EP Wealth Advisors: Platform Profile

Overview

EP Wealth Advisors is an SEC-registered investment adviser offering portfolio management and financial planning through a national adviser network.

Its current public relationship minimum is straightforward:

• General minimum: $500,000

Its fee structure is not.

EP Wealth does not publish one universal percentage that can be applied to every client.

Current disclosure allows pricing through structures that can include:

• blended tiered AUM fees;
• tiered or cliff-style percentages;
• flat percentages;
• annual fees;
• minimum quarterly or upfront fees;
• combinations of those methods;
• negotiated legacy schedules for acquired relationships.

That makes the actual advisory agreement more important than a generic percentage shown by a third-party review.

EP Wealth's service scope can include:

• discretionary investment management;
• limited non-discretionary management;
• financial planning;
• retirement planning;
• tax planning and tax preparation for eligible clients;
• estate-planning document services through independent attorneys;
• trust coordination;
• alternatives and private funds;
• third-party manager strategies.

May fit better for

• households with approximately $500,000 or more of investable assets;
• clients seeking a dedicated human adviser;
• investors wanting portfolio management and broader planning;
• clients with tax, estate or retirement complexity;
• households comfortable with negotiated pricing;
• investors who value access to multiple custodians;
• eligible investors considering private funds, hedge funds or other alternatives.

May fit less well for

• investors seeking a standardized low-cost robo account;
• households below the general $500,000 relationship threshold;
• clients who want a single public fee percentage before speaking with an adviser;
• users who want to approve every transaction in a discretionary account;
• investors who assume the advisory fee includes every outside manager or private-fund expense;
• clients who want one universal custodian;
• investors requiring daily liquidity from every strategy.

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EP Wealth Advisors, LLC is the registered adviser

Current IAPD information identifies:

• Investment adviser: EP Wealth Advisors, LLC
• CRD: 111147
• SEC number: 801-29358
• SEC registration effective: 1987-04-16

The current Form ADV brochure used in this package is dated:

• ADV date: 2026-03-31

The adviser manages client relationships.

Qualified custodians, third-party managers, attorneys and other providers perform separate functions.

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General relationship minimum is $500,000

Current Form ADV and public contact materials use a general minimum of:

• General relationship minimum: $500,000

The minimum can be waived.

Related family accounts may also be evaluated together under applicable policies.

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There is no universal current percentage fee

EP Wealth's current disclosure permits multiple pricing approaches.

The firm says fees depend on:

• services;
• assets;
• complexity;
• negotiation;
• historical acquired-firm agreements;
• account structure.

A current review should not invent one percentage from a single legacy table.

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Non-discretionary pricing can be higher

EP Wealth's current disclosure states that non-discretionary account fees are higher than comparable discretionary relationships.

That pricing relationship is unusual enough to preserve.

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Planning fees can be separate

For existing portfolio-management clients requiring additional planning outside ordinary scope, current disclosure allows:

• Additional planning hourly: up to $250/hour

Standalone financial planning or consulting can use:

• Standalone planning hourly: up to $500/hour
• Standalone planning retainer: up to $10,000

Store these as separate planning references.

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Tax preparation is available to qualifying relationships

Current disclosure describes tax-preparation services for clients with at least:

• Tax preparation AUM eligibility: $1,000,000

Tax preparation uses a separate agreement and fee, although the fee can be waived in whole or part at EP Wealth's discretion.

The $1 million tax-service threshold is not the general EP Wealth relationship minimum.

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Estate-document services use independent law firms

Current disclosure permits estate-planning document preparation for clients generally meeting:

• Estate document AUM: $1,000,000

Services are provided through independent attorneys or law firms under separate legal engagements.

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Trust services use an independent trust company

Current EP Wealth materials disclosures show:

National Advisors Trust Company, FSB, doing business as EP Wealth Private Trust.

The legal distinction is mandatory.

National Advisors Trust Company is a separate federally chartered trust institution.

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Third-party advisers can create layered fees

EP Wealth can use third-party advisers or managers.

Current disclosure states that EP Wealth can include those assets in its own advisory-fee calculation while the third-party adviser charges a separate fee.

That is a core cost guard.

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Alternatives require separate product analysis

Current disclosure permits recommendations that can include:

• liquid alternatives;
• illiquid alternatives;
• private funds;
• hedge funds;
• other private investments.

Private products can require:

• accredited-investor status;
• qualified-purchaser status;
• higher minimums;
• multi-year holding periods.

Their fund-level expenses are separate from the adviser fee unless the governing documents say otherwise.

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Custody can include Schwab and Fidelity channels

Current disclosure identifies relationships that include:

• Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.;
• Fidelity/National Financial Services arrangements.

Acquired relationships and specific programs can create different custody arrangements.

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Custodian relationships can create economic conflicts

Current disclosure describes referral, service and economic relationships with custodians.

Benefits can include:

• technology;
• practice support;
• service access;
• referral opportunities;
• operational resources.

The existence of a benefit should be disclosed.

It is not proof that the selected custodian is unsuitable.

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Regulatory and public AUM are dated metrics

EP Wealth's March 2026 brochure reported approximately:

• ADV client assets reference 2026 02 28: $45.145 billion
• ADV discretionary: $44.475 billion
• ADV non discretionary: $670 million
• Retirement plan advisory: $1.002 billion

The current public website later referenced approximately:

• Public AUM reference 2026 06 30: $49.1 billion+

Store the dates.

Assessment

EP Wealth's strength is service breadth.

Its weakness for comparison shoppers is price standardization.

The $500,000 general minimum is easy to understand.

The advisory fee is not.

Two clients with similar assets can have different economics because of:

• negotiated agreements;
• service scope;
• discretionary status;
• acquired legacy schedules;
• outside managers;
• planning add-ons.

The useful question is therefore not:

What is EP Wealth's fee?

It is:

What exact fee method, percentage, minimum, outside-manager cost and planning charge applies to this household?