Guides › Financial Advisor Fees
Updated September 19, 2026. Quick answer: Buckingham Strategic Wealth is a registered investment adviser. Per its own current fee brochure, a $500,000 account would run up to $6,250 a year (the published maximum, which the firm says is negotiable) under its published fee schedule; the minimum to open an account is no published minimum account size, but a $5,000-a-year minimum fee for Investment Management Services. Is it a fiduciary? Yes, as a registered investment adviser, on the advisory services this page covers.
Buckingham Strategic Wealth at a glance
| Fact | What Buckingham Strategic Wealth’s own pages say |
|---|---|
| Legal entity | Focus Partners Wealth, LLC (successor by merger to Buckingham Strategic Wealth, LLC, effective June 30, 2024) |
| Registration | Focus Partners Wealth, LLC (“Focus Partners”) is an investment advisory firm registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). |
| Fee on a $500,000 account | Up to $6,250 a year (the published maximum, which the firm says is negotiable), per its own current brochure |
| Minimum to open an account | No published minimum account size, but a $5,000-a-year minimum fee for Investment Management Services |
| Cost to leave (exit fee) | See how to leave Buckingham Strategic Wealth |
What Buckingham Strategic Wealth’s own fee schedule charges
“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 (balance x 0.0125).
| Account balance | Annual fee |
|---|---|
| $250,000 | $3,125 |
| $500,000 | $6,250 |
| $1,000,000 | $12,500 |
| $2,000,000 | $25,000 |
See the full breakdown, including how the figure is calculated, on Buckingham Strategic Wealth’s own fee page.
Is Buckingham Strategic Wealth a fiduciary?
Focus Partners Wealth, LLC (“Focus Partners”) is an investment advisory firm registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”).
“When we act as your investment advisor, we have to act in your best interest and not put our interests ahead of yours.”
Our standard investment management fee schedule is simple, transparent, and based on a percentage of the assets managed.
Full detail, including the exact registration type and source: Buckingham Strategic Wealth’s fiduciary status, explained.
The minimum to open an account
“Clients engaging Focus Partners for Investment Management Services are typically subject to a minimum fee of $5,000.”
No published minimum account size, but a $5,000-a-year minimum fee for Investment Management Services. See the full minimum-investment breakdown, including what that minimum would cost per year, on Buckingham Strategic Wealth’s minimum investment page.
What it costs to leave
A dedicated how-to-leave page for Buckingham Strategic Wealth covers the exit costs in full. The general mechanics of switching financial advisors and a dated termination letter apply regardless of firm.
What we would compare it against
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Source: WiserAdvisor’s service descriptionSources
- 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
- Form CRS (Client Relationship Summary) (March 31, 2025): https://reports.adviserinfo.sec.gov/crs/crs_159289.pdf
- SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure, Focus Partners Wealth, LLC (successor by merger to Buckingham Strategic Wealth, LLC) (CRD #159289): https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/159289
- Focus Partners Wealth, LLC (successor by merger to Buckingham Strategic Wealth, LLC), SEC Form ADV filing: https://reports.adviserinfo.sec.gov/reports/ADV/159289/PDF/159289.pdf
Methodology. This page was built September 19, 2026, drawing directly on Buckingham Strategic Wealth’s own current fee brochure and Form CRS, both linked above, plus this site’s own already-published fiduciary, minimum-investment, and (where one exists) how-to-leave pages for the same firm, each independently sourced when it was built. Any distinction we could not independently confirm this session is named as an honest gap rather than presented as verified. Nothing here is personalized financial, tax, legal, or investment advice, and it is not a substitute for reading Buckingham Strategic Wealth’s own Form ADV Part 2A and Form CRS. We have not used Buckingham Strategic Wealth as a client. Buckingham Strategic Wealth did not pay for, review, or influence this content. See our Editorial Policy, Corrections, Affiliate Disclosure, and Disclaimer.
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