Guides › Financial Advisor Fees
Updated October 3, 2026. Quick answer: Northwestern Mutual has the lower published fee at $500,000: up to $8,250 a year (the published maximum), versus $11,250 a year for Commonwealth Financial Network, computed from each firm’s own SEC-filed fee disclosure. At $2,000,000 it is the other way round, $33,000 versus $30,000. 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 | Commonwealth Financial Network (annual fee) | Northwestern Mutual (annual fee) |
|---|---|---|
| $250,000 | $5,625 | Up to $4,125 |
| $500,000 | $11,250 | Up to $8,250 |
| $1,000,000 | $17,500 | Up to $16,500 |
| $2,000,000 | $30,000 | Up to $33,000 |
Commonwealth Financial Network discloses a tiered schedule starting at 2.25% (Commonwealth Financial Network Form ADV Part 2A Brochure, March 30, 2026); Northwestern Mutual discloses a published maximum rate of 1.65% (Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company Private Client Services Disclosure Brochure, September 2026).
What the fee includes, in each firm’s own words
Commonwealth Financial Network (Commonwealth Financial Network Form ADV Part 2A Brochure, March 30, 2026): “PPS Program Fee Schedules Following are the maximum allowable fee schedules for the various PPS programs. PPS Custom Program (Transactions) The maximum allowable annual management fee schedule for a new PPS Custom Program (Transactions) account is: Account Value Maximum Annual Management Fee Greater than or equal to Less than $0 $750,000 2.25% $750,000 $1,000,000 2.00% $1,000,000 $2,000,000 1.75% $2,000,000-1.50%”
This is Commonwealth’s disclosed maximum allowable annual management fee for the PPS Custom Program (Transactions), a whole-balance breakpoint schedule (the single rate for the bracket the account value falls into applies to the entire balance, per the brochure’s own worked breakpoint-schedule example on the preceding page). All Commonwealth advisory program management fees are stated to be negotiable between advisor and client, so this is a maximum, not necessarily what every client pays. The dollar figures in the table apply the schedule’s rates to each balance.
Northwestern Mutual (Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company Private Client Services Disclosure Brochure, September 2026): “NMWMC generally charges an annual Net Advisory Fee of no more than 1.65% on assets in a Private Client Services account. The corresponding annual Gross Advisory Fee is no more than 1.76% before the application of the 0.11% fee offset for proprietary investment management fees discussed below.”
Northwestern Mutual does not publish a public dollar-breakpoint schedule; the tiers on your account are negotiated with your advisor and recorded in a private Statement of Investment Selection. The figures above apply the disclosed 1.65% ceiling as a flat rate; your advisor may offer a lower custom 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, Commonwealth Financial Network runs $11,250 a year and Northwestern Mutual runs up to $8,250 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 Commonwealth Financial Network fee page or the Northwestern Mutual 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 Commonwealth Financial Network or what it costs to leave Northwestern Mutual, 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.
Northwestern Mutual runs up to $8,250 a year (the published maximum) 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 Commonwealth Financial Network and Northwestern Mutual 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
- Commonwealth Financial Network Form ADV Part 2A Brochure (March 30, 2026): https://files.adviserinfo.sec.gov/IAPD/Content/Common/crd_iapd_Brochure.aspx?BRCHR_VRSN_ID=1032557
- SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure, Commonwealth Financial Network (CRD #8032): https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/8032
- Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company Private Client Services Disclosure Brochure (September 2026): https://www.northwesternmutual.com/assets/pdf/brochures/private-client-services-disclosure.pdf
- SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure, Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC (CRD #2881): https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/2881
Methodology. This page was built October 3, 2026, re-pairing figures already archived and independently verified for Commonwealth Financial Network and Northwestern Mutual 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.