Savant Wealth Management vs. Baird: which is right for you?
Savant Wealth Management and Baird both provide financial advisor and wealth management services, but they use different advisory structures.
Category | Savant Wealth Management | Baird |
|---|---|---|
Service type | Advisor-led comprehensive wealth management | Advisor-led private wealth management and advisory programs |
Advisor model | Financial advisor supported by planning, tax, estate, trust, and investment specialists | Baird Financial Advisor with access to advisory programs, planning, and investment resources |
Fees | 0.50% to 1.50% | Tiered advice fee starts at 2.00% on the first $1M and declines at higher asset levels; |
Minimum account size | $300,000 for investment management | Advisory program minimums start at $5,000 for some programs and can reach $1 million or more for some strategies |
Investor fit | Higher-asset households seeking comprehensive wealth management for complex financial needs | Clients seeking advisor access with multiple advisory program choices |
Savant Wealth Management vs. Baird: Key services
Savant is organized around integrated wealth planning, while Baird is organized around advisor access plus a range of advisory account structures.
Savant Wealth Management:
- Investment management: Portfolios can be managed on a discretionary or non-discretionary basis, using model portfolios, ETFs, mutual funds, and, in some cases, individual securities, private placements, or options.
- Financial planning: Planning covers retirement, risk management, debt, education, health and wellness, income tax, investment, estate, business succession, and charitable planning.
- Tax and estate support: Savant offers tax advisory and preparation services, estate-planning document preparation, and other legal services.
- Trust and family office services: Savant Private Trust and family office services support clients with complex estate, tax, investment, and administrative needs.
Baird:
- Discretionary programs: ALIGN Strategic Portfolios, BairdNext Portfolios, Private Investment Management, and Russell Model Strategies.
- Non-discretionary advice: Baird Advisory Choice provides investment advice while clients retain trading authority.
- SMA and UMA programs: Baird offers access to affiliated and unaffiliated managers, model strategies, separately managed accounts, and unified managed accounts.
- Financial planning and brokerage access: Baird advisory services may include financial planning, and Baird also provides brokerage services outside advisory programs.
Savant Wealth Management vs. Baird: Fees
Savant and Baird both use asset-based advisory fees, but their pricing structures are different.
Savant Wealth Management fees:
Fee item | Savant Wealth Management |
|---|---|
Comprehensive wealth management | 0.50%–1.50% annually |
Stand-alone investment management | 0.50%–1.50% annually |
Stand-alone financial planning | $250–$10,000 |
Consulting | $100–$500 per hour |
Tax advisory and preparation | $1,200–$25,000 |
Baird Advice Fee schedule:
Advice Fee option | Annual fee rate |
|---|---|
Tiered schedule: first $1 million | 2.00% |
Tiered schedule: next $1 million | 1.50% |
Tiered schedule: next $3 million | 1.35% |
Tiered schedule: next $5 million | 1.25% |
Tiered schedule: above $10 million | 1.00% |
Breakpoint schedule: $0–$1 million | 2.00% |
Breakpoint schedule: $1 million–$1,999,999 | 1.75% |
Breakpoint schedule: $2 million and above | 1.50% |
Baird Portfolio Fee:
Program or strategy type | Portfolio Fee |
|---|---|
ALIGN Elements Portfolios | 0.00% |
ALIGN Strategic Portfolios | 0.00% |
Baird Advisory Choice | 0.00% |
BairdNext Portfolios | 0.00% |
Private Investment Management | 0.00% |
Russell Model Strategies | 0.00% |
ALIGN UMA Select equity SMA strategies | 0.25%–0.52% |
ALIGN UMA Select fixed income SMA strategies | 0.16%–0.40% |
ALIGN UMA Select global and international SMA strategies | 0.25%–0.60% |
Baird Recommended Managers' equity SMA strategies | 0.18%–0.75% |
Baird SMA Network equity SMA strategies | 0.22%–0.77% |
Baird SMA Network alternative SMA strategies | 0.37%–0.77% |
Unified Advisory Select fund strategist portfolios | 0.02%–0.50% |
Mutual funds and ETFs in certain programs | 0.00% Portfolio Fee, but fund expenses still apply |
Savant Wealth Management vs. Baird: Minimum account sizes
Savant and Baird disclose minimums in different ways. Savant gives a general minimum for its investment management relationship, while Baird lists minimums by advisory program.
