Edelman Financial Engines Review 2026: Pros, Cons and How It Compares
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Our Take
4.7
Edelman Financial Engines can manage assets across taxable and non-taxable accounts, including those within most 401(k) plans or other workplace retirement plans. The firm’s highest annual fee is 1.75% of the first $400,000 in assets under management, which is among the highest for wealth advisors reviewed by NerdWallet.
Edelman Financial Engines
Fees
0.50% - 1.75%
Account minimum
$0
Declined to disclose, but minimums may be set, increased, decreased or waived at the firm's discretion.
Fees
0.50% - 1.75%
Account minimum
$0
Declined to disclose, but minimums may be set, increased, decreased or waived at the firm's discretion.
Promotion
None
no promotion available at this time
Show details
Pros & Cons
Unlimited access to a dedicated advisor.
Option to work with advanced planning teams on complex planning topics.
Highly tailored portfolio management.
May be able to manage employer-sponsored accounts like a 401(k).
Allows clients to hold assets at a range of third-party custodians, including Fidelity, Schwab and Axos.
140+ office locations nationwide.
Tiered management fee is high for investors with investable assets below $1 million.
Compare to Other Advisors
$2,600 and up per year
$0
None
Varies by Advisor (free initial consultation)
$150,000
3-Month Satisfaction Guarantee
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Full Review
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- Where Edelman Financial Engines shines
- Where Edelman Financial Engines falls short
- Who should choose Edelman Financial Engines?
- Edelman Financial Engines at a glance
- What to know about Edelman Financial Engines' account fees
- Edelman Financial Engines' advisor access
- Edelman Financial Engines’ financial planning services
- Other key Edelman Financial Engines features
- Good to know about Edelman Financial Engines
- Is Edelman Financial Engines right for you?
Where Edelman Financial Engines shines
Holistic approach to planning: Edelman Financial Engines’ wealth clients work with a dedicated advisor. And behind that advisor is a dedicated team that provides comprehensive financial planning — from managing your investments to planning your retirement income and guiding your tax, insurance and estate plans.
Proactive advisor relationship: When the markets get rocky, Edelman advisors are proactive in connecting with clients, and the firm extends service hours to address any concerns or questions that arise.
Where Edelman Financial Engines falls short
High fees to start: Edelman Financial Engines charges an annual fee of 1.75% on the first $400,000 of assets under management. Clients with minimal assets can find planning services and investment management at lower rates elsewhere.
Alternatives to consider:
For lower fees: Modern Wealth Management
For more brokerage options: Mariner Wealth Advisors
Who should choose Edelman Financial Engines?
High-net-worth investors: Edelman Financial Engines’ annual rates get more competitive as the client’s assets under management increase beyond $400,000. On the next $350,000, the fee drops to 1.25%. It hits 1% — which is considered a typical asset under management fee for financial advisors — on the $250,000 above that. The fee continues to drop as a client's AUM grows. We detail the entire fee structure below.
People with complex planning needs: Clients of Edelman Financial Engines have access to advanced planning teams that work with advisors on complex planning topics. If you’re in a position where you could take advantage of those specialized services, you’ll get the most value out of working with Edelman.
Edelman Financial Engines at a glance
Reviewed in: Dec. 2025
Period considered: Oct. - Dec. 2025
Account minimum | Declined to disclose. Opening an account may be subject to a minimum account size, which is determined based on proprietary models developed by EFE. This minimum may be increased, decreased or waived at the firm's discretion. |
Account management, planning or subscription fee | The fee drops the more assets you have under management.
The AUM fee covers financial planning services as well as investment management. But clients who only want a financial plan would pay a one-time fee of up to $10,000. |
Advisor access and credentials | All wealth planning clients are supported by a dedicated advisor, who provides unlimited access throughout the year. Advisors are available via email, chat/text, phone, video or in-person meeting. |
Financial planning services | EFE provides personalized, comprehensive support for complex financial planning needs, including tax optimization, estate planning, and insurance strategies. |
Investment expense ratios | Average 0.14%. |
Portfolio construction | 95% of portfolios are unique to the individual. EFE wealth advisors work closely with clients to ensure their portfolio is aligned with their unique needs, goals and risk tolerance. The process is intended to create personalized, age-appropriate, diversified portfolios for each client selecting from among thousands of available investment options and maximizing the risk-adjusted returns of these portfolios by optimizing asset-class exposures, manager performance, fund-specific risk and fees. |
Brokerage options | EFE managed assets are held with one of its custodian partners, including Fidelity, Schwab and Axos. |
Accounts supported | EFE provides comprehensive account management across taxable and non-taxable accounts, including managing assets within most 401(k) plans or other workplace retirement plans. |
Tax strategy | Services include asset location and tax-loss harvesting — offered at no additional cost — as well as direct indexing capabilities. EFE also provides tax planning support. |
What to know about Edelman Financial Engines' account fees
The management fee is tiered, meaning different rates apply to different pots of money, which is common in the wealth management industry. You’ll also find tiered fee structures at firms like Modern Wealth Management, Ellevest Wealth Managers and J.P. Morgan Personal Advisors.
Edelman Financial Engines charges:
1.75% on the first $400,000.
1.25% on the next $350,000.
1% on the next $250,000.
0.75% on the next $2 million.
0.60% on the next $7 million.
0.50% on the next $15 million.
Under a tiered structure, the more assets you have, the lower your effective management rate will be. For example, if you have $1 million in investable assets, you’d pay $7,000 annually in AUM fees for the first $400,000, then $4,375 on the next $350,000 and $2,500 on the next $250,000. In total, you’d pay $13,875 in annual management fees — an effective rate of about 1.39%.
