Guides › Financial Advisor Fees
Updated September 19, 2026. Quick answer: TIAA Wealth Management is less expensive at $500,000: $4,500 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) | TIAA Wealth Management (annual fee) |
|---|---|---|
| $250,000 | $5,625 | $2,250 |
| $500,000 | $11,250 | $4,500 |
| $1,000,000 | $22,500 | $9,000 |
| $2,000,000 | $45,000 | $16,000 |
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); TIAA Wealth Management discloses a tiered schedule starting at 0.90% (TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC – Advice & Planning Services – Private Asset Management Disclosure Brochure (Form ADV Part 2A), March 31, 2026).
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.
TIAA Wealth Management (TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC – Advice & Planning Services – Private Asset Management Disclosure Brochure (Form ADV Part 2A), March 31, 2026): “The PAM Fee schedules for the discretionary accounts are provided below. They are subject to change with prior notice to materially impacted clients enrolled in PAM. … PAM Fee Blended Schedule Value Bracket Annual Fee as % First $1,000,000 of market value 0.90% Next $2,000,000 0.70% Next $2,000,000 0.50% Over $5,000,000 0.40%”
Marginal/tax-bracket-style tiers from the PAM Fee Blended Schedule (the Private Asset Management program run by TC Services, TIAA’s high-net-worth wealth-management arm, sub-advised by TIAA Wealth Investment Management LLC). $250k: 250,000 x 0.90% = $2,250. $500k: 500,000 x 0.90% = $4,500. $1M: 1,000,000 x 0.90% = $9,000. $2M: first $1,000,000 x 0.90% = $9,000, plus the next $1,000,000 (of the $1,000,001-$3,000,000 tier) x 0.70% = $7,000, total $16,000. TIAA Wealth Investment Management LLC (CRD 334925, SEC file 801-132296, the WIM sub-adviser entity) has no client-facing fee schedule of its own – it is paid a flat sub-advisory basis-point fee by TC Services/TIAA Trust; the PAM brochure sponsored by TC Services is the entity that actually bills clients and is the correct primary source for a buildable schedule. A separate ‘PAM Fee Exclusively Fixed Income Schedule’ (0.50%/0.35%/0.25%/0.20%/0.15% tiers) applies only to all-fixed-income accounts and was not used here.
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 TIAA Wealth Management runs $4,500 a year: a difference of $6,750 a year at that balance.
Want the full breakdown for either firm on its own? Read the Cambridge Investment Research fee page or the TIAA Wealth Management 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
- TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC – Advice & Planning Services – Private Asset Management Disclosure Brochure (Form ADV Part 2A) (March 31, 2026): https://files.adviserinfo.sec.gov/IAPD/Content/Common/crd_iapd_Brochure.aspx?BRCHR_VRSN_ID=1028127
- SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure, TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC (d/b/a Advice & Planning Services, sponsor of the Private Asset Management Program) (CRD #20472): https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/20472
Methodology. This page was built September 19, 2026, re-pairing figures already archived and independently verified for Cambridge Investment Research and TIAA Wealth Management 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.