Financial Advice May Cost Less Than You Think
The cost of hiring a financial advisor varies significantly based on the services provided. Paying a 1% fee is common, but you should consider additional options offered by many financial advisors who provide comparable services at a lower cost.
Hiring a financial advisor can be a great move to help you achieve your financial goals and establish an investing strategy based on your individual needs and circumstances. Advisors can work with you to develop a personalized financial plan and build an investment portfolio to meet your longer-term goals, as well as help you plan appropriately to enjoy a comfortable retirement.
But how much does a financial advisor cost? And how do you make sure you’re not paying too much?
Over the years, financial advisor fees have evolved as the industry has moved to a more transparent pricing structure. However, there is still a lot of confusion about how financial advisors make money and what a reasonable amount to pay is.
We’ve prepared this guide to walk you through how financial advisors make money so you can make an informed decision when deciding on who you hire and how you will pay for their services.
Before we talk about how you can pay for a financial advisor, let’s review what an advisor can do for you and why hiring one can be a worthwhile investment.
➡️ Related: Find Highly Rated Financial Advisors
What Services Do Financial Advisors Provide?
Though many people use a financial planner simply to invest for retirement, this is only a small part of what many advisors offer. Here’s a quick rundown of possible services a financial advisor may offer you:
- Budgeting and money management
- Funding college and higher education
- Debt management
- Insurance planning
- Retirement planning
- Investment planning
- Inheritance planning
- Estate planning
- Tax planning
As you can see, financial advisors can help with your entire financial picture, not just investing. As you start to plan for life’s bigger milestones, you should consider finding a financial advisor who specializes in the areas most important to you.
By finding the right financial advisor, you’re more likely to minimize risk, maximize gains, and take advantage of tax breaks while investing for your future. They can also help you protect your assets with the right kinds of insurance and help you pass on your financial legacy with a proper estate plan.
Now that we know a financial advisor can help you build a plan for your entire financial life, let’s talk about how much you can expect to pay to work with a financial advisor.
How Much Does a Financial Advisor Cost?
The cost of hiring a financial advisor can vary significantly based on the services provided. Paying a 1% fee on your assets managed by a financial advisor is quite common, but there are at least eight ways financial advisors are compensated by clients, each with varying costs:
- Percentage of Assets Under Management (AUM)
- Flat Fee
- Hourly Fee
- One-Time Fee (Modular Pricing)
- Advice-Only
- Subscription-Based
- Percentage of Your Income
- Commissions
Let’s review each compensation model in greater detail to learn the costs you can expect to pay a financial advisor for their services.
1. Financial Advisors Who Charge a Percentage of Assets Under Management (AUM)
While paying an advisor a fee based on a percentage of the assets they manage for you remains the most common compensation method, alternative compensation models are growing rapidly, as we discuss later in this article.
Paying an advisor a percentage fee is called the “assets under management “ or “AUM” fee model. The current industry standard is to charge anywhere from 0.50% – 2% of the assets being managed on an annual basis. Most advisors will fall somewhere around the 1% fee mark and will often charge a discounted rate above certain tiers or asset thresholds.
This means if you deposit $500,000 with a financial advisor at a 1% fee, they will charge you $5,000 annually to handle your investments. Or, if they charge 1% on the first $250,000 of your assets they manage and .75% for assets above $250,000, your annual cost for a $500,000 portfolio would be $4,375 ($2,500 + $1,875).
While the price you pay to a financial advisor under the AUM fee model is calculated based on the assets they manage for you, you will likely receive additional services, such as the development of a financial plan, for no additional cost. This fee pays the advisor to invest your money for you based on your risk tolerance, goals, timelines, and other factors of your financial plan.
Finding a full-service advisor who will manage your funds for 1% or less is generally considered attractive, while paying significantly more may cost you a large portion of your potential returns over time.
As your assets managed by an AUM advisor grow, you should also expect the percentage fee you pay to decline. For example, many advisors will lower their charge below 1% once the assets they manage for you exceed a certain threshold, e.g., $500,000 or $1 million.
You should be aware that under the AUM model, an advisor could earn considerably more when the stock market performs well, even if they haven’t done any additional work for you. Of course, the opposite is also true. When the stock market declines, an advisor may earn considerably less while still providing you with all of the services you should expect from them, no matter the market conditions.
Best For – If you want an advisor who provides financial planning and investment management services for around 1% of the assets they manage for you, finding a good fee-only advisor who charges based on AUM may be a good fit. As your assets grow, you should ask your advisor if they can offer tiered pricing so you will pay a lower percentage above an agreed-upon threshold.
