Thursday, October 22, 2026The Morning EditionOpen AtlasSign inJoin free
FinancialADVSR

Est. 2026The front page of wealth managementNew York

The Morning EditionFree · 6:30 AM ETSubscribe
RB An Amazon intern in 2020, Nevis CEO Mark Swan is the unlikely dream weaver for Focus Financial and other big RIA rollups with 'nightmare' integration issues -- with help from Schwab, Fidelity, OpenAI and AnthropicIN SpaceX’s AI segment now drives more than half its revenue. Here’s what advisors should watch nextFP Why AI might recommend your competitor instead of youFP Why clients are choosing phased retirement — and what advisors should know4K SPARK Forum Offering Scholarships for Retirement Plan AdvisorsFP What Schwab's new ETF platform fees mean for clients, advisorsWM RIA Platform Leaders Ask ‘What’s the Advantage in Having Your Own Form ADV?’IN Fake e-vite phishing scams put high-net-worth clients at riskRB Rick Wurster says Schwab is tackling its forced rationing of long/short SMAs with proprietary 'offering' to stretch balance sheet, but it may be more about a fee upside, a long/short manager saysIN Fintech bytes: 55ip, Vise, Syntax push tax-smart tools for RIAs

RIA comparison · SEC Form ADV

Creative Planning vs Mariner

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

The short answer

Creative Planning is the larger of the two, with $296B in regulatory assets to $125B at Mariner, 2.4 times the size of its rival, by their latest Form ADV filings. Creative Planning reports more individual clients (87,051 vs 54,583), while Mariner’s clients hold more on average (about $2.1 million each against $2.1 million). Both are based in Overland Park, Kansas.

FigureCreative PlanningMariner
Regulatory AUM$296B$125B
National rank#4#10
HeadquartersOverland Park, KansasOverland Park, Kansas
Individual clients87,05154,583
High-net-worth clients39,51122,322
Average client assets$2.1 million$2.1 million
Accounts320,323186,791
Discretionary99% of AUM98% of AUM
Employees1,6501,889
Advisory staff1,538933
Clients per advisory employee5759
Offices151131
Form ADV filed2026-07-102026-08-05

Creative Planning

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
  • Educational seminars and workshops

How it’s paid

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

Mariner

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
  • Periodicals or newsletters
  • Educational seminars and workshops
  • Other services

How it’s paid

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

Questions

Which is bigger, Creative Planning or Mariner?

Creative Planning, with $296B in regulatory assets under management against $125B at Mariner. Nationally they rank #4 and #10 among 5,657 independent wealth management RIAs.

How many clients do Creative Planning and Mariner have?

Creative Planning reports 87,051 individual clients (39,511 high-net-worth) with 1,538 advisory employees; Mariner reports 54,583 (22,322 high-net-worth) with 933 advisory employees.

How do Creative Planning and Mariner charge clients?

They list the same forms of compensation on Form ADV: a percentage of assets under management; hourly charges; fixed fees. Fee schedules and minimums are in each firm’s Form ADV Part 2A brochure.

What services do Creative Planning and Mariner offer?

Mariner lists periodicals or newsletters; other services, which Creative Planning does not. Both offer 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; educational seminars and workshops.

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: Creative Planning ↗, Mariner ↗. How to check a financial advisor →