Person
Founder of Nexus Strategies, a consulting firm advising registered investment advisors; a former Schwab employee turned industry commentator.
Fidelity will require RIAs already on its custody platform to hold at least $100 million there by June 30, 2027, or leave. AdvizorPro data counts about 1,150 firms below that line, The Daily Upside reported, while Fidelity puts the number at a few hundred.
Reality
Fidelity has set a $100 million asset minimum for RIA clients, whose median firm already runs $328 million, according to AdvizorPro. Advisers below the line can pool assets through a consolidator, move to another custodian or grow, and each route has a cost.
Reality
Save opened Market Savings, a cash product that risks only the interest, to more than 16,000 RIAs that use Schwab as custodian. Schwab takes part of the advisor fees on that cash, though a $100,000 minimum keeps the product small next to its $485.7 billion in sweep balances.
Reality
The higher marginal rate reaches only clients joining Schwab Wealth Advisory from October 1, which puts the increase where a consolidated client is hardest to move and leaves the entry price alone.
Reality
The pitch that landed in one advisor's voicemail offered help growing his practice rather than a cheaper custody bill, and Schwab's own referral minimum has moved from $500,000 to $5 million in a year.
Reality
The custodian's second minimum increase this year takes the Schwab Advisor Network floor from $500,000 to $5 million in twelve months. The lead count is the symptom, not the problem.
Reality