2. Flat Fee Financial Advisors
A growing number of financial advisors offer services for a flat fee as an alternative to traditional pricing models (e.g., charging you 1% of the value of your portfolio managed by the advisor). Especially as your net worth grows, you may find a flat fee compensation arrangement can save you thousands of dollars each year vs. an advisor who is paid a percentage of the assets they manage for you. And, of course, the less money that goes to your financial advisor means more money available for you to enjoy in retirement.
If you’re thinking about hiring a flat fee financial advisor, it’s important to look under the hood to understand what services are offered and how the fee is calculated. For example, a flat fee charged by some financial advisors may include developing a financial plan for you but not investing your money on your behalf. Other flat fee financial advisors might include investment advisory services.
And just because a financial advisor charges a flat fee doesn’t mean every client will pay the same rate. In many instances, the flat fee might be calculated based on your income, portfolio size, and/or the overall complexity of your individual circumstances.
Flat fee financial advisors will typically outline exactly what is included in this planning service, with different tiers for more comprehensive planning. For example, the flat fee may include creating a detailed financial plan for your debt, goals, investments, and more. Be sure to ask the financial advisor upfront if they will implement the plan for your investments on your behalf or if they will leave it up to you to follow the details of the plan.
In certain instances, you may only require a flat-fee financial advisor’s work one time (in which case, you may want to consider an hourly financial advisor, though the same financial advisor may offer both pricing models and should steer you to the pricing model likely best for your individual needs).
Clients of flat fee financial advisors often work together for many years where the flat fee is often billed quarterly. The cost of hiring a flat fee financial advisor can vary significantly from $1,000 to $10,000 per year (or more), depending on the scope and detail of the financial plan provided, whether or not investment management is involved, and the complexity of your circumstances.
Best For – If you plan to establish a longer-term relationship with a financial advisor who charges you a fixed cost each year, a flat fee financial advisor may be an ideal solution for you. This is especially true for affluent clients with larger asset balances above $1 million who are seeking ongoing investment management and planning in retirement.
ASK THE EXPERTS
We asked flat fee financial advisors to offer their perspectives on when and why people may want to hire a financial advisor who charges a flat fee. Here’s what they said.
For affluent investors, your advisor fee can “make or break” your retirement income plan as a 1% fee charged on your investments can devour over 30% of your after tax investment income each year in retirement.
Now, thanks to advancing financial technology, a low fixed fee is rapidly replacing the 30-year-old legacy percentage on asset (AUM) advisor fee and can transform your “income outcome” in retirement.
Today’s low fixed fee offers clients greater transparency and control over their annual fee and, unlike legacy percentage on asset fees, fixed fees do not rise each time the market goes up or when you add to your investment account.
Don Rudolph | FLAT FEE CIO
While no type of fee model is perfect, the flat fee model is one of the most transparent and fair advisor-client compensation methods. It helps to remove the conflict of interest of “looking to gather your assets,” as well as a variety of conflicts around paying down debt vs. investing. With a flat fee model, you always know what you’re paying and what you’re paying for. It also allows you to work with an advisor regardless of your assets.
A flat fee model may not make sense for you if you’re looking for a one-off engagement. In that case, you may be better served by an hourly advisor.
TJ van Gerven, CFP® | Modern Wealth Builders
3. Hourly Fee Financial Advisors (with Retainer)
Some advisors work on an hourly basis, with prices ranging from $150 per hour to $400+ per hour. These prices do not change based on your total assets managed, so you only pay for the time you need with the advisor.
Many of these hourly services come with an up-front retainer cost, buying a block of hours upfront for the year for you to use when you want.
For example, if an advisor charges a $2,500 retainer fee at $250 an hour, you’ll have 10 hours of planning services available to use throughout the year. Each additional hour would then be billed at the normal hourly rate.
Some hourly financial advisors will give you full-service management of your investment portfolio (there may be additional fees for this), while others will only bill for 1:1 time and leave the money management and investing up to you (based on their guidance).
Best For – If you simply want access to a financial advisor to answer questions and help you build a financial plan, paying for an hourly-based financial advisor may be a good fit.
ASK THE EXPERTS
We asked hourly financial advisors to offer their perspectives on when and why people may want to hire a financial advisor who charges by the hour. Here’s what they said.
Hourly (or time-based) advice is highly flexible. It tends to make sense for someone who can self-implement recommendations, someone who is hands-on when it comes to their personal finances.
For example, if you’re looking for a second opinion on your investment portfolio or just need one-off financial advice, then a time-based fee for service (i.e., “hourly”) might be just what you’re looking for.
