When working with a financial advisor, understand what fees you’re paying

It can be confusing to pick a planner with the right credentials and investment style—as well as understand their fees, said financial educator Kelley Keehn. 

The basic rule of thumb is that no service or advice comes for free.

“Nobody is working for free for you when it comes to your money,” said Keehn, founder of Money Wise Workplaces. 

“Someone is getting paid somewhere.”

How financial advisors charge for their services

Generally, there are three ways wealth professionals get paid, Ian Tam, director of investment research at Morningstar Canada, said.

Commission-based advice is the oldest and most common of all, Tam said. Typically, when a consumer walks into a retail bank branch, commission-based advice is what’s offered to them.

It stems from the mutual fund world where an investor pays a bundled fee and a part of it goes to an investment manager or the fund company, Tam explained. The customer in this case often invests in a banking product or fund.

“As an investor, you don’t have the option to opt out of that bundled fee,” Tam explained.

Fee-based advisors, who charge based on asset size, typically work better for people with more assets and dollars to invest. 

Tam said fee-based financial planning aligns the motivation of an advisor with the client. 

“They’re not going to be motivated to do what we call churning your accounts, or selling and buying similar mutual funds, so they can make a commission,” he explained.

On average, fee-based planners charge a flat rate of 1% and provide holistic advice such as tax planning, estate planning or even everyday financial planning during uncertain economic times. 

While uncommon, fee-only, advice-only financial planners are another way to seek help with your money. This type of planner reviews the client’s finances and makes recommendations. It’s then left up to the client to implement those recommendations.

These advisors simply provide guidance and do not sell investment products, Tam said. 

“It truly is a decoupling of advice versus sales, which we think is a very positive thing,” he said. 

The fee is typically charged at a flat rate, Tam added. 

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Choosing a financial advisor who meets your needs

Keehn suggested taking stock of your assets and income before reaching out to a financial planner.

“The advisor or planner that charges based on assets is not going to help you out much … if you don’t have money for them to make money off of,” she said. This is especially true for people in their 20s and 30s.

If a person doesn’t have a lot of money, Keehn suggested opting for a fee-only planner.

That would work best when a person is making a decent income and has questions they need answered such as whether they should use a tax refund to pay down their debt or invest in their child’s registered education savings plan, for example, Keehn explained.

Some people also consult fee-only advisors as a sounding board to get a second opinion on their financial plans.

For young people, Keehn suggested building a good relationship with their bank and bank advisor.

“You’re going to need your bank heavily over the next couple of decades when you’re in your 20s,” she said. “You’re not going to accumulate a lot of wealth in that time because you’re buying cars and homes and paying off student loans.”

She added consulting an hour-based or fee-only financial planner once every few years could complement bank investments, such as answering questions about life insurance or tax-free savings and pension plans.

“For young people, to understand that as an adjunct, like an add-on, the fee-only financial planner can be a godsend,” Keehn said.

But she warned to look out for red flags.

“You definitely want to have everything in writing—what are you going to do for me and what is it going to cost?” Keehn said. 

If a client gets pushback when asking about the fees charged, that’s a big red flag because no experienced and qualified advisor would have a problem sharing a breakdown of fees, she added. 

Tam said it is important to know the fee structure before signing up for financial services—or it could take more wealth out of your pocket and delay you achieving your financial goals.

“Fees are the only consistent, proven academically [way] to detract from your wealth over time,” he said. “It’s not interest rates, not market volatility. It’s fees.” 

He said a combination of robo-advisors, research and robust financial advice from wealth planners can offer a holistic plan—and help strike a balance between fee and service. 

More about financial planning:

• How to choose a financial advisor in Canada
• Don’t squander your legacy: Inheritance planning tips
• 40 and no pension: What do you do?
• Why a reverse mortgage should be a last resort for most Canadian retirees
• A parents’ guide to home down payment gifts and loans

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