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Creative Planning review 2026

By Nicolas Straut
Published 9 min read

Key takeaways

  • Creative Planning charges 1.20% a year on the first $500,000 it manages and less on each dollar above that, so you'd pay $6,000 a year on $500,000 and $11,000 on $1 million.1
  • Creative Planning's fee includes comprehensive financial planning once it manages $500,000 or more for you, and tax, legal, and trust work through its affiliates costs extra.
  • Consider Creative Planning if you want one firm for investing, planning, and estate help on $500,000 or more, and compare it with a flat-fee planner such as Facet, whose Core plan costs less above about $217,000.
In this article

Creative Planning is a Kansas-based wealth manager that charges a percentage of the assets it manages, starting at 1.20% a year and falling as your balance grows. It's built for households with $500,000 or more that want planning, investing, and estate help from one firm. This review covers its fees in dollars, its conflicts, how leaving works, and the alternatives, with every figure taken from its Form ADV brochure dated March 31, 2026.

What is Creative Planning?

Creative Planning is an independent wealth management firm in Overland Park, Kansas. It manages investments and builds financial plans for a fee based on the assets it manages, about $295.6 billion as of December 31, 2025. Peter Mallouk controls it through family trusts, and the private equity firm TPG is a minority owner.

It has been an SEC-registered investment adviser since March 18, 1983, so it owes clients a fiduciary duty. Its Form CRS also says the way it's paid creates conflicts.2

Creative Planning doesn't sell its own funds, has no affiliated broker-dealer, and charges no performance fees. It doesn't hold your money either.

Who is Creative Planning for?

Creative Planning is for households with at least $200,000 to invest, its general minimum. Its full planning service starts at $500,000 under management.

Households with $500,000 or more to invest

Households with $500,000 or more under management get comprehensive planning as part of the asset fee. That covers retirement, tax, insurance, and estate review. Below $500,000, the brochure allows a minimum fee set in your agreement, so ask for the planning terms and any minimum fee in writing.

Families who want tax, legal, and trust help from one firm

Families who want tax, legal, and trust help can use affiliated firms that prepare tax returns, draft estate documents, and act as trustee, each under its own agreement and fee.

Business owners and people with company stock

Business owners and people with company stock fit the situations the brochure says it plans around, such as low-basis stock, stock options, and closely held businesses. Affiliates that value or sell a business bill for that work separately.

Creative Planning pros and cons

Creative Planning's pros are planning and specialists in one firm and a rate that falls as your balance grows. Its cons are a 1.20% rate on the first $500,000, extra charges for tax and legal work, and paid referral conflicts.

Creative Planning pros

Planning included from $500,000

Planning comes with the asset fee once the firm manages $500,000 or more for you.

In-house tax, legal, and trust teams

Affiliated tax preparers, a law firm, and a trust company sit under one roof, so your advisor can coordinate them.

A lower rate on larger balances

Dollars above $500,000 are charged 1.00%, and dollars above $2 million 0.85%.

Your money stays at Schwab or Fidelity

Your accounts sit in your name at Charles Schwab or Fidelity, not at Creative Planning.

Creative Planning cons

1.20% a year on the first $500,000

That's $3,000 a year on $250,000, and you'll pay it whether markets rise or fall.

Tax, legal, and trust work cost extra

The affiliates charge their own fees on top of the asset fee.

Paid referrals and affiliate conflicts

The firm pays some referral partners and earns more when you use its affiliates.

Planning terms below $500,000 aren't published

Under $500,000, any minimum fee and the planning terms are set in your agreement, not the brochure.

How Creative Planning works

Creative Planning works by assigning you a wealth manager who builds a plan, manages your accounts at an outside custodian, and brings in specialists when you need them.

Your wealth manager and the specialists

Your wealth manager works with you "one-on-one," per the brochure, and the firm's site says advisors work with in-house specialists.3 Some wealth managers are CPAs or attorneys, but they don't provide tax or legal services themselves. The affiliates do.

Where your money is held

Your money is held in accounts in your name at Charles Schwab or Fidelity Institutional Wealth Services, which send you statements at least every quarter. The custodian's fees are charged to you separately, and none of them go to Creative Planning.