If you tend to delegate tasks or want someone to manage your investments for you, then hourly advice might not be a good fit for you. One of the cool things about hourly planning is that there really aren’t any restrictions on the type of clients that an advisor can work with.
Ryan Firth, CPA/PFS, CFP®, CCFC, GFP (USA), RLP® | Mercer Street Financial
4. Financial Advisors who Charge a One-Time Fee (Modular Pricing)
Many financial advisors offer “a la carte” services, allowing you to choose the type of financial planning services you want to focus on. These services include budget planning, college funding, retirement planning, insurance planning, 401(k) review, and many other individual options.
These are typically billed as one-time fees, typically starting at $500. These are not comprehensive financial plans for all of your goals but focus on a specific area of need. Clients pay for the advice and plan, but it is on them to execute the details of the plan.
Best For – If you need help in a specific area and don’t want to fork over thousands for a comprehensive plan, consider paying a one-time fee for a specific planning session.
5. Advice-Only Financial Advisors
If you consider yourself a DIY (do it yourself) kind of person, you’re not alone. Millions of Americans successfully start and complete DIY projects every day.
But just because you decide to do a project yourself doesn’t mean you have to learn how to do the task on your own. In fact, most DIY projects start with education in the form of instructional videos, articles, books, or even live demonstrations.
The same holds when it comes to managing your personal finances and investing. If you consider yourself a DIY investor and are comfortable managing your own money, you may not want to hire a traditional financial advisor and turn over financial decision-making to someone else. Fortunately, a new breed of advice-only financial advisors has emerged as a popular choice among DIY investors interested in professional guidance at a very attractive cost.
An advice-only financial advisor offers financial planning and investment guidance to their clients, who are responsible for implementing the recommendations independently. Because they do not manage your investments for you, the cost of hiring an advice-only financial advisor is often considerably less than hiring a traditional financial advisor, especially for people with large investment portfolios.
Advice-only financial advisors are Registered Investment Advisors (RIAs) regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or by state regulators where their services are available. Many advice-only financial advisors will hold their Certified Financial Planner certification and will likely charge an hourly or flat fee for their services.
Best For – DIY investors interested in professional guidance at a very attractive cost.
6. Financial Advisors who Charge Subscription-Based Fees (Annual or Monthly)
Some advisors don’t collect a fee based on the assets they are managing for you but instead put together a subscription-like service, charging a monthly or annual fee for advisory services.
These services can range from $50 per month to $500 per month (or more), depending on the level of support needed.
Most of these subscription services charge a one-time cost to get started, then a monthly (or annual) fee for ongoing support.
Depending on the level of service you sign up for, there are typically “packages” that offer a limited amount of annual meetings, reviews, and 1:1 time with your advisor. Typically, the more you pay, the more access and guidance you get from your advisor.
Best For – If you don’t have a large balance of investable assets but still want access to a financial advisor, the subscription model may be a good fit.
7. Financial Advisors who Charge Based on a Percentage of Your Income
A newer fee structure has emerged recently called the “percentage of income” model. Instead of charging a fee based on a percentage of your total assets, these advisors are charging a percentage of your current income.
This fee is designed to help those who may have a decent income but are at the beginning of their financial journey and don’t meet the minimum investment threshold for many traditional financial advisory firms (typically, $100,000 – $500,000).
Instead of paying 1% of assets under management, clients instead pay 1% of their annual income for financial advice. In this model, a $150k/yr earner would pay $1,500 per year for financial and investing advice.
Best For – If you have a good income but don’t have a large balance of investable assets and still want access to a financial advisor, the percentage of income model may be a good solution.
8. Commission-Based Financial Advisors
When a financial advisor is commission-based, they make commissions from selling you certain financial products (such as mutual funds, insurance products, and other types of securities). This model is becoming less and less popular, as there may be an inherent conflict of interest involved. There has been pushback against this model, as many clients have been sold financial products that they did not necessarily need, netting the advisor a hefty commission while the products underperformed.
An indicator that your advisor is commission-based is if they offer a financial product, such as a mutual fund, that has a “front-loaded” fee structure. This means if you invest $10,000 into a mutual fund with a 5.50% front-loaded fee, you will pay $550, and the remaining $9,450 is invested.
Some of these funds claim to outperform the stock market over time but always research the historical performance and reviews of any fund before you choose to invest.
Best For – If you want to avoid annual fees and don’t mind paying for financial products (as long as you understand them), you may consider a commission-based financial advisor.
How to Choose a Financial Advisor
Now that you have the details of how most advisors charge for their services, here are a few things to review before choosing your financial advisor.
