Guides › Financial Advisor Fees
Updated October 3, 2026. Quick answer: Northwestern Mutual has the lower published fee at $500,000: up to $8,250 a year (the published maximum), versus up to $12,500 a year (the published maximum, which the firm says is negotiable) for Kestra (Kestra Private Wealth Services / Kestra Advisory Services), computed from each firm’s own SEC-filed fee disclosure. Where a firm publishes only a maximum rate, the figure shown is that maximum, and what you pay may be lower. See the full side-by-side table below for $250,000, $1 million and $2 million.
What each firm charges, side by side
| Account balance | Kestra (Kestra Private Wealth Services / Kestra Advisory Services) (annual fee) | Northwestern Mutual (annual fee) |
|---|---|---|
| $250,000 | Up to $6,250 | Up to $4,125 |
| $500,000 | Up to $12,500 | Up to $8,250 |
| $1,000,000 | Up to $25,000 | Up to $16,500 |
| $2,000,000 | Up to $50,000 | Up to $33,000 |
Kestra (Kestra Private Wealth Services / Kestra Advisory Services) discloses a published maximum rate of 2.5%, which the firm says is negotiable (Kestra Advisory Services, LLC Wrap Fee Program Brochure (Form ADV Part 2A, Appendix 1), August 20, 2026); Northwestern Mutual discloses a published maximum rate of 1.65% (Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company Private Client Services Disclosure Brochure, September 2026).
What the fee includes, in each firm’s own words
Kestra (Kestra Private Wealth Services / Kestra Advisory Services) (Kestra Advisory Services, LLC Wrap Fee Program Brochure (Form ADV Part 2A, Appendix 1), August 20, 2026): “All fees are negotiable, subject to the maximum amount set forth below. FSP Fee Schedule Fee Type Assets Minimum Maximum Manager Fee $5,000+ 0.02% 0.45% Advisor Fee $5,000+ 0.00% 2.48% Client Fee $5,000+ 0.02% 2.50% … Client Fee is the sum of the Advisor Fee plus the Manager Fee. In instances where the maximum Advisor Fee plus the Manager Fee would exceed 2.5 percent, the Advisor fee is reduced so the Client Fee does not exceed 2.5 percent.” Fund Strategist Portfolios (FSP) Program, Client Fee (Advisor Fee + Manager Fee), $5,000+ accounts: 0.02% min, 2.50% max; Separately Managed Accounts (SMA) Program, Client Fee, $100,000+ accounts: 0.02% min, 2.50% max; Unified Managed Account (UMA) Program, Client Fee, $5,000+ accounts: 0.02% min, 2.50% max; APM-Wrap / most other AdvisorEnterprise programs, Maximum Client Fee: 2.50%; One passive/index-model program, Maximum Client Fee (lower cap): 1.50%.
Kestra’s advisory fee is entirely advisor-negotiated within a published floor/ceiling band; across its AdvisorEnterprise programs (FSP, SMA, UMA, APM-Wrap, etc.) the Client Fee ranges from about 0.02% up to a firm-wide Maximum Client Fee of 2.5% (one narrower passive-model program caps at 1.5%). The dollar figures on this page apply that 2.5% maximum to each balance, as the most a client could be charged. Kestra Advisory Services was used as the primary citation as the larger/parent RIA (formerly NFP Advisor Services).
Northwestern Mutual (Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company Private Client Services Disclosure Brochure, September 2026): “NMWMC generally charges an annual Net Advisory Fee of no more than 1.65% on assets in a Private Client Services account. The corresponding annual Gross Advisory Fee is no more than 1.76% before the application of the 0.11% fee offset for proprietary investment management fees discussed below.”
Northwestern Mutual does not publish a public dollar-breakpoint schedule; the tiers on your account are negotiated with your advisor and recorded in a private Statement of Investment Selection. The figures above apply the disclosed 1.65% ceiling as a flat rate; your advisor may offer a lower custom schedule.
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, Kestra (Kestra Private Wealth Services / Kestra Advisory Services) runs up to $12,500 a year (the published maximum) and Northwestern Mutual runs up to $8,250 a year (the published maximum): a difference of $4,250 a year between those figures at that balance.
Want the full breakdown for either firm on its own? Read the Kestra (Kestra Private Wealth Services / Kestra Advisory Services) fee page or the Northwestern Mutual fee page for the complete tier table and source citations.
Thinking about leaving one of these firms instead of pricing what you would pay to stay? See what it costs to leave Northwestern Mutual, or read the general mechanics of switching financial advisors.
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Northwestern Mutual runs up to $8,250 a year (the published maximum) at $500,000. See what else is available.
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Answer againSources
- Kestra Advisory Services, LLC Wrap Fee Program Brochure (Form ADV Part 2A, Appendix 1) (August 20, 2026): https://files.adviserinfo.sec.gov/IAPD/Content/Common/crd_iapd_Brochure.aspx?BRCHR_VRSN_ID=1055475
- SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure, Kestra Advisory Services, LLC (“Kestra AS”) (CRD #283330): https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/283330
- Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company Private Client Services Disclosure Brochure (September 2026): https://www.northwesternmutual.com/assets/pdf/brochures/private-client-services-disclosure.pdf
- SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure, Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC (CRD #2881): https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/2881
Methodology. This page was built October 3, 2026, re-pairing figures already archived and independently verified for Kestra (Kestra Private Wealth Services / Kestra Advisory Services) and Northwestern Mutual from each firm’s own SEC-filed disclosure; sources linked above. Nothing here is personalized financial, tax, legal, or investment advice. See our Editorial Policy, Corrections, Affiliate Disclosure, and Disclaimer.