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Updated September 18, 2026. Quick answer: Mostly yes, with one carve-out. Mariner Wealth Advisors is registered with the SEC only as an investment adviser, so on your advisory account it owes you a fiduciary duty under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. 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.” A limited number of Mariner Wealth Advisors’ financial professionals are separately licensed to sell brokerage products in a different capacity, where the weaker Regulation Best Interest standard, not a fiduciary duty, applies instead.
Jump to: compare your next step by portfolio size.
How it’s registered
From Form CRS (Client Relationship Summary) (March 31, 2023 (as amended; document header reads “Form CRS Relationship Summary (as amended March 31, 2023)”; an undated exhibit page notes a subsequent update removing reference to an affiliated broker)): “Mariner, LLC dba Mariner Wealth Advisors and dba AdvicePeriod (“we” or “us”) is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission as an investment adviser.”
Mariner, LLC (Mariner Wealth Advisors) is registered with the SEC only as an investment adviser. Its own Form CRS discloses that certain individual advisors are registered representatives of an affiliated broker-dealer and/or licensed insurance agents, and are separately compensated for the sale of securities and insurance-related products in those roles.
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: “Certain of our advisors are registered representatives of a broker dealer and/or licensed insurance agents and are compensated for the sale of securities and/or insurance-related products.”
Fiduciary status by capacity
| Capacity | Registration | Standard you’re owed | Can earn commissions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| As your investment adviser (most clients) | SEC-registered investment adviser | Fiduciary duty (Investment Advisers Act of 1940) | No (asset-based advisory fee: $12,500 a year, 2.50% on a $500,000 account) | Form CRS (Client Relationship Summary), March 31, 2023 (as amended; document header reads “Form CRS Relationship Summary (as amended March 31, 2023)”; an undated exhibit page notes a subsequent update removing reference to an affiliated broker) |
| As a dually licensed representative (limited) | Also FINRA-registered broker-dealer representative, separate capacity | Regulation Best Interest (not a fiduciary duty) | Yes | Form CRS (Client Relationship Summary), March 31, 2023 (as amended; document header reads “Form CRS Relationship Summary (as amended March 31, 2023)”; an undated exhibit page notes a subsequent update removing reference to an affiliated broker) |
What this means for what you pay
Fiduciary status is one input, not the whole picture. Mariner Wealth Advisors discloses a published fee that runs $12,500 a year on a $500,000 account; see the full dollar breakdown from Mariner Wealth Advisors’ 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.
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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
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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.
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Source: WiserAdvisor’s service descriptionSources
- Form CRS (Client Relationship Summary) (March 31, 2023 (as amended; document header reads “Form CRS Relationship Summary (as amended March 31, 2023)”; an undated exhibit page notes a subsequent update removing reference to an affiliated broker)): https://reports.adviserinfo.sec.gov/crs/crs_140195.pdf
- SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure, Mariner, LLC d/b/a Mariner Wealth Advisors (CRD #140195): https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/140195
- Mariner, LLC d/b/a Mariner Wealth Advisors, SEC Form ADV filing: https://reports.adviserinfo.sec.gov/reports/ADV/140195/PDF/140195.pdf
Methodology. This page was built September 18, 2026, quoting directly from Mariner Wealth Advisors’ 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 Mariner Wealth Advisors’s minimum investment, quoted verbatim from its own Form ADV Part 2A / wrap-fee brochure.
Weighing whether to move ahead? Read the full Mariner Wealth Advisors review, including its fiduciary status and what it costs to leave.
Comparing Mariner Wealth Advisors against other options? See Mariner Wealth Advisors alternatives, including a lower-fee full-service firm, a flat-fee route, and a robo/hybrid.
Already with Mariner Wealth Advisors and weighing a move? How to leave Mariner Wealth Advisors covers what it costs to transfer out.