STEP 4 - How Do Financial Planners Charge?

Financial planners can be paid in a variety of ways for their work, which are listed below. Some are paid by more than one method. The Financial Planning Association has no formal position on the merits of any form of compensation. Instead, it is our belief that the advisor's competence and ethical standards should be the primary consideration in your selection process. However, before entering into a relationship with an advisor, you should have a clear understanding of how he or she will be compensated. Determine which compensation method would best suit your needs.

Methods of Compensation:

FEE ONLY
The planner is compensated entirely from fees for purposes of consultation, plan development or investment management. These fees may be charged on an hourly or project basis depending on your needs, or on a percentage of assets under management.

COMISSION ONLY
There is no charge for the planner's advice or preparation of a financial plan. Compensation is received solely from the sale of financial products you agree to purchase in order to implement financial planning recommendations.

COMBINATION FEE/COMMISSION
A fee is charged for consultation, advice and financial plan preparation on an hourly, project or percentage basis. In addition, the planner may receive commissions from the sale of recommended products used to implement your plan.

FEE-OFFSET
Commissions from the sale of financial products are offset against fees charged for the planning process.

SALARY
Some planners work on a salary and bonus basis for financial services firms.

In all of the above categories of compensation, you should request information on any real or potential conflicts of interest. In addition to commissions received from any financial product sales, you should ask whether there are outside incentives or bonuses to be gained by the planner for certain recommendations.