Savant generally requires at least $300,000 to open an investment portfolio. Its firm also states that it typically works with clients who have at least $750,000 in assets.
Baird’s advisory minimums vary by program.
Baird’s advisory minimums vary by program. Some entry-level programs start at $5,000, while other core advisory programs range from $10,000 to $50,000. Many SMA, UMA, and manager-based strategies require $100,000 or more. Some strategies require $250,000, $400,000, or $1 million.
Savant Wealth Management vs. Baird: Pros and cons
Here is a look at the pros and cons of Savant and Baird to help you decide which is the right fit for you.
Pros of Savant Wealth Management:
- Comprehensive planning model: Savant combines investment management with financial planning, tax planning, estate and wealth transfer support, trust services, executive planning, and family office services.
- Clear core advisory fee range: Its comprehensive wealth management and stand-alone investment management fees are disclosed as 0.50%–1.50% annually.
- Specialist support: Clients with executive compensation, estate, tax, divorce, or family office needs can access specialized support.
- Financial planning is included for wealth clients: Wealth management clients receive financial planning as part of the advisory fee, rather than only as a separate project.
Cons of Savant Wealth Management:
- Higher practical entry point: The disclosed $300,000 investment minimum and $750,000 typical-client statement limit accessibility.
- Separate fees apply to some related services: Tax preparation, legal services, accounting, and certain estate or wealth transfer services may involve additional fees or require separate arrangements.
- Not designed for simple advisory needs: Savant’s service is built around comprehensive wealth management, so it may be more than investors need if they only want basic portfolio management or limited financial guidance.
Pros of Baird:
- Multiple advisory formats: Clients can choose from discretionary, non-discretionary, SMA, UMA, and model-based advisory programs.
- Lower starting program minimums: Some advisory programs begin at $5,000.
- Detailed program fee disclosure: Baird provides specific Advice fee schedules and Portfolio fee ranges by program and strategy type.
Cons of Baird:
- Complex program selection: The range of programs, managers, and strategies requires careful review before opening an account.
- Layered fee structure: Total cost can include an Advice fee, Portfolio fee, fund expenses, account charges, manager fees, and brokerage-related costs.
- Low minimums are program-specific: Some programs start at $5,000, but many SMA, UMA, manager-based, and custom strategies require $100,000 or more, with some strategies requiring $250,000, $400,000, or $1 million.
Savant Wealth Management vs. Baird: Technology and security
Savant and Baird both provide dedicated mobile apps and online account access, but the experience is framed differently.
Savant clients can use the Savant Wealth Management app, along with the MySavant Portal, the Savant eMoney Portal, tax portals, and access to custodian websites. The app supports a financial dashboard, document vault, interactive reports, budgeting tools, and advisor interaction. This fits Savant’s advisor-led model.
Baird clients can use the Baird Online Mobile App and Baird Online. The app supports portfolio and asset allocation tracking, fingerprint or facial-recognition login, net worth tracking, secure document exchange, research access, and advisor contact information.
On security, Savant discloses restricted employee access; physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards; service provider confidentiality requirements; and limited information sharing with custodians and authorized parties. Savant is an SEC-registered investment adviser, and client assets are held with qualified custodians.
Baird is registered as both an investment adviser and broker-dealer and is a FINRA/SIPC member. Eligible securities accounts receive SIPC protection, which does not cover market losses. Baird also discloses encryption, multi-factor authentication, monitoring, vulnerability scanning, penetration testing, SOC 1 audits, and independent security testing.
Final verdict: Savant Wealth Management vs. Baird
Savant Wealth Management is built around comprehensive, advisor-led wealth management for higher-asset clients with complex planning needs.
Baird provides an advisor-led wealth platform with multiple advisory programs. It has lower disclosed starting minimums for some programs. However, its fee structure is more layered, as the total cost may include an advisory fee, a portfolio fee, product expenses, and account charges.
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