Guides › Financial Advisor Fees
Updated September 22, 2026. Quick answer: Yes, on every account. Aspiriant is registered with the SEC only as an investment adviser (it is not a broker-dealer), so the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 requires it to act as your fiduciary. Its own Form CRS states: “We are fiduciaries when we provide investment advice to you. We are a fee-only advisor, and therefore only make money from the fees you pay us.”
How it’s registered
From Aspiriant, LLC Client Relationship Summary (August 21, 2026): “Aspiriant, LLC is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) as an investment adviser.”
The standard of conduct, in its own words
“We are fiduciaries when we provide investment advice to you. We are a fee-only advisor, and therefore only make money from the fees you pay us.”
On commissions: “We are fiduciaries when we provide investment advice to you. We are a fee-only advisor, and therefore only make money from the fees you pay us.”
Fiduciary status by capacity
| Capacity | Registration | Standard you’re owed | Can earn commissions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| As your investment adviser | SEC-registered investment adviser | Fiduciary duty (Investment Advisers Act of 1940) | No (asset-based advisory fee: $14,000 a year, 2.80% on a $500,000 account) | Aspiriant, LLC Client Relationship Summary, August 21, 2026 |
What this means for what you pay
Fiduciary status is one input, not the whole picture. Aspiriant discloses a published fee that runs $14,000 a year on a $500,000 account; see the full dollar breakdown from Aspiriant’s own fee disclosure before deciding whether the standard of conduct here changes your answer.
If the answer above changes your mind about staying, 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
- Aspiriant, LLC Client Relationship Summary (August 21, 2026): https://reports.adviserinfo.sec.gov/crs/crs_146720.pdf
- SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure, Aspiriant, LLC (CRD #146720): https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/146720
- Aspiriant, LLC, SEC Form ADV filing: https://reports.adviserinfo.sec.gov/reports/ADV/146720/PDF/146720.pdf
Methodology. This page was built September 22, 2026, quoting directly from Aspiriant’s own current Form CRS, with the source linked above; any distinction we could not independently confirm this session is named as an honest gap rather than presented as verified. Nothing here is personalized financial, tax, legal, or investment advice, and it is not a substitute for reading the firm’s own Form CRS. See our Editorial Policy, Corrections, Affiliate Disclosure, and Disclaimer.
What does it actually take to open an account? See Aspiriant’s minimum investment, quoted verbatim from its own Form ADV Part 2A / wrap-fee brochure.
Weighing whether to move ahead? Read the full Aspiriant review, including its fiduciary status and what it costs to leave.
Comparing Aspiriant against other options? See Aspiriant alternatives, including a flat-fee route and a robo/hybrid, plus a lower-fee full-service firm.
How does this compare? See how 127 advisory firms are registered, from each firm’s own SEC record.
Already with Aspiriant and weighing a move? How to leave Aspiriant covers what it costs to transfer out.