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Merit Financial Advisors Minimum Investment (2026): What It Takes to Open an Account

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Updated September 28, 2026. Quick answer: Merit Financial Advisors’ brochure does not commit to a specific dollar minimum account size or minimum fee for its core Direct Asset Management program; Item 7 reserves the right to impose a minimum fee or minimum account balance case by case, as set out in each client’s individual Advisory Agreement, without stating a firm-wide figure. Retirement Plan Consulting Services are confirmed to have no minimum asset amount at all.

The minimum, in the firm’s own words

“We may impose a minimum fee or minimum account balance for our asset management services, as set forth in the Advisory agreement.”

Minimum investment and what it would cost

ProgramMinimum investmentAnnual fee at that minimumWaivable?
Direct Asset ManagementVaries by Advisory Agreement, no firm-wide figureVaries with account sizeNo stated waiver policy
Source: Form ADV Part 2A, June 8, 2026

Merit Financial Advisors’ own fee schedule at other balances

Account balanceAnnual fee
$250,000$6,250
$500,000$12,500
$1,000,000$25,000
$2,000,000$50,000

What else to know

Two other dollar figures in the brochure are not this general figure: a $16,500 minimum annual fee and a $35,000 minimum transaction fee apply only to Merit’s specialized ESOP/Qualified Plan independent-fiduciary and trustee services, not the individual asset-management program most readers would compare.

What a larger account would cost

The minimum is only the entry point. On a $500,000 account, Merit Financial Advisors’ own published fee schedule runs up to $12,500 a year (the published maximum); see the full dollar breakdown from Merit Financial Advisors’ own fee disclosure across several account sizes.

Comparing minimums across firms? See what it takes to open an account with HBKS Wealth Advisors.

Already a client and thinking about the minimum a different way, like whether you could get a better deal elsewhere? Read the general mechanics of switching financial advisors, or use a dated termination letter once you decide.

Compare your next step

About how much do you have invested?

Choose a range to see an adviser-matching option. No contact details at this step.

Just comparing fees? Keep reading the fee guide.

Sources

Methodology. This page was built September 28, 2026, quoting directly from Merit Financial Advisors’ own current Form ADV Part 2A / wrap-fee brochure, with the source linked above. The annual-fee-at-the-minimum figure applies that same brochure’s own published fee schedule to the disclosed minimum dollar amount; 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 ADV Part 2A. See our Editorial Policy, Corrections, Affiliate Disclosure, and Disclaimer.