Guides › Financial Advisor Fees
Updated October 3, 2026. Quick answer: Betterment Premium is less expensive at $500,000: $3,250 a year, versus $6,000 a year for Creative Planning, 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 | Betterment Premium (annual fee) | Creative Planning (annual fee) |
|---|---|---|
| $250,000 | $1,625 | $3,000 |
| $500,000 | $3,250 | $6,000 |
| $1,000,000 | $6,500 | $11,000 |
| $2,000,000 | $5,000 | $21,000 |
Betterment Premium discloses a tiered schedule starting at 0.65% (Form ADV Part 2A, Betterment Client Brochure (Betterment LLC), 2026-07-31); 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
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.
Creative Planning (Creative Planning, LLC Form ADV Part 2A, March 31, 2026): “Annual Fee Calculation: 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.”
Clients under $200,000 in assets generally are not eligible for standard individual service; the schedule shown is Creative Planning’s standard individual/HNW fee calculation.
How this compares
The median ria charges roughly 1.0% of assets under management annually (the benchmark). At $500,000, Betterment Premium runs $3,250 a year and Creative Planning runs $6,000 a year: a difference of $2,750 a year at that balance.
Want the full breakdown for either firm on its own? Read the Betterment Premium 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 Betterment Premium, 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.
Betterment Premium runs $3,250 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.
Opens on WiserAdvisor’s site in a new tab.
Compare Betterment Premium 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 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
- 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
- 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, re-pairing figures already archived and independently verified for Betterment Premium 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.