The annual AUM fee covers financial planning, investment management, trading and custody. Edelman Financial Engines doesn’t charge set-up or onboarding fees. And clients don’t pay any separate transaction costs.
It’s also worth noting that Edelman Financial Engines will develop and present a financial plan for clients who don’t want ongoing investment management. For that, you’d pay a one-time fee of up to $10,000.
» MORE: Understand the impact of fees using our financial advisor fee calculator.
Edelman Financial Engines' advisor access
Who you work with
Wealth planning clients at Edelman Financial Engines have unlimited access to a dedicated advisor, and can reach them by email, chat/text, phone, video or in-person meetings. If the advisor is unavailable, clients can get help from a dedicated planning team. The team also contributes expertise to address all aspects of clients’ financial planning needs.
Edelman’s wealth planning advisors hold a variety of credentials in areas of investment management and personal financial planning.
All advisors hold Series 65 licenses, which qualifies them to get paid for offering investment advice.
The firm also has more than 200 certified financial planners — a certification that ensures they’ve amassed a broad range of knowledge and experience and are qualified to provide personalized financial advice.
About 20 advisors are chartered financial analysts, or CFAs — a certification that emphasizes expertise in investment analysis and portfolio management.
About a dozen certified public accountants partner with advisors to serve clients.
Others have additional credentials in specialized topics, including insurance, Social Security and divorce.
How often you meet
As a client, you could expect to meet at least annually to review your progress. But advisors are available year-round to answer questions or update a financial plan. Edelman Financial Engines also stays in touch with clients with educational material, including webinars. And the firm proactively connects with clients and extends service hours when the market is more volatile than normal.
Edelman Financial Engines’ financial planning services
Edelman Financial Engines is a comprehensive wealth management firm. Its services include complex financial planning — including college planning, retirement income planning, estate planning, debt reduction and more — as well as investment management and tax optimization and insurance strategies.
Investment advisory services are available for tax-advantaged retirement accounts and taxable accounts. Services include managing investments and providing ongoing advice, monitoring performance and rebalancing the portfolio.
Edelman uses its own financial planning platform alongside its investment advisory platform to evaluate each client’s financial picture, from income and spending to debt and risk tolerance. The analysis serves as the foundation for developing a custom investment strategy that aligns with each client’s goals.
The firm’s advanced planning team works with financial advisors on specialized topics that require more complex planning. Estate planning services that are covered under the standard AUM fee include a review of existing estate planning documents to ensure they are valid and complete. Edelman advisors will also flag any potential risks, including estate tax implications or misaligned beneficiary designations. And they will help create an estate plan, including estate tax mitigation, planning for special needs children or dependents, business succession planning and charitable giving. For document creation, Edelman will refer clients to a DIY digital document creation platform, or to a vetted list of estate planning attorneys for documents to be drafted by a lawyer. Clients will then contract directly with the attorney for an extra fee.
Other key Edelman Financial Engines features
Portfolio construction
Edelman Financial Engines’ diversified portfolios are customized on a client-by-client basis. Clients select from thousands of investment options. The average investment expense ratios are about 0.14%.
A client investment portfolio may contain a mix of individual equities, cash or cash equivalents, CDs, bonds, alternative investments, mutual funds and ETFs. The firm’s expanded investment platform includes alternative strategies, digital assets such as cryptocurrency and socially responsible investment options.
Accounts supported
Edelman Financial Engines can support brokerage accounts held with several custodians, including Schwab and Fidelity. In addition to managing assets in taxable and non-taxable accounts, Edelman may be able to manage assets within an employer-sponsored plan like a 401(k).
Tax strategy
Edelman Financial Engines’ tax strategies include asset location, tax-loss harvesting and direct indexing.
The firm provides tax planning support through tools and other resources. Its team of tax experts can provide advanced tax services and help retirees identify tax-efficient income strategies. For example, the firm’s tax experts can provide tax optimization strategies for personal, business and rental real estate income planning, as well as charitable giving, retirement account selection and employee equity. This is at no additional fee. Like other financial advisor firms, for tax preparation and filing, Edelman will refer clients out and the client can contract directly with the tax preparer for an extra fee.
Good to know about Edelman Financial Engines
Account minimums may be required — but may be flexible
Edelman Financial Engines may require new account holders to meet a minimum asset balance, which it sets using its own proprietary models. But the firm didn’t disclose specific requirements. And minimums may be increased, decreased or waived at the firm's discretion.
140+ office locations makes in-person meetings possible
Edelman Financial Engines has more than 140 locations across the United States.
Is Edelman Financial Engines right for you?
Edelman Financial Engines could be a good fit if you’re looking for someone to manage an already sizable portfolio, you’ll use comprehensive planning services or you value meeting your advisor in-person and you live near one of Edelman’s offices.
Under its tiered fee structure, Edelman’s fees are highest for clients with the smallest account balances. That’s typical in the industry. But its starting rate — 1.75% — is higher than other wealth managers reviewed by NerdWallet. You’d need more than $400,000 in investable assets to start to lower your effective annual rate.
That fee is designed to cover all aspects of Edelman’s wealth management services. You’d have access to financial planning, investment management, insurance guidance, tax planning and estate planning all in one place and for one annual fee.
Lastly, you’ll want to consider that those higher fees are going toward supporting those 140-plus offices around the country. If you’re not concerned about meeting your wealth manager in-person, you could find lower rates with a firm that primarily serves clients virtually.