Fisher Investments Review 2025: Fees, Fit, and Alternatives

Fisher Investments is one of the most recognizable wealth management firms in the U.S. If you’ve seen the ads, you’re not imagining it—Fisher is big, and they’re built to serve a large volume of high-net-worth households.

They report ~190,000 clients and ~$362B in assets under management (AUM) as of 9/30/2025.Fisher Investments

So the real question isn’t “are they legit?”
It’s:is their model the right fit for you—and are the fees worth what you’re getting?

Table of contents

1. What Fisher Investments is (and who they serve)

2. Fisher’s minimums and fee structure

3. What you’re really paying for

4. The tradeoffs to understand before signing

5. Questions to ask Fisher (or any advisor)

6. Alternatives: three advisors to compare

7. A faster way to find an advisor that fits

8. Disclosures

1) What Fisher Investments is (and who they serve)

Fisher Investments is an investment adviser (RIA) founded in 1979. They position themselves around an active, top-down investment approach and a centralized investment committee.

They also explicitly market to people with meaningful investable assets. Their own materials commonly reference$1,000,000+ in investable assetsfor personal consultations.info.us.fisherinvestments.com

If you’re below that threshold, it doesn’t automatically mean “no,” but you should assume you’re outside the center of their target market.

2) Fisher’s minimums and fee structure

Fisher describes their pricing as a tiered advisory fee based on portfolio size.Fisher Investments

A commonly-cited tiering for many clients is:

• 1.25% on the first $1M

• 1.125% on the next $4M

• 1.00% on amounts over $5MForbes

Important: fee schedules can vary by relationship, services, and agreement—always confirm the exact advisory fee, what’s included, and any additional underlying fund/ETF expenses.

3) What you’re really paying for

At a high level, an AUM fee is supposed to buy you:

• Portfolio management(allocation, rebalancing, implementation)

• Ongoing planning support(retirement modeling, goals, distribution strategy, etc.)

• Behavioral coaching(not panicking at the wrong time)

• Coordination(ideally: tax strategy, estate planning collaboration, equity comp planning, business planning, etc.)

The friction point for most people is simple:

If you’re paying 1%+, you want it to feel personal.

That means your planning isn’t just a generic “risk questionnaire + model portfolio,” and your meetings aren’t just market commentary.

Fisher can absolutely be a fit for people who want a guided, hands-off experience with an established firm. The open question is whether you’ll get the level of customization you want at their scale.

4) The tradeoffs to understand before signing

Big firm advantages:

• Systems, process, and consistency

• A repeatable client experience

• Centralized investment approach (some people prefer that)

Big firm tradeoffs:

• You may getless customizationthan you expect

• Relationship quality can depend heavily on your assigned team

• The experience can feel “standardized,” especially if your needs are complex

If you have complexity—equity comp, business ownership, multiple entities, concentrated stock, multi-state taxes, trusts—your bar should be higher than “seems reputable.”

5) Questions to ask Fisher (or any advisor)

Use this list as your filter. If they can answer clearly, you’re usually dealing with a real pro.

Scope & responsibilities

• What’s included in the advisory fee—investment management only, or planning too?

• Do you coordinate with my CPA/estate attorney (or provide those services in-house)?

• Who is my day-to-day contact, and how often do we meet?

Portfolio & philosophy

• Are portfolios individualized, or are clients placed into models?

• What would you do differently for someone like me (business owner / pre-retiree / equity comp / real estate / etc.)?

Fees & conflicts

• What is my exact fee schedule in writing?

• Any additional platform/custody/trading costs?

• Do you earn money from product sales? (Many RIAs are fee-only, but confirm.)

Proof & expectations

• How do you define success for clients?

• What does “good service” look like over the first 90 days?

6) Alternatives: four advisors to compare

If you’re considering Fisher, the most practical move is to compare them against a few advisors withclear specialtiesand transparent expectations.

Below are threeSam’s Listadvisors you can compare (each has different minimums, pricing ranges, and client types):

Chris Gure

• Modern “family office” style: investments + tax planning + insurance + estate strategy in one place

• Minimum investible assets:$500K

• Pricing ranges shown on profile:0.35%–2% AUM

• Client themes in reviews include equity comp + taxes + retirement transition

Malcolm Ethridge (Capital Area Planning Group)

• Works with: senior managers and executives in tech.”

• AUM fee range shown:0.25% to 1.5%

• Minimum investible assets:$500,000

• Specialties include: HNW/UHNW, pre-retirees, equity compensation (RSUs/options), real estate investors.

• Services include estate planning, executive compensation, and individual tax services.

Cayden McLaughlin, CFP, EA

• Positioned around coordinated planning + taxes (CFP + Enrolled Agent)

• Minimum investible assets:$250K; minimum annual income:$200K

• Pricing ranges shown on profile:0.45%–1.25% AUM

• Also shows flat-fee/retainer ranges for planning/tax strategy

Ian Weiner, CFP, CEPA

• Focus areas listed include HNW, real estate investors, and equity compensation

• Pricing ranges shown on profile:0.5%–1.75% AUM

None of the above are “better” by default—this is aboutfit. The point is to compare Fisher’s model against advisors whose scope and specialization are easier to evaluate quickly.

Want to compare advisors without sitting through 6 sales calls?

Sam’s Listlets you filter and compare financial advisors based on specialties, minimums, pricing ranges, and client reviews—then you can take a short quiz to get matched to a professional who fits what you actually need.

If you’re the type of person who:

• has equity comp, business income, real estate, or multi-account complexity, and

• wants a proactive advisor (not just portfolio rebalancing)

…this is the fastest way to avoid the “sounds good on the phone” trap.

Recommended starting points:

• Take the quiz (2 minutes)

• Browse all advisors and compare profiles side-by-side

• Check out the four advisors above as your baseline comparison set

Educational only.This article is for general informational purposes and is not investment, tax, or legal advice.

No performance promises.Nothing here is a guarantee of results.

Reviews/testimonials.When we display client reviews, we include disclosures about reviewer compensation and conflicts, consistent with how testimonials/endorsements are treated under the SEC’s investment adviser marketing rule.SEC

Compensation / paid programs.Sam’s List is a directory. Some professionals on Sam’s List may participate in paid programs for added visibility or lead distribution; users should do their own diligence before hiring any professional.

Publisher:Sam’s List
Date:December 2025
Firm discussed:Fisher Investments (not affiliated with Sam’s List)

Author: Kimi, Co-founder of Sam's List
Kimi writes about what she's learning while building Sam's List and shares honest takeaways from her conversations with accountants and financial advisors across the country. None of this is financial advice, just the stuff most people wish someone told them sooner.