Guides › Financial Advisor Fees
Updated October 3, 2026. Quick answer: Wealth Enhancement Group has the lower published fee at $500,000: $7,500 a year, versus up to $10,175 a year (the sum of the firm’s published maximum fee components) for Morgan Stanley, 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 | Morgan Stanley (annual fee) | Wealth Enhancement Group (annual fee) |
|---|---|---|
| $250,000 | Up to $5,088 | $3,750 |
| $500,000 | Up to $10,175 | $7,500 |
| $1,000,000 | Up to $20,350 | $12,500 |
| $2,000,000 | Up to $40,700 | $25,000 |
Morgan Stanley discloses published fee components that sum to a maximum of 2.035% (Morgan Stanley Consulting Group Advisor (CGA) Program Wrap Fee Brochure, Form ADV Part 2A Appendix 1, March 30, 2026); Wealth Enhancement Group discloses a tiered schedule starting at 1.50% (Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC Form ADV Part 2A Disclosure Brochure, March 2026).
What the fee includes, in each firm’s own words
Morgan Stanley (Morgan Stanley Consulting Group Advisor (CGA) Program Wrap Fee Brochure, Form ADV Part 2A Appendix 1, March 30, 2026): “The maximum annual MSWM Fee for CGA accounts is 2.00% of the market value of the eligible assets in the account. … The Platform Fee is a 0.035% annual asset-based fee. The Platform Fee is in addition to the MSWM Fee, is non-negotiable and is generally applicable to all CGA accounts.” 2.00% maximum MSWM Fee plus a non-negotiable 0.035% Platform Fee.
Morgan Stanley discloses only a maximum negotiated rate for its flagship Consulting Group Advisor program, not a public breakpoint table; the figures above are the disclosed ceiling (2.035% combined) applied flat. Fees are stated as negotiable and often lower.
Wealth Enhancement Group (Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC Form ADV Part 2A Disclosure Brochure, March 2026): “For clients with flat fee schedules, the sample charges are below, actual fees may be higher or lower: Sample Flat-Rate Based Fees Portfolio Size Annual % $999,999 or less 1.50% $1,000,000-$2,000,000 1.25% Over $2,000,000 1.00% … Based upon the sample schedule above, the annual fee examples are listed below: A client with $500,000 would be charged 1.50% annually, billed monthly or quarterly. A client with $1,500,000 would be charged 1.25% annually, billed monthly or quarterly. A client with $2,500,000 would be charged 1.00% annually, billed monthly or quarterly.”
This is WEAS’s own disclosed ‘Sample Flat-Rate Based Fees’ table (explicitly labeled a sample, actual advisory fees are individually negotiated per client by the WEAS financial advisor, capped firm-wide at a stated maximum of 2% per year). It is a whole-balance (breakpoint) schedule, not marginal: the single rate for the bracket the account falls into applies to the entire balance. The dollar figures in the table apply the schedule’s rates to each balance.
How this compares
The median ria charges roughly 1.0% of assets under management annually (the benchmark). At $500,000, Morgan Stanley runs up to $10,175 a year (the published maximum) and Wealth Enhancement Group runs $7,500 a year: a difference of $2,675 a year between those figures at that balance.
Want the full breakdown for either firm on its own? Read the Morgan Stanley fee page or the Wealth Enhancement Group 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 Morgan Stanley, or read the general mechanics of switching financial advisors.
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Wealth Enhancement Group runs $7,500 a year at $500,000. See what else is available.
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Answer againSources
- Morgan Stanley Consulting Group Advisor (CGA) Program Wrap Fee Brochure, Form ADV Part 2A Appendix 1 (March 30, 2026): https://files.adviserinfo.sec.gov/IAPD/Content/Common/crd_iapd_Brochure.aspx?BRCHR_VRSN_ID=1033575
- SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (CRD #149777): https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/149777
- Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC Form ADV Part 2A Disclosure Brochure (March 2026): https://files.adviserinfo.sec.gov/IAPD/Content/Common/crd_iapd_Brochure.aspx?BRCHR_VRSN_ID=1027605
- SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure, Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC (CRD #116407): https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/116407
Methodology. This page was built October 3, 2026, re-pairing figures already archived and independently verified for Morgan Stanley and Wealth Enhancement Group 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.