Guides › Financial Advisor Fees
Updated September 28, 2026. Quick answer: Ferguson Wellman discloses a tiered schedule starting at 0.85% in its Form ADV Part 2A (May 27, 2026). Converted to dollars, that runs $4,250 a year on a $500,000 account; see the full table below for $250,000, $1 million and $2 million.
The published numbers
From the Form ADV Part 2A (May 27, 2026): “Equity Only and Balanced: 0.85% on the first $5,000,000 0.70% on the next $5,000,000 0.50% above $10,000,000”
Note: CRD 104692 was confirmed ACTIVE and SEC registered through a live SEC IAPD lookup on September 28, 2026. Ferguson Wellman Capital Management, Inc. is the registered adviser, and West Bearing Investments and Octavia Group are divisions described in the same brochure. The firm reports about $10.66 billion in regulatory assets under management. The priced figure is the standard Equity Only and Balanced schedule for individual and other clients.
- $0-$5,000,000: 0.85%
- $5,000,001-$10,000,000: 0.70%
- $10,000,001 and above: 0.50%
The schedule shown is the standard Equity Only and Balanced fee schedule. The brochure lists separate standard schedules for Fixed Income Only accounts and for West Bearing Investments, a division of the firm, and says clients who came over in the January 2026 Great Northern acquisition may keep the fee schedules from their prior agreements, so similarly situated clients can pay different fees. Assets held in mutual funds, ETFs or other funds are included in the fee calculation and also bear the funds’ own expenses. Custodial, brokerage, transaction and regulatory fees are paid to custodians and brokers and are not included. The separate Octavia Group service carries a mutually agreed fixed fee, with a minimum of $1,000 per month, on top of the portfolio management fee, and is not part of the figures below.
What you would pay
| Account balance | Annual fee (dollars) | Effective rate |
|---|---|---|
| $250,000 | $2,125 | 0.85% |
| $500,000 | $4,250 | 0.85% |
| $1,000,000 | $8,500 | 0.85% |
| $2,000,000 | $17,000 | 0.85% |
Each balance is priced by stacking the bands, with 0.85% on the first $5,000,000, 0.70% on the next $5,000,000 and 0.50% above $10,000,000, as the brochure words it. The brochure discloses no minimum annual dollar fee, so no floor applies. The brochure says fees may be negotiated based on portfolio size and complexity, so the schedule is the published standard rather than a guaranteed charge.
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, Ferguson Wellman’s own published rate runs $4,250 a year.
Comparing Ferguson Wellman 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
- Form ADV Part 2A (May 27, 2026): https://files.adviserinfo.sec.gov/IAPD/Content/Common/crd_iapd_Brochure.aspx?BRCHR_VRSN_ID=1047775
- SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure, Ferguson Wellman Capital Management, Inc. (CRD #104692): https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/104692
- Ferguson Wellman Capital Management, Inc., SEC Form ADV filing: https://reports.adviserinfo.sec.gov/reports/ADV/104692/PDF/104692.pdf
Methodology. This page was built September 28, 2026, drawing on Ferguson Wellman’s own SEC-filed disclosure and, where cited, its published fee schedule, with sources linked above; any figure we could not independently confirm before publication is named as an honest gap rather than presented as verified. Nothing here is personalized financial, tax, legal, or investment advice. See our Editorial Policy, Corrections, Affiliate Disclosure, and Disclaimer.
Thinking about leaving Ferguson Wellman instead of pricing what you would pay to stay? See what it costs to leave, or read the general mechanics of switching financial advisors.