Guides › Financial Advisor Fees
Updated September 19, 2026. Quick answer: TIAA Wealth Management is less expensive at $500,000: $4,500 a year, versus $12,500 a year for Mariner Wealth Advisors, computed from each firm’s own SEC-filed fee disclosure. 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 | Mariner Wealth Advisors (annual fee) | TIAA Wealth Management (annual fee) |
|---|---|---|
| $250,000 | $6,250 | $2,250 |
| $500,000 | $12,500 | $4,500 |
| $1,000,000 | $25,000 | $9,000 |
| $2,000,000 | $50,000 | $16,000 |
Mariner Wealth Advisors discloses a maximum, individually negotiated rate of 2.5% (Mariner, LLC (d/b/a Mariner Wealth Advisors) Form ADV Part 2A Brochure, March 30, 2023); TIAA Wealth Management discloses a tiered schedule starting at 0.90% (TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC – Advice & Planning Services – Private Asset Management Disclosure Brochure (Form ADV Part 2A), March 31, 2026).
What the fee includes, in each firm’s own words
Mariner Wealth Advisors (Mariner, LLC (d/b/a Mariner Wealth Advisors) Form ADV Part 2A Brochure, March 30, 2023): “The structure and level of our advisory fee will vary by client based upon the services provided and other considerations deemed relevant by us, but typically takes the form of a percentage of assets under management and/or advisement, ranging up to 2.50% per annum. … All fee arrangements are subject to negotiation.”
Mariner does not publish a dollar-breakpoint fee table; its Form ADV states a single ceiling of ‘ranging up to 2.50% per annum,’ individually negotiated per client. The dollar figures apply the disclosed 2.50% ceiling as a flat rate to each balance (balance x 0.025); an actual negotiated rate is very likely lower, especially at higher balances. Note on currency: this is the combined CRS/ADV Part 2A/Privacy document currently live at Mariner’s own published URL; its internal revision date, stated on the cover page, is March 30, 2023 – no more recent public version of Mariner, LLC’s firm-level Part 2A brochure (as opposed to smaller affiliated entities like Mariner Institutional or Mariner Platform Solutions) could be located.
TIAA Wealth Management (TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC – Advice & Planning Services – Private Asset Management Disclosure Brochure (Form ADV Part 2A), March 31, 2026): “The PAM Fee schedules for the discretionary accounts are provided below. They are subject to change with prior notice to materially impacted clients enrolled in PAM. … PAM Fee Blended Schedule Value Bracket Annual Fee as % First $1,000,000 of market value 0.90% Next $2,000,000 0.70% Next $2,000,000 0.50% Over $5,000,000 0.40%”
Marginal/tax-bracket-style tiers from the PAM Fee Blended Schedule (the Private Asset Management program run by TC Services, TIAA’s high-net-worth wealth-management arm, sub-advised by TIAA Wealth Investment Management LLC). $250k: 250,000 x 0.90% = $2,250. $500k: 500,000 x 0.90% = $4,500. $1M: 1,000,000 x 0.90% = $9,000. $2M: first $1,000,000 x 0.90% = $9,000, plus the next $1,000,000 (of the $1,000,001-$3,000,000 tier) x 0.70% = $7,000, total $16,000. TIAA Wealth Investment Management LLC (CRD 334925, SEC file 801-132296, the WIM sub-adviser entity) has no client-facing fee schedule of its own – it is paid a flat sub-advisory basis-point fee by TC Services/TIAA Trust; the PAM brochure sponsored by TC Services is the entity that actually bills clients and is the correct primary source for a buildable schedule. A separate ‘PAM Fee Exclusively Fixed Income Schedule’ (0.50%/0.35%/0.25%/0.20%/0.15% tiers) applies only to all-fixed-income accounts and was not used here.
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, Mariner Wealth Advisors runs $12,500 a year and TIAA Wealth Management runs $4,500 a year: a difference of $8,000 a year at that balance.
Want the full breakdown for either firm on its own? Read the Mariner Wealth Advisors fee page or the TIAA Wealth Management fee page for the complete tier table and source citations.
Comparing these two against a full move? 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
- Mariner, LLC (d/b/a Mariner Wealth Advisors) Form ADV Part 2A Brochure (March 30, 2023): https://www.marinerwealthadvisors.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/MWA-CRS-ADV-PART-2A-PRIVACY.pdf
- SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure, Mariner, LLC d/b/a Mariner Wealth Advisors (CRD #140195): https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/140195
- TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC – Advice & Planning Services – Private Asset Management Disclosure Brochure (Form ADV Part 2A) (March 31, 2026): https://files.adviserinfo.sec.gov/IAPD/Content/Common/crd_iapd_Brochure.aspx?BRCHR_VRSN_ID=1028127
- SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure, TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC (d/b/a Advice & Planning Services, sponsor of the Private Asset Management Program) (CRD #20472): https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/20472
Methodology. This page was built September 19, 2026, re-pairing figures already archived and independently verified for Mariner Wealth Advisors and TIAA Wealth Management 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.