Guides › Financial Advisor Fees
Updated October 3, 2026. Quick answer: Betterment Premium has the lower published fee at $500,000: $3,250 a year, versus up to $6,250 a year (the published maximum, which the firm says is negotiable) for Buckingham Strategic Wealth, 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 | Betterment Premium (annual fee) | Buckingham Strategic Wealth (annual fee) |
|---|---|---|
| $250,000 | $1,625 | Up to $3,125 |
| $500,000 | $3,250 | Up to $6,250 |
| $1,000,000 | $6,500 | Up to $12,500 |
| $2,000,000 | $5,000 | Up to $25,000 |
Betterment Premium discloses a tiered schedule starting at 0.65% (Form ADV Part 2A, Betterment Client Brochure (Betterment LLC), 2026-07-31); Buckingham Strategic Wealth discloses a published maximum rate of 1.25%, which the firm says is negotiable (Focus Partners Wealth, LLC Form ADV Part 2A Brochure, April 29, 2026).
What the fee includes, in each firm’s own words
Betterment Premium (Form ADV Part 2A, Betterment Client Brochure (Betterment LLC), 2026-07-31): “Retail Clients who receive Betterment Premium Services pay a wrap fee of 0.65% of their account balance in annualized fees, which includes Betterment’s 0.25% annualized wrap fee plus 0.40% for access to Premium Services provided by Betterment’s team of financial consultants (subject to the Discount described in Item 5B. below). Betterment waives the 0.40% fee for Premium Services on account balances above $1 million. … A balance of at least $100,000 is required to be eligible to participate in the Betterment Premium plan.”
This produces a real fee cliff where a $1,000,000 account pays more in dollar terms than a $2,000,000 account, that is a direct, disclosed consequence of the waiver threshold, not an error. The dollar figures in the table apply the schedule’s rates to each balance.
Buckingham Strategic Wealth (Focus Partners Wealth, LLC Form ADV Part 2A Brochure, April 29, 2026): “Our fees are generally based on a percentage of the client’s assets under management with Focus Partners, generally as much as 1.25%; are negotiable; will vary from client to client, and are based on a number of factors, such as the client’s assets under Focus Partners’ management, scope of services to be provided, origins of the client relationship (including whether the client joined Focus Partners through a merger with another firm), and potential future revenues from the client relationship.”
Buckingham Strategic Wealth, LLC merged its advisory practice into Focus Partners Wealth, LLC on June 30, 2024; former Buckingham clients’ advisory agreements were assigned to Focus Partners, which is now the operating legal entity and CRD of record for what was Buckingham. Focus Partners’ current Form ADV discloses a single ceiling of ‘generally as much as 1.25%’ rather than a breakpoint table; rates are individually negotiated. The dollar figures apply the disclosed 1.25% ceiling as a flat rate to each balance.
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, Betterment Premium runs $3,250 a year and Buckingham Strategic Wealth runs up to $6,250 a year (the published maximum): a difference of $3,000 a year between those figures at that balance.
Want the full breakdown for either firm on its own? Read the Betterment Premium fee page or the Buckingham Strategic Wealth 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 Betterment Premium, or read the general mechanics of switching financial advisors.
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Betterment Premium runs $3,250 a year at $500,000. See what else is available.
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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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Answer againSources
- Form ADV Part 2A, Betterment Client Brochure (Betterment LLC) (2026-07-31): https://files.adviserinfo.sec.gov/IAPD/Content/Common/crd_iapd_Brochure.aspx?BRCHR_VRSN_ID=1053566
- SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure, Betterment LLC (CRD #149117): https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/149117
- Focus Partners Wealth, LLC Form ADV Part 2A Brochure (April 29, 2026): https://focus-financial.files.svdcdn.com/production/documents/Focus-Partners-Wealth-ADV-Part-2A-04.29.26.pdf?dm=1777575178
- SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure, Focus Partners Wealth, LLC (successor by merger to Buckingham Strategic Wealth, LLC, effective June 30, 2024) (CRD #159289): https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/159289
Methodology. This page was built October 3, 2026, re-pairing figures already archived and independently verified for Betterment Premium and Buckingham Strategic Wealth 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.