Decide Which Services You Need
Before hiring an advisor, determine what services you need from them. Whether it’s full-service investment management or a plan focused on a specific area of your finances, put together a list of what you’d like help with before contacting an advisor.
You may also want to consider hiring a financial advisor who specializes in serving clients with particular needs or interests. For example, many XY Planning Network financial advisors are dedicated to a specific niche (e.g., business owners, attorneys, doctors, educators, and more).
Review Fee Structures
Once you have a list of what services you would like, review the fee structures offered by financial advisors. Finding a balance between the services you need and the cost of those services will help you narrow down the field of advisors you may want to work with.
If you are looking for a full-service advisor to manage all of your investments, consider searching among fee-based financial advisors who offer the AUM pricing model. If you want to manage your money yourself, consider the flat fee and monthly subscription advisors for ongoing support.
Interview Multiple Advisors
Once you have chosen the services and fee structure you desire, it’s time to contact a few advisors and interview them. Here are a few questions to ask when interviewing a financial advisor:
- What services do you provide?
- What are all the ways you get paid? (fee transparency)
- What is your investment strategy?
- How do you measure investment performance?
- How do we communicate about my plan?
➡️ Related Article: Top Questions to Ask a Financial Advisor
Interview multiple advisors to get a feel for who you want to work with. A combination of fees, services, and customer service will help you determine the best fit for your financial advice. And remember, you don’t need to consider working only with local financial advisors. Many advisors work with clients nationwide as virtual advisors, using Zoom calls, email, and chat to stay in touch about your plan.
Check Advisor Credentials
Once you find an advisor (or two) that you feel comfortable with, it’s always a good practice to check their credentials, such as the financial certifications they hold and the details of their firm. You can do this at the Investment Adviser Public Disclosure (IAPD) website.
You can check both the individual and the firm to view their background and experience details, as well as any disciplinary action taken against them or their firm. Since financial advisors operate in a highly regulated industry, often acting as fiduciaries, there is oversight into how financial advisors conduct business, so running a quick (free) check on them is recommended.
Are You Ready to Hire a Financial Advisor?
You’ll find a growing number of financial advisors featured on Wealthtender. You can search based on the areas of specialization most important to you and where they’re located, or browse our financial advisor directory for more search options to find advisors who may be a good fit for you.
Find Your Next Financial Advisor on Wealthtender
📍 Click on a pin in the map view below for a preview of financial advisors who can help you reach your money goals with a personalized plan. Or choose the grid view to search our directory of financial advisors with additional filtering options.
📍Double-click or pinch pins to view more.
FAQs: Financial Advisor Costs
Here are some common questions about financial advisor fees.
What percentage do most financial advisors charge?
You can typically expect to pay a 1% annual fee on your assets managed by a financial advisor. The percentage charged by financial advisors can vary considerably, so be sure to ask for their rates and any discounts when preparing to hire an advisor. Most financial advisors will also offer a discounted rate above certain tiers or asset thresholds. For example, a financial advisor may charge you 1% a year on the first $500,000 they manage for you, then 0.8% on the next $250,000, then 0.5% above this level.
Beyond the percentage you pay, it’s important to understand the breadth of services an advisor will provide you as part of this cost. And you may be better served or pay less by hiring a financial advisor who charges a flat fee, hourly rate, or another payment arrangement discussed in this article, so consider your alternatives carefully to determine the payment option best for you.
What are standard fees for financial advisors?
Historically, standard fees for financial advisors have averaged around 1% annually, calculated as a percentage of the assets managed by an advisor on your behalf. Many advisors charge their clients less when their assets exceed a certain asset level. For example, a financial advisor may charge you 1% a year on the first $500,000 they manage for you, then 0.8% on the next $250,000, then 0.5% above this level.
A growing number of financial advisors now offer payment options for their clients ranging from flat fees to hourly rates, so it’s important to know that “standard” fees are increasingly becoming a thing of the past.
Are financial advisor fees tax deductible?
Short answer: No.
Financial advisor fees are not currently tax-deductible in the United States. There used to be a deduction for advisor fees up until the Tax Cuts and Jobs act of 2018 was passed. This allowed you to deduct financial advisor fees as a miscellaneous itemized deduction.
That deduction is now gone, but investing can still give you tax deductions in certain kinds of investment accounts. Your work 401(k) or a traditional IRA account allows you to invest pre-tax dollars. This means that the money invested in those accounts does not count as taxable income.
You can also still deduct investment interest charges as an itemized deduction, including interest paid on margin loans.
Jacob Wade
About the author:
Are you ready to enjoy life more with less money stress?
Sign up to receive weekly insights from Wealthtender with useful money tips and fresh ideas to help you achieve your financial goals.
