Guides › Financial Advisor Fees
Updated September 19, 2026. Quick answer: Edelman Financial Engines is less expensive at $500,000: $8,250 a year, versus $13,750 a year for Raymond James, 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 | Edelman Financial Engines (annual fee) | Raymond James (annual fee) |
|---|---|---|
| $250,000 | $4,375 | $6,875 |
| $500,000 | $8,250 | $13,750 |
| $1,000,000 | $13,875 | $27,500 |
| $2,000,000 | $21,375 | $50,000 |
Edelman Financial Engines discloses a tiered schedule starting at 1.75% (Edelman Financial Engines Wrap Fee Brochure (Financial Engines Advisors L.L.C.), Form ADV Part 2A, March 31, 2026); Raymond James discloses a tiered schedule starting at 2.75% (Raymond James & Associates, Inc. Wrap Fee Program Brochure, Form ADV Part 2A Appendix 1, “Maximum Fee Schedule for AMS Managed and IAR Managed Programs”, June 26, 2026).
What the fee includes, in each firm’s own words
Edelman Financial Engines (Edelman Financial Engines Wrap Fee Brochure (Financial Engines Advisors L.L.C.), Form ADV Part 2A, March 31, 2026): “Client Fee Schedule: $0-400,000, 1.75% on the first $400,000; $400,001-750,000, 1.25% on the next $350,000; $750,001-1,000,000, 1.00% on the next $250,000; $1,000,001-3,000,000, 0.75% on the next $2,000,000; no clients who receive discretionary investment management through the Firm will pay a fee more than the 1.75% annual fee outlined below.”
Fees above $25,000,000 are individually negotiable and not part of the published schedule.
Raymond James (Raymond James & Associates, Inc. Wrap Fee Program Brochure, Form ADV Part 2A Appendix 1, “Maximum Fee Schedule for AMS Managed and IAR Managed Programs”, June 26, 2026): “We maintain a fee schedule (“maximum fee schedule”) that outlines the maximum fee rates that can be charged to clients at specific asset-level breakpoints. We calculate maximum Fees on a retroactive basis instead of on an incremental basis. As the aggregated Relationship Value reaches each higher asset tier, or “breakpoint,” the applicable Fee is reduced and assessed retroactively to the first dollar of your account assets. RJCS Equity/Balanced, Schedule A: Up to $1M, 2.75%; $1M-$2M, 2.50%; $2M-$5M, 2.25%; $5M-$10M, 2.00%; $10M+, 1.75%.”
Raymond James’s Consulting Services (RJCS) flagship program is a breakpoint schedule, not a marginal one: your entire account is billed at a single rate, based on which asset-level bracket the whole balance falls into, applied retroactively to the first dollar. The brochure publishes two rate columns for Equity/Balanced accounts, Schedule A and Schedule B, without specifying the eligibility difference between them in the sections reviewed this session; this page uses Schedule A, the higher, first-listed of the two, so the figures shown are a maximum, not a guaranteed rate. Applying each bracket boundary as inclusive of its own labeled ceiling (so a $1,000,000 account is billed at the “Up to $1M” rate and a $2,000,000 account at the “$1M-$2M” rate): $250,000 and $500,000 both fall in the “Up to $1M” bracket at 2.75%; $1,000,000 stays in that same bracket; $2,000,000 falls in the “$1M-$2M” bracket at 2.50%.
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, Edelman Financial Engines runs $8,250 a year and Raymond James runs $13,750 a year: a difference of $5,500 a year at that balance.
Want the full breakdown for either firm on its own? Read the Edelman Financial Engines fee page or the Raymond James 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.
Compare your next step
Just comparing fees? Keep reading the fee guide.Optional next step
Explore an adviser match
Compare the services and the full fee before deciding whether to hire anyone.
- No fee to request a match
- No obligation to hire
Expect questions about your situation, your name, email and phone, and phone verification by text. A match is not guaranteed.
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.
Opens here. Nothing loads and nothing reaches Kapitalwise until you press the button.
How our partner relationships workCompare an adviser match before you decide
Ask about the full fee, what it covers and how the adviser is paid. A match is an introduction, not a recommendation from Clear Money Guide.
- Free matching service
- No obligation to hire
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. Advisers pay for the introduction. Clear Money Guide is paid when you complete the form, whether or not you ever hire anyone. There is no obligation to hire anyone.
Continue to WiserAdvisorOpens on WiserAdvisor’s site in a new tab.
Source: WiserAdvisor’s service descriptionSources
- Edelman Financial Engines Wrap Fee Brochure (Financial Engines Advisors L.L.C.), Form ADV Part 2A (March 31, 2026): https://www.edelmanfinancialengines.com/content/dam/efe/corporate-brand/Legal-Documents/Wrap_Fee_Brochure.pdf
- SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure, Financial Engines Advisors L.L.C. (CRD #104510): https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/104510
- Raymond James & Associates, Inc. Wrap Fee Program Brochure, Form ADV Part 2A Appendix 1, “Maximum Fee Schedule for AMS Managed and IAR Managed Programs” (June 26, 2026): https://www.raymondjames.com/legal-disclosures
- SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure, Raymond James & Associates, Inc. (CRD #705): https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/705
Methodology. This page was built September 19, 2026, re-pairing figures already archived and independently verified for Edelman Financial Engines and Raymond James 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.
Already with Raymond James and weighing a move? How to leave Raymond James covers what it costs to transfer out.