Guides › Financial Advisor Fees
Updated October 3, 2026. Quick answer: Fisher Investments is less expensive at $500,000: $7,500 a year, versus $10,000 a year for Baird, computed from each firm’s own SEC-filed fee disclosure. 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 | Baird (annual fee) | Fisher Investments (annual fee) |
|---|---|---|
| $250,000 | $5,000 | $3,750 |
| $500,000 | $10,000 | $7,500 |
| $1,000,000 | $20,000 | $12,500 |
| $2,000,000 | $35,000 | $23,750 |
Baird discloses a tiered schedule starting at 2.00% (Baird Private Wealth Management Wrap Fee Program Brochure, Form ADV Part 2A Appendix 1, March 27, 2026); Fisher Investments discloses a tiered schedule starting at 1.50% flat (Fisher Investments Form ADV Part 2A, “Private Client” Brochure, February 11, 2026).
What the fee includes, in each firm’s own words
Baird (Baird Private Wealth Management Wrap Fee Program Brochure, Form ADV Part 2A Appendix 1, March 27, 2026): “Baird generally offers two types of asset-based fee arrangements: a tiered fee schedule and a breakpoint fee schedule. Under a tiered fee schedule, the asset-based fee will vary for different segments of client assets, gradually decreasing as the Account balance increases. Tiered Advice Fee Schedule: First $1,000,000, 2.00%; Next $1,000,000, 1.50%; Next $3,000,000, 1.35%; Next $5,000,000, 1.25%; Above $10,000,000, 1.00%.”
This is Baird’s marginal (tiered) Advice Fee schedule, which applies across essentially all of Baird’s Private Wealth Management discretionary/advisory programs; each bracket’s rate applies only to the assets inside that bracket. Baird also publishes an alternative whole-balance Breakpoint Advice Fee Schedule (2.00% up to $1M, 1.75% from $1M to just under $2M, 1.50% at $2M and above) that a client and advisor may choose instead; this page uses the tiered version, the one named first in the brochure. For programs that layer on a separate Portfolio Fee (0.00% for several core programs, roughly 0.10% to 0.77% or more for SMA/UMA strategies), the total cost can run higher than the Advice Fee alone.
Fisher Investments (Fisher Investments Form ADV Part 2A, “Private Client” Brochure, February 11, 2026): “FI’s private client basic billing rates for one or more aggregated accounts owned by the same client: Equity and Blended Accounts, Annual Management Fee: First $1 million 1.25%, Next $4 million 1.125%, Additional Amounts Over $5 million 1.000%. FI typically targets clients with at least $1,000,000 in investable assets but will accept smaller client relationships at FI’s discretion which will be billed at an annual rate of 1.50%.”
Below roughly $900,000 to $1,000,000, Fisher bills a flat 1.50% relationship rate; at or above $1,000,000 the marginal Equity and Blended schedule above applies.
How this compares
The median ria charges roughly 1.0% of assets under management annually (the benchmark). At $500,000, Baird runs $10,000 a year and Fisher Investments runs $7,500 a year: a difference of $2,500 a year at that balance.
Want the full breakdown for either firm on its own? Read the Baird fee page or the Fisher Investments 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 Baird or what it costs to leave Fisher Investments, 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.
Fisher Investments runs $7,500 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 is paid when you complete the form, whether or not you ever hire anyone.
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Compare Baird and Fisher Investments 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.
Prefer flat-fee or hourly pricing instead? Compare ranges here.
Answer againSources
- Baird Private Wealth Management Wrap Fee Program Brochure, Form ADV Part 2A Appendix 1 (March 27, 2026): https://www.bairdwealth.com/retailinvestor
- SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure, Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated (CRD #8158): https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/8158
- Fisher Investments Form ADV Part 2A, “Private Client” Brochure (February 11, 2026): https://files.adviserinfo.sec.gov/IAPD/Content/Common/crd_iapd_Brochure.aspx?BRCHR_VRSN_ID=1008280
- SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure, Fisher Investments, Inc. (CRD #107342): https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/107342
Methodology. This page was built October 3, 2026, re-pairing figures already archived and independently verified for Baird and Fisher Investments 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.