Guides › Financial Advisor Fees
Updated September 19, 2026. Quick answer: Empower Personal Wealth is less expensive at $500,000: $4,450 a year, versus $11,250 a year for Cambridge Investment Research, 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 | Cambridge Investment Research (annual fee) | Empower Personal Wealth (annual fee) |
|---|---|---|
| $250,000 | $5,625 | $2,225 |
| $500,000 | $11,250 | $4,450 |
| $1,000,000 | $22,500 | $7,900 |
| $2,000,000 | $45,000 | $15,800 |
Cambridge Investment Research discloses a maximum, individually negotiated rate of 2.25% (Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, Inc. Form ADV Part 2A Disclosure Brochure, July 2026); Empower Personal Wealth discloses a tiered schedule starting at 0.89% (Empower Advisory Group Personal Strategy(R) Wrap Fee Program Brochure (Form ADV Part 2A / Appendix 1), 2026-05-15).
What the fee includes, in each firm’s own words
Cambridge Investment Research (Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, Inc. Form ADV Part 2A Disclosure Brochure, July 2026): “The investment advisory fee for accounts managed through the Cambridge Managed Account Platform (“CMAP”) is based on the amount of assets under management, including cash balances deposited in a Federal Deposit Insured Corporation (“FDIC”) insured multi bank program (“Program”). … The investment advisory fee is negotiable and is subject to discounts on a Financial Professional-by-Financial Professional, client-by-client, or account-by-account basis. … The maximum allowable advisory fee that can be charged will not exceed 2.25% of assets under management on an annual basis.” Maximum annual advisory fee (Cambridge Managed Account Platform, Flexible Managed Account Platform, WealthPort Advisor-directed / Team-directed): 2.25%; Maximum annual advisory fee (WealthPort CAAP / UMA programs): 2.15%.
CIRA’s Form ADV does not publish one fixed rate schedule. Advisory fees on its primary managed-account platforms (CMAP, FlexMAP, WealthPort Advisor-directed/Team-directed) are individually negotiated between the client and Financial Professional, subject to a disclosed maximum of 2.25% of AUM annually (WealthPort CAAP/UMA caps at 2.15%). Because there is no standard published tier table, dollar_at applies the disclosed 2.25% ceiling uniformly across all four balances as the maximum a client could legally be charged under this brochure (250000*0.0225=5625; 500000*0.0225=11250; 1000000*0.0225=22500; 2000000*0.0225=45000). Actual fees are typically lower and individually negotiated per client/advisor.
Empower Personal Wealth (Empower Advisory Group Personal Strategy(R) Wrap Fee Program Brochure (Form ADV Part 2A / Appendix 1), 2026-05-15): “On an annualized basis, EAG bases its Advisory Services fee on the following schedule calculated as a percentage of the total AUM: Investment Services Clients ($100,000 – $249,999 total AUM) 0.89% Wealth Management Clients ($250,000 – $999,999 total AUM) 0.89% Private Clients ($1 million or more total AUM) tiered structure $3MM or less AUM 0.79% On only the next $2MM AUM 0.69% On only the next $5MM AUM 0.59% On only the AUM over $10MM 0.49%”
Below $1,000,000 AUM, the whole balance is charged a flat 0.89% (identical rate for both the $100k-$249,999 and $250k-$999,999 bands, so $250,000 x 0.0089 = $2,225 and $500,000 x 0.0089 = $4,450). At $1,000,000 or more (‘Private Clients’), the schedule becomes marginal/tiered starting fresh at 0.79% for the first $3,000,000 of AUM (not just the amount above $1M) – the brochure’s own worked example for a $7.5M account confirms this marginal, first-$3M/next-$2M/next-$5M/over-$10M structure. So $1,000,000 x 0.0079 = $7,900 and, since $2,000,000 is still within the first-$3,000,000 tier, $2,000,000 x 0.0079 = $15,800. Note this creates a real disclosed rate drop right at the $1,000,000 breakpoint (0.89% below, 0.79% at/above), which is why the $1M and $2M dollar figures are proportionally lower relative to rate than the $250k/$500k figures. Entity is the successor to Personal Capital Advisors Corporation (SEC-registration terminated 2023-04-11 on a corp-to-LLC conversion); confirmed via Empower’s own site (empower.com/products-solutions/wealth-management, which names Empower Advisory Group, LLC as the RIA) and Empower’s own published one-page fee schedule (docs.empower.com/PDF/p/misc/management_fee.pdf), both of which restate this identical 0.89%/0.79%/0.69%/0.59%/0.49% schedule.
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, Cambridge Investment Research runs $11,250 a year and Empower Personal Wealth runs $4,450 a year: a difference of $6,800 a year at that balance.
Want the full breakdown for either firm on its own? Read the Cambridge Investment Research fee page or the Empower Personal Wealth fee page for the complete tier table and source citations.
Comparing these two against a full move? Read the general mechanics of switching financial advisors, or use a dated termination letter once you decide.
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- Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, Inc. Form ADV Part 2A Disclosure Brochure (July 2026): https://files.adviserinfo.sec.gov/IAPD/Content/Common/crd_iapd_Brochure.aspx?BRCHR_VRSN_ID=1055573
- SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure, Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, Inc. (CRD #134139): https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/134139
- Empower Advisory Group Personal Strategy(R) Wrap Fee Program Brochure (Form ADV Part 2A / Appendix 1) (2026-05-15): https://files.adviserinfo.sec.gov/IAPD/Content/Common/crd_iapd_Brochure.aspx?BRCHR_VRSN_ID=1045311
- SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure, Empower Advisory Group, LLC (CRD #112058): https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/112058
Methodology. This page was built September 19, 2026, re-pairing figures already archived and independently verified for Cambridge Investment Research and Empower Personal 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.