What Creative Planning invests in

Creative Planning invests in bonds, stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, and private funds, and the brochure says it doesn't typically try to time the market. It also recommends a TPG private markets fund "as suitable." Because TPG is a minority owner, the brochure calls that a conflict.

How much does Creative Planning cost?

Creative Planning costs a yearly percentage of the assets it manages for you: 1.20% on the first $500,000 and less above that, billed each quarter after the fact.4 The brochure says fees are negotiable, and clients of firms it bought may keep their old schedules.

The fee schedule

The fee schedule charges each slice of your balance its own rate, so only the dollars above $500,000 get the lower rate.

Scroll horizontally to see more columns.
Slice of the balance Creative Planning managesYearly rate on that slice
First $500,0001.20%
$500,001 to $2,000,0001.00%
$2,000,001 to $5,000,0000.85%
$5,000,001 to $10,000,0000.80%
$10,000,001 to $25,000,0000.70%
$25,000,001 to $50,000,0000.40%
$50,000,001 to $100,000,0000.30%
Over $100,000,0000.25%

The fee applies to everything in the account, including cash in money market funds.

What the fee costs in dollars

In dollars, Creative Planning's fee is $3,000 a year on $250,000 and $21,000 on $2 million.

Scroll horizontally to see more columns.
Balance managedYearly feeEach quarterEffective ratePlanning included
$250,000$3,000$7501.20%Set in your agreement; a minimum fee may apply
$500,000$6,000$1,5001.20%Yes
$1,000,000$11,000$2,7501.10%Yes
$2,000,000$21,000$5,2501.05%Yes

These figures assume the standard schedule and a flat balance, before fund and other fees. At an unchanged $1 million, you'd pay $110,000 over ten years.

Fees on top of the asset fee

Fees on top of the asset fee come from four places. The brochure says each is separate from what you pay Creative Planning.

Tax, legal, and trust services

Creative Planning Tax, Creative Planning Legal, and Creative Planning Trust Company each bill under their own agreement. The brochure says other firms may charge less, so ask for each quote before you sign.

Fund and custodian costs

Fund expenses come out of the funds, and Schwab or Fidelity trading and account fees go to the custodian.

Outside managers and private funds

An outside manager running a separately managed account charges its own fee, and so do private funds. If you invest in a private fund the firm introduced, you agree to a termination fee if you later leave.

Borrowing on margin

Assets bought on margin count toward the fee at full value, which the brochure calls a conflict.

How much does it cost to leave Creative Planning?

Leaving Creative Planning costs your share of the current quarter's fee, because you can end the agreement any time in writing, including by email, and the fee is prorated to your last day. Other costs depend on what you hold:

  • Your accounts already sit at Schwab or Fidelity in your name, so you can keep them there or move them. Check the custodian's own transfer and closing fees first.
  • A private fund the firm introduced carries the termination fee in your Private Investment Fund Acknowledgement, and its sponsor may charge more once you leave. Private funds usually can't be sold on demand, so ask how long an exit takes.
  • Selling holdings in a taxable account can trigger capital gains tax, and moving them as they are avoids the sale.
  • After your end date the firm has no duty to act on your accounts, so set up the new adviser first.

Is Creative Planning worth it in 2026?

Creative Planning is worth it in 2026 if you'll use the planning, tax, and estate help its fee pays for. You pay $6,000 a year on $500,000 and $21,000 on $2 million, but the help scales with how complex your finances are, not with your balance.

Its scores are mixed. Google's first page on October 18, 2026, showed a 5-star WSJ Buy Side rating, 2.4 stars from 54 Yelp reviews, and 3.4 from 2 Trustpilot reviews. The editorial ratings reward the range of services, and client reviews and forum threads mostly discuss cost at larger balances and service from individual advisors.

Consider Creative Planning if you have $500,000 or more, want one firm to coordinate investing, tax, estate, and trust work, and will use those specialists. It's a weaker fit if your money sits in a few index funds, if you're under $500,000 and want planning included, or if a flat yearly fee would cost you less.

Creative Planning vs the alternatives

Creative Planning vs the alternatives comes down to two things: whether you pay a percentage of your balance or a flat yearly fee, and how much in-house tax and legal help you want.

Creative Planning vs flat-fee financial planners

Creative Planning vs flat-fee financial planners is a percentage against a fixed price. From $500,000, Creative Planning costs more than each of these three, and the gap widens as your balance grows.

