Guides › Financial Advisor Fees
Updated September 28, 2026. Quick answer: Yes, on every account. Brown Advisory 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: “When we act as your investment adviser, we have to act in your best interest and not put our interest ahead of yours.”
How it’s registered
From Form CRS, Customer Relationship Summary, Brown Advisory (March 30, 2026): “Brown Advisory, LLC and its affiliates, Brown Advisory Investment Solutions Group, LLC, Signature Financial Management Inc., and Brown Advisory Ltd. (collectively, “Brown Advisory”, “we”, “us” or “our”), are each an investment adviser registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission.”
The standard of conduct, in its own words
“When we act as your investment adviser, we have to act in your best interest and not put our interest ahead of yours.”
On commissions: “Our financial professionals receive a salary and are eligible to receive a discretionary bonus, generally based on overall performance returns of accounts they manage and on their ability to grow client assets. We also award equity in the firm to our financial professionals.”
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: $6,250 a year, 1.25% on a $500,000 account) | Form CRS, Customer Relationship Summary, Brown Advisory, March 30, 2026 |
What this means for what you pay
Fiduciary status is one input, not the whole picture. Brown Advisory discloses a published fee that runs $6,250 a year on a $500,000 account; see the full dollar breakdown from Brown Advisory’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.
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Source: WiserAdvisor’s service descriptionSources
- Form CRS, Customer Relationship Summary, Brown Advisory (March 30, 2026): https://reports.adviserinfo.sec.gov/crs/crs_110181.pdf
- SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure, Brown Advisory (CRD #110181): https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/110181
- Brown Advisory, SEC Form ADV filing: https://reports.adviserinfo.sec.gov/reports/ADV/110181/PDF/110181.pdf
Methodology. This page was built September 28, 2026, quoting directly from Brown Advisory’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.
Comparing Brown Advisory against other options? See Brown Advisory alternatives, including a lower-fee full-service firm, a flat-fee route and a robo/hybrid.
How does this compare? See how 127 advisory firms are registered, from each firm’s own SEC record.