Northern Trust Wealth Management Minimum Investment (2026): What It Takes to Open an Account

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Updated September 24, 2026. Quick answer: It depends which strategy you pick: Northern Trust Securities wrap programs (Separately Managed Account, Fund Strategist Portfolios, and Strategist UMA) runs from $20,000 to $1,000,000, depending on the specific strategy or model portfolio. At the $20,000 low end, Northern Trust Wealth Management’s own fee schedule works out to $250 a year; strategies at the high end require substantially more.

The minimum, in the firm’s own words

“A client must maintain a minimum account balance and accounts are subject to a minimum annual fee. The minimum account balance and minimum annual fee vary by the program. … Wrap Fee Model Program Minimum Account Balance Range Minimum Annual Fees Separately Managed Account (“SMA”) From $250,000 to $500,000 From $1,000 to $1,500 Fund Strategist Portfolios (“FSP”) From $20,000 to $100,000 From $250 to $625 Strategist UMA From $250,000 to $1,000,000 $1,500”

On waivability: “Under certain limited circumstances, we may waive the initial minimum investment requirement.”

Minimum investment and what it would cost

$20,000 low end (the Fund Strategist Portfolios program’s minimum) at Northern Trust Securities’ disclosed first-tier rate (First $500,000 at 1.25%, the tier the whole $20,000 balance falls inside): $20,000 x 1.25% = $250.

Northern Trust Wealth Management’s own fee schedule at other balances

What else to know

Northern Trust Securities, Inc. sets a separate account-balance minimum for each of its three named wrap programs rather than one firm-wide figure, ranging from $20,000 (Fund Strategist Portfolios) to $1,000,000 (Strategist UMA); the firm may waive the initial minimum under certain limited circumstances.

What a larger account would cost

The minimum is only the entry point. On a $500,000 account, Northern Trust Wealth Management’s own published fee schedule runs $6,250 a year; see the full dollar breakdown from Northern Trust Wealth Management’s own fee disclosure across several account sizes. It is also worth knowing whether Northern Trust Wealth Management is a fiduciary before you decide.

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.

Sources

• Form ADV Part 2A, Appendix 1, Wrap Fee Program Brochure (March 31, 2026): https://files.adviserinfo.sec.gov/IAPD/Content/Common/crd_iapd_Brochure.aspx?BRCHR_VRSN_ID=1038325
• SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure, Northern Trust Securities, Inc. (CRD #7927): https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/7927
• Northern Trust Securities, Inc., SEC Form ADV filing: https://reports.adviserinfo.sec.gov/reports/ADV/7927/PDF/7927.pdf

Methodology. This page was built September 24, 2026, quoting directly from Northern Trust Wealth Management’s 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.