Scroll horizontally to see more columns.
Yearly cost$250,000$500,000$1,000,000$2,000,000
Creative Planning$3,000$6,000$11,000$21,000
Facet Core (list)$2,600$2,600$2,600$2,600
Range Premium$3,950$3,950$3,950$3,950
Domain Money Strategic, after year one$4,200$4,200$4,200$4,200

Creative Planning's fee passes Facet Core at about $217,000, Range Premium at about $329,000, and Domain Money Strategic's renewal price at $350,000. Facet Plus ($5,500) and Domain Money Strategic include tax filing, and Range files only on Titanium ($12,500), as our Facet review, Range review, Domain Money review, and Range vs Facet comparison explain. Our Facet alternatives roundup covers more flat-fee options.

Creative Planning vs other wealth managers

Creative Planning vs other wealth managers is a comparison of percentage fees, since Fisher Investments, Edelman Financial Engines, and Corient also charge a share of assets.

Scroll horizontally to see more columns.
Yearly costHow it charges$500,000$1,000,000
Creative Planning1.20% on the first $500,000, then less$6,000$11,000
Fisher Investments1.50% under $1 million, then from 1.25%$7,500$12,500
Edelman Financial Engines1.75% on the first $400,000, then less$8,250$13,875
CorientUp to 1.00%, negotiatedUp to $5,000Up to $10,000

Our Fisher Investments review, Edelman Financial Engines review, and Corient review cover each firm's terms. Our Empower review covers an advisory service at 0.89% a year from $100,000 to under $1 million, and our best robo-advisors roundup covers managed portfolios without a planner.

Before a first meeting, project your balance in five or ten years with the Tweed Retirement Calculator. Then price Creative Planning's fee at that balance from the schedule above, since a percentage fee grows with the account.

Frequently asked questions about Creative Planning

Is Creative Planning legit?

Yes, Creative Planning is legit. Creative Planning, LLC is an SEC-registered investment adviser under CRD 105348, and it files notices to work in all 50 states. Registration doesn't mean the SEC approves its advice, so read its brochure, Form CRS, and full record on the SEC's adviser search.

Is Creative Planning a fee-only firm?

No, Creative Planning isn't strictly a fee-only firm. Its advice is paid by a percentage of assets, with no commissions on investments, but its brochure says related persons who are insurance agents earn insurance commissions. Ask whether anyone you meet can sell insurance and how they're paid.

Has Creative Planning been in trouble with regulators?

Yes, Creative Planning's brochure reports a settled SEC order dated September 18, 2018. The order covered radio ads with client testimonials and lapses in its code of ethics, records, and policies. The firm agreed to a censure and a $200,000 penalty, and Peter Mallouk, its president, to a $50,000 penalty.

Is Creative Planning part of Fidelity?

No, Creative Planning is independent and isn't part of Fidelity. Fidelity is one of the two custodians it recommends, with Schwab, and Fidelity's referral program sends it clients. Creative Planning pays Fidelity 0.25% a year on most referred assets and 0.10% on bonds, and referred clients pay the same fee as other clients.

Can Creative Planning manage your 401(k)?

Yes, Creative Planning can manage your 401(k), but only if your employer's plan hires it, and its managed accounts there cost up to 0.36% a year. When you leave a job, it may suggest rolling the 401(k) into an IRA it manages, and its Form CRS says that fee may be higher than your plan's.

Can Creative Planning work with you if you live abroad?

Yes, Creative Planning can work with some clients abroad, but its brochure says custodian rules and foreign laws may restrict its services. It may end an engagement if a client moves outside the US. An affiliate, Baseline Wealth Management in Geneva, provides planning and investment management for some international families.

What do Creative Planning reviews on Reddit say?

Creative Planning reviews on Reddit mostly sit in older threads, such as a five-year-old r/fatFIRE post with more than 70 comments and a 2025 r/CFP thread among advisors who compete with the firm. Check each post's date against today's brochure, since fees and terms change.

Sources

  1. https://creativeplanning.com/wp-content/uploads/Creative-Planning-Form-ADV-Part-2A.pdf
  2. https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/105348
  3. https://creativeplanning.com/private-wealth-management/
  4. https://creativeplanning.com/wp-content/uploads/Creative-Planning-Customer-Relationship-Summary.pdf
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