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Updated September 28, 2026. Quick answer: Yes, on every account. Plante Moran Financial Advisors 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, Plante Moran Financial Advisors (March 2024): “Plante Moran Financial Advisors, LLC (“PMFA”) is registered with the SEC as an investment adviser.”
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 professionals are paid a base salary with a performance based bonus. They do not receive differential compensation based on the products sold or product sales commissions.”
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: $5,000 a year, 1.00% on a $500,000 account) | Form CRS, Customer Relationship Summary, Plante Moran Financial Advisors, March 2024 |
What this means for what you pay
Fiduciary status is one input, not the whole picture. Plante Moran Financial Advisors discloses a published fee that runs $5,000 a year on a $500,000 account; see the full dollar breakdown from Plante Moran Financial Advisors’ own fee disclosure before deciding whether the standard of conduct here changes your answer.
If the answer above changes your mind about staying, see what it costs to leave Plante Moran Financial Advisors, or read the general mechanics of switching financial advisors.
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Source: WiserAdvisor’s service descriptionSources
- Form CRS, Customer Relationship Summary, Plante Moran Financial Advisors (March 2024): https://reports.adviserinfo.sec.gov/crs/crs_112158.pdf
- SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure, Plante Moran Financial Advisors (CRD #112158): https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/112158
- Plante Moran Financial Advisors, SEC Form ADV filing: https://reports.adviserinfo.sec.gov/reports/ADV/112158/PDF/112158.pdf
Methodology. This page was built September 28, 2026, quoting directly from Plante Moran Financial 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.
Comparing Plante Moran Financial Advisors against other options? See Plante Moran Financial Advisors alternatives, including a lower-fee full-service firm, a flat-fee route and a robo/hybrid.