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RIA comparison · SEC Form ADV

Ballentine Partners vs CW Advisors, LLC

Two independent wealth managers side by side: assets, clients, staff, services and fees, from each firm’s own filing.

The short answer

Ballentine Partners and CW Advisors, LLC are almost exactly the same size, with $15B and $15B in regulatory assets (Ballentine Partners slightly ahead), by their latest Form ADV filings. CW Advisors, LLC reports more individual clients (6,426 vs 342), while Ballentine Partners’ clients hold more on average (about $43 million each against $2.2 million). Both are based in Massachusetts: Ballentine Partners in Waltham and CW Advisors, LLC in Boston.

FigureBallentine PartnersCW Advisors, LLC
Regulatory AUM$15B$15B
National rank#62#63
HeadquartersWaltham, MassachusettsBoston, Massachusetts
Individual clients3426,426
High-net-worth clients3423,257
Average client assets$43 million$2.2 million
Accounts7,40123,756
Discretionary73% of AUM97% of AUM
Employees125152
Advisory staff8789
Clients per advisory employee472
Offices525
Form ADV filed2026-09-232026-08-26

Ballentine Partners

Full profile →

Services

  • Financial planning
  • Portfolio management for individuals and small businesses
  • Portfolio management for pooled investment vehicles
  • Selecting other advisers
  • Educational seminars and workshops

How it’s paid

  • A percentage of assets under management
  • Hourly charges
  • Fixed fees
  • Other

CW Advisors, LLC

Full profile →

Services

  • Financial planning
  • Portfolio management for individuals and small businesses
  • Portfolio management for pooled investment vehicles
  • Portfolio management for businesses and institutions
  • Pension consulting
  • Selecting other advisers

How it’s paid

  • A percentage of assets under management
  • Hourly charges
  • Fixed fees

Questions

Which is bigger, Ballentine Partners or CW Advisors, LLC?

Ballentine Partners, with $15B in regulatory assets under management against $15B at CW Advisors, LLC. Nationally they rank #62 and #63 among 5,657 independent wealth management RIAs.

How many clients do Ballentine Partners and CW Advisors, LLC have?

Ballentine Partners reports 342 individual clients (342 high-net-worth) with 87 advisory employees; CW Advisors, LLC reports 6,426 (3,257 high-net-worth) with 89 advisory employees.

How do Ballentine Partners and CW Advisors, LLC charge clients?

Only Ballentine Partners lists other forms of compensation on Form ADV. Fee schedules and minimums are in each firm’s Form ADV Part 2A brochure.

What services do Ballentine Partners and CW Advisors, LLC offer?

Ballentine Partners lists educational seminars and workshops, which CW Advisors, LLC does not. CW Advisors, LLC lists portfolio management for businesses and institutions; pension consulting, which Ballentine Partners does not. Both offer financial planning; portfolio management for individuals and small businesses; portfolio management for pooled investment vehicles; selecting other advisers.

More comparisons

Where these numbers come from

Every figure is the firm’s own answer on its latest Form ADV, from the SEC’s registered-adviser list as of October 1, 2026: regulatory assets and accounts (Item 5.F), clients by type (5.D), employees (5.A and 5.B), compensation (5.E) and services (5.G). Average client assets divide the assets held for individual and high-net-worth clients by their number. Ranks compare each firm with all US-based independent wealth management RIAs, the same field as The Largest RIAs. Figures can lag recent deals and market moves.

Not an endorsement or a recommendation of either firm. Before hiring an adviser, read its Form ADV Part 2A brochure and check its record on the SEC’s adviser search: Ballentine Partners ↗, CW Advisors, LLC ↗. How to check a financial advisor →