Most financial advisors charge based on how much money they manage for you. That fee can range from 0.25% to 2% per year. Many, or all, of the products featured on this page are from our advertising partners who compensate us when you take certain actions on our website or click to take an action on their website.
Industry standards show that financial advisor fees generally range between 0.5% and 1.5% of AUM annually. Placement of a 2% fee may appear steep compared to this average. However, this fee might encompass more comprehensive services or cater to more unique, high-maintenance portfolios.
The primary reason a 1% advisor is a really bad deal is that you can get great advice for much less. There are a growing number of advisors charging an hourly rate or fixed fee. There's just no good reason to fork over 1% of your wealth each year to anybody for anything.
Types of Advisor Fees
Asset Under Management (AUM) Fee: This is the most common fee structure. The advisor charges a percentage of your total investment portfolio value. The fee is typically calculated annually. For instance, a 1% AUM fee on a ₹10 lakh portfolio would be ₹10,000 per year.
While professional advisors suggest stipends in thousands per meeting and equity upside, others looking to “pay it forward” often insist a cup of coffee is adequate. The truth lies somewhere in the middle. The company should pay $100 to $500 per meeting, pay for meals, travels, an honorarium, or even offer equity.
Financial advisor fees may be negotiable. Whether you're able to get fees reduced can depend on which advisor or firm you're working with. If an advisor is willing to negotiate fees, they must specify that in their Form ADV.
Robo-advisors are typically the least expensive, followed by online financial planners. An in-person advisor will be the most expensive and may charge you more than 1 percent of your assets annually.
Very generally, having between $50,000 and $500,000 of liquid assets to invest can be a good point to start looking at hiring a financial advisor. Some advisors have minimum asset thresholds. This could be a relatively low figure, like $25,000, but it could also be higher, such as $500,000, $1 million or even more.
At Schwab, there's no cost to work with your Financial Consultant. ² There's no cost whether you're getting assistance in creating your personalized plan, or receiving tailored product recommendations and direct access to our specialists.
However, in general, it's wise to start working with a financial advisor or wealth management team once you've built a nest egg of $1M in investable assets.
Again, there's no set answer to this question since financial advisors can assess their fees differently. According to a 2023 Advisory HQ study, on average, you can expect to pay between 0.59% and 1.18% for an advisor who charges asset-based fees.
Essentially, the consulting rate is calculated by taking your current rate and multiplying it by 2 or 3. An hourly rate of $35, for example, means that your consultancy rate should be $70 or $105.
J.P. Morgan Personal Advisors charges between 0.50% and 0.60% of your assets under management annually. It's 0.60% for portfolios below $250,000, 0.50% for portfolios over $250,000. J.P. Morgan Personal Advisors does not charge commissions for selling investments.
Edward Jones serves as an investment advice fiduciary at the plan level and provides educational services at both the plan and participant levels, if applicable.
On average, you can expect to pay between 0.5% and 2% of your total assets under management annually, $150 to $400 per hour, or a flat fee ranging from $1,000 to $3,000 for a comprehensive financial plan.
Lastly, some advisors charge by the hour, similar to how a lawyer might bill you. This could be a good choice if you only need occasional advice or specific questions answered rather than ongoing management. Hourly rates for financial advisors typically range from $200 to $400 per hour.
While 1.5% is on the higher end for financial advisor services, if that's what it takes to get the returns you want, then it's not overpaying, so to speak. Staying around 1% for your fee may be standard, but it certainly isn't the high end. You need to decide what you're willing to pay for what you're receiving.
Bottom Line. A 1% annual fee on a multi-million-dollar investment portfolio is roughly typical of the fees charged by many financial advisors. But that's not inherently a good or bad thing, but rather should hold weight in your decision about whether to use an advisor's services.
Negotiate a Lower Fee
Another way to pay less is to negotiate a financial advisor's fee. Be prepared to explain why you feel it is too high and why it makes sense for the advisor to take you on as a client for less than what their firm normally charges.
Tips you don't have to give
Swann clarifies that professional service providers—financial advisors, doctors, lawyers, teachers, veterinarians, therapists, or life coaches—should not be offered tips. Similarly, some workers cannot accept tips.
Typically, individual advisors can expect to receive anywhere between 0.25% to 5% - but the exact percentage ultimately depends on how much the advisor contributes to the company's growth, the advisor's expertise, and how much you're willing to give away!
Fee-based advisors make most of their income from fees paid by their clients. They may also receive commissions from brokerage firms, mutual fund companies, or insurance companies when they sell products. Fee-only advisors are paid exclusively by their clients. They do not receive commissions for selling products.