Modera Wealth Management: Platform Profile

Overview

Modera Wealth Management is an SEC-registered, fee-only wealth manager.

Its pricing creates a useful distinction that many comparison tables miss:

• Required account size minimum: $0
• Wealth management minimum quarterly fee: $3,000

There is no required minimum initial or ongoing asset balance.

But the wealth-management relationship generally has a minimum fee equal to:

$3,000 per quarter = $12,000 per year

unless waived.

That means an investor can technically meet the asset requirement while still facing a substantial effective percentage cost at smaller balances.

Modera separates:

• Wealth Management;
• Portfolio Management;
• stand-alone planning;
• tax services;
• business coaching.

Those services use different fees.

May fit better for

• households seeking fee-only advice;
• clients who want financial planning integrated with portfolio management;
• larger portfolios where the minimum annual fee is less significant as a percentage of assets;
• taxable investors seeking tax-aware management;
• clients who value tax preparation under the same broader organization;
• households comfortable with progressive AUM pricing;
• eligible investors considering selected private placements.

May fit less well for

• small portfolios where the minimum quarterly fee creates a high effective rate;
• investors seeking a free or low-cost robo account;
• clients who need only basic ETF allocation;
• users who confuse “no asset minimum” with “no minimum cost”;
• investors who want commission-based product sales;
• clients who assume private placements have daily liquidity.

---

Modera Wealth Management, LLC is the adviser

Current regulatory information identifies:

• Investment adviser: Modera Wealth Management, LLC
• CRD: 155649
• SEC number: 801-71973
• SEC registration effective: 2010-11-16

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

• ADV date: 2026-03-18

---

Modera is fee-only

Current Modera disclosure states that the firm does not receive:

• brokerage commissions;
• product-sales commissions;
• referral fees for securities products.

“Fee-only” does not mean:

• no mutual-fund expense ratios;
• no custodian charges;
• no private-placement expenses;
• no taxes.

It describes Modera's compensation structure.

---

There is no required account-size minimum

Current disclosure states:

• Minimum initial account size: $0
• Minimum ongoing account size: $0

This is one of the most important review guards.

---

Wealth Management uses progressive pricing

Current Wealth Management schedule:

• First 2m: 1.00%
• Next 3m: 0.75%
• Next 5m: 0.55%
• Next 15m: 0.45%
• Next 25m: 0.35%
• Over 50m: 0.25%
• Minimum quarterly fee: $3,000

The schedule is progressive.

---

The $3,000 quarterly minimum can dominate smaller balances

Annual minimum:

$3,000 × 4 = $12,000

$500,000

$12,000 ÷ $500,000 = 2.40%

$1,000,000

Percentage schedule:

$1,000,000 × 1.00% = $10,000

Minimum annual fee:

$12,000

Effective:

1.20%

$2,000,000

Percentage schedule:

$2,000,000 × 1.00% = $20,000

The percentage fee exceeds the annual minimum.

---

A $5 million wealth relationship illustrates the progressive schedule

First $2 million:

$2,000,000 × 1.00% = $20,000

Next $3 million:

$3,000,000 × 0.75% = $22,500

Total:

$42,500

Average:

0.85%

Current Modera disclosure uses the same example.

---

Portfolio Management has a lower schedule and lower minimum fee

Portfolio Management excludes the broader financial-planning relationship unless separately arranged.

Current schedule:

• Portfolio Management:
• First 2m: 0.80%
• Next 3m: 0.60%
• Next 5m: 0.45%
• Next 15m: 0.35%
• Next 25m: 0.30%
• Over 50m: 0.20%
• Minimum quarterly fee: $2,500

Annual minimum:

$10,000

At $5 million:

• first $2M = $16,000;
• next $3M = $18,000;
• total = $34,000;
• average = 0.68%.

---

Stand-alone planning starts at a fixed fee

Current disclosure states that stand-alone financial-planning fees generally start at:

• Standalone planning minimum: $1,500

Tax preparation generally starts at:

• Tax preparation minimum: $850

Business coaching generally starts at:

• Business coaching annual minimum: $3,500

These are service-specific.

---

Discretionary and non-discretionary arrangements are possible

Current disclosure permits:

• Discretionary management: Yes
• Non discretionary management: Yes

The agreement controls the authority.

---

Private placements can add another fee layer

Modera can recommend private placements to qualifying clients, including accredited or qualified-purchaser investors where required.

Current disclosure also indicates that the value of certain private investments can remain included in Modera's AUM billing.

That means the investor can bear:

• Modera advisory fee;
• private-fund or issuer expenses;
• other offering-level costs.

---

Performance-based fees are not charged

Current Modera disclosure states:

• Performance based fee: No

The firm does not take a percentage of ordinary account gains as its standard compensation.

---

Custody can include Schwab and Fidelity

Current disclosure disclosures show:

• Schwab Institutional;
• Fidelity institutional custody;
• certain legacy/trust relationships involving other institutions.

---

Regulatory AUM and AUA should remain separate

As of December 31, 2025, current disclosure reported approximately:

• Regulatory AUM: $17.678 billion
• Discretionary AUM: $16.896 billion
• Non discretionary AUM: $782 million
• Assets under advisement: $18.760 billion

AUM and AUA are not interchangeable.

Assessment

Modera is a useful example of why minimum-fee analysis matters more than a simple account-minimum table.

The firm can truthfully have no required asset minimum while still being economically designed for wealthier households.

For Wealth Management:

• first-tier rate = 1.00%;
• minimum annual fee = $12,000.

At $500,000, the minimum fee represents 2.40%.

At $1 million, it represents 1.20%.

At $2 million, the percentage schedule overtakes the minimum.

The fee-only structure reduces product-sales conflicts, but it does not make every investment or private placement cost-free.