With $1.7M Invested, Am I Overpaying My Advisor’s 1% Fee?

A financial advisor meets with a client in his office.

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With regards to financial advice, what you pay can vary based on what you get. An advisor who simply sets you up with a passive S&P 500 index fund won’t be price a 1% fee, while an advisor who helps you manage taxes and money flow, plan for retirement and save in your child’s college education is probably going price significantly more.

For instance, say you could have $1.7 million invested with a financial advisor. A 1% fee is inside the average range for the industry, but whether you’re getting a great deal will depend entirely in your advisor’s skill and services.

If you happen to’re focused on working with a financial advisor but don’t know where to start out, try SmartAsset’s free tool to attach with fiduciary advisors who serve your area.

Financial advisors have several other ways of structuring their fees. Probably the most common varieties of fees are:

  • Hourly: A set rate that’s charged for each hour worked.

  • Fixed: A predetermined amount that you simply pay for a selected service.

  • Percentage of AUM: A variable rate based on a percent of the overall assets under management (AUM), typically billed annually or quarterly.

  • Commissions and performance fees: Commissions are fees your advisor receives for specific trades or transactions they make, while performance-based fees apply after they meet certain goals.

Today, fees which are based on a percentage of a client’s AUM are essentially the most common form of advisory fee. A 2022 study by Kitces found that AUM fees were the bulk revenue source for 82% of economic advisors surveyed. Here’s how they work: say for instance that an advisor charges 0.5% annually and so they manage a $100,000 portfolio. At the tip of the 12 months, you’d have paid $500 ($100,000 * 0.005) in management fees, which could have been taken directly out of your account.

Fixed and hourly rates are more common for advisors who perform specific services. For instance, if a financial advisor does your taxes or makes a plan for school savings, they might bill by the hour or charge you a flat rate for those services.

But for those who need assistance finding a financial advisor, consider matching with one using this free tool.

A financial advisor meets with a client in her office.
A financial advisor meets with a client in her office.

Financial advisors can provide a spread of services.

Flat- and hourly-fee structures are generally built around specific deliverables. For instance, some advisors will allow you to to create a tax strategy, a household budget or an overall financial statement. It’s also common for a financial advisor to supply a comprehensive range of economic services based on what it is advisable to achieve.

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