How Much Does a Financial Advisor Cost?

At Dechtman Wealth Management, we believe in providing exceptional financial advisory and
management services with a cost structure that is easy to understand and keeps your expenses to a minimum.  In short when you do better, we do better.

Our clients have the same questions many people ask about wealth management fees and services:

• What is the average investment management fee?
• How are investment management fees paid?
• Are financial management fees worth it?
• How much should you pay for a financial advisor?

With over 30 years of investment and financial advisory experience, Dechtman Wealth Management is well equipped to answer these questions and provide our clients with confidence when they begin their experience with us.

What is the Average Investment Management Fee?

In our experience a typical investment management company charges around 1% of your portfolio, plus transaction fees and expenses related to trades.  Mutual fund expenses and advisor fees can quickly make that fee jump and can be very confusing for the client. According to Forbes Magazine, heavy mutual fund expenses and Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) fees can cost consumers some 40% of their investment returns.

40% is a huge amount of return to sacrifice and nobody should be in that position. But many are, and some don’t even realize it.

Dechtman Wealth Management takes a different approach.  We do not layer on expenses and fees from trades made to your portfolio, which can eat away at your returns and make you less successful.  Instead, we treat your portfolio as if it were our own and do all we can to minimize expenses with a simple fee-based cost structure.  This philosophy is so engrained in our culture, that we do not charge you for any trading fees when changes are made to your portfolio. Our clients appreciate the effort to maximize their returns.

How Are Investment Fees Paid?

Depending on what services your financial advisor is providing, you may be charged in a number of different ways.  For example, if you visit a large bank or brokerage firm, you may be able to sit down and talk with an “advisor” for free. They give you advice and may or may not execute a trade for you.  But when you receive your
statement, you may see line after line of deductions for various expenses and fees.  These are taken directly from your account as it is managed.

There are also financial advisors that will charge you a one-time fee for a given service transaction.  In this case, you may pay from hundreds to thousands of dollars on a single invoice for some service, like setting up a retirement plan, for example.

We believe the cost of  a financial advisor should be easy to understand and transparent; when you work with Dechtman Wealth Management, that’s what you’ll get. On your monthly statement, you’ll see the management
cost in a simple, straight-forward way. There are no costs, commissions, or expenses when investments are bought or sold so the advisors can remove potential conflicts of interest.

Is the Cost of Financial Management Worth It?

We believe it is, but you have to be careful about the investment management or financial advisor you choose.  If your advisor is taking a 7% commission on an investment product purchased on your behalf, and you’re paying 2% on mutual fund fees, it may not be worth it at all.

However, with the right experience from your team coupled with the right cost structure, a wealth management team can be critical to your ability to build wealth over time. 

How Much Should You Pay for A Financial Advisor?

The cost of a financial advisor should be based on a few key factors:

• Your portfolio growth
• The experience of your advisor
• Elimination of unnecessary fees and add on costs
• The breadth of services offered
• Your confidence

If there is a straight-forward cost structure, and your financial goals are aligned with your wealth management practice, who has the experience to help grow your portfolio and ensure your financial strategy is sound, paying for a financial advisor becomes an easy decision. 

Summary: How Much Does a Financial Advisor Cost

Financial advisors come in all types and offer many different services.  The amount you pay should be clearly
understood and should fit both your short-term and long-term goals. Call Dechtman Wealth Management today to
discuss our advisory costs, and how we can help you secure your financial future.