Guides › Financial Advisor Fees
Updated October 9, 2026. Quick answer: Mariner Wealth Advisors has the lower published fee at $500,000: $7,500 a year (its standard schedule’s minimum fee of $1,875 a quarter), 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. At $250,000 it is the other way round, $7,500 versus $5,000. 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 | Ameriprise (annual fee) | Mariner Wealth Advisors (annual fee) |
|---|---|---|
| $250,000 | Up to $5,000 | $7,500 |
| $500,000 | Up to $10,000 | $7,500 |
| $1,000,000 | Up to $20,000 | $12,500 |
| $2,000,000 | Up to $40,000 | $22,500 |
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); Mariner Wealth Advisors discloses a tiered schedule starting at 1.25% with a minimum fee of $1,875 a quarter (Mariner, LLC Form ADV Part 2A Brochure, July 17, 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.
Mariner Wealth Advisors (Mariner, LLC Form ADV Part 2A Brochure, July 17, 2026): “The structure and level of our advisory fee will vary by client based upon the services provided and other considerations deemed relevant by us but typically takes the form of a percentage of assets under management and/or advisement, ranging up to 2.50% per annum. Our current standard fee schedule is as follows: Standard Fee Schedule (blended tiered schedule)* $0-$1,000,000 1.25% $1,000,000-$5,000,000 1.00% $5,000,000-$10,000,000 0.80% Above $10,000,000 0.60% *Quarterly minimum fee of $1,875 … All fee arrangements are subject to negotiation. We reserve the right to waive the minimum fee at our discretion.”
Mariner’s standard schedule is blended: each slice of the balance is charged at its own rate (1.25% on the first $1,000,000, 1.00% from $1,000,000 to $5,000,000, 0.80% from $5,000,000 to $10,000,000, 0.60% above that), subject to a minimum fee of $1,875 a quarter, which is $7,500 a year. At $250,000 and $500,000 the minimum, not a rate, sets the fee: $7,500 a year. At $1,000,000 the fee is 1.25% of the balance, $12,500. At $2,000,000 it is $12,500 on the first $1,000,000 plus 1.00% of the next $1,000,000, $22,500. The brochure says fees can range up to 2.50% depending on the services provided, that the firm may waive the minimum, and that every fee arrangement is negotiable, so an actual fee can differ from these figures.
How this compares
The median ria charges roughly 1.0% of assets under management annually (the benchmark). At $500,000, Ameriprise runs up to $10,000 a year (the 2.0% maximum Advisory Fee, before the Platform Fee, any Manager Fee and other fees that can stack on top) and Mariner Wealth Advisors runs $7,500 a year: a difference of $2,500 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 Mariner Wealth Advisors 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.
Ameriprise runs up to $10,000 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 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 Mariner Wealth Advisors 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 for a qualifying submitted 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.
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
- Mariner, LLC Form ADV Part 2A Brochure (July 17, 2026): https://files.adviserinfo.sec.gov/IAPD/Content/Common/crd_iapd_Brochure.aspx?BRCHR_VRSN_ID=1052128
- SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure, Mariner, LLC d/b/a Mariner Wealth and AdvicePeriod (CRD #140195): https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/140195
Methodology. This page was built October 3, 2026, re-pairing figures already archived and independently verified for Ameriprise and Mariner Wealth Advisors 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.