. On top of it, a Platform Fee (0.02% to 0.05% of assets) and an Investments and Infrastructure Support Fee (0.03%) can apply, which together push the SPS Advisor Program’s disclosed maximum to about 2.08% (roughly $5,200 a year on $250,000 instead of $5,000); other programs add a 0.17% Platform Fee and a Manager Fee that generally ranges from 0.10% to 0.80%, so the 2.0% Advisory Fee ceiling is not an all-in maximum.
Creative Planning (Creative Planning, LLC Form ADV Part 2A, March 31, 2026): The brochure’s Annual Fee Calculation, in its standard fee schedule, is 1.20% on the first $500,000, then 1.00% on assets of $500,001-$2,000,000, then .85% on assets of $2,000,001-$5,000,000, then .80% on assets of $5,000,001-$10,000,000, then .70% on assets of $10,000,001-$25,000,000, then .40% on assets of $25,000,001-$50,000,000, then .30% on assets of $50,000,001-$100,000,000, then .25% on assets over $100,000,000.
Creative Planning generally requires new clients to have a minimum of $200,000 in assets under management, and says it may waive that minimum. Its brochure also says clients with assets under management below $500,000 may be charged a minimum management fee, so the $250,000 figure is the schedule rate before any such minimum. The brochure also says fees and how they are charged are negotiable, so Creative Planning’s own fee can differ from the standard schedule.
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, Ameriprise runs up to $10,000 a year (its 2.0% maximum Advisory Fee, before the Platform Fee, any Manager Fee and other fees that can stack on top) and Creative Planning runs $6,000 a year on its standard schedule: a difference of $4,000 a year between those figures at that balance, and larger once Ameriprise’s stacked fees are added.
Want the full breakdown for either firm on its own? Read the Ameriprise fee page or the Creative Planning 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 Ameriprise, 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.
Creative Planning runs $6,000 a year 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 may earn a referral payment for a qualifying completed form, whether or not you ever hire anyone.
Opens on WiserAdvisor’s site in a new tab.
Compare Ameriprise and Creative Planning 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 may earn a referral payment through this service, 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.
Prefer flat-fee or hourly pricing instead? Compare ranges here.
Answer againSources
- Ameriprise Managed Accounts Client Disclosure Brochure (Wrap Fee Program), Form ADV Part 2A Appendix 1 (June 2026): https://www.ameriprise.com/legal/disclosures
- SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure, Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC (CRD #6363): https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/6363
- Creative Planning, LLC Form ADV Part 2A (March 31, 2026): https://creativeplanning.com/wp-content/uploads/Creative-Planning-Form-ADV-Part-2A.pdf
- SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure, Creative Planning, LLC (CRD #105348): https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/105348
Methodology. This page was built October 3, 2026, combining figures for Ameriprise and Creative Planning 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.