How Much Does A Financial Adviser Cost?
Understanding the cost and value of financial advice.
The real question isn’t what a financial adviser costs, but whether the value they provide is worth far more.
Almost like asking how long is a piece of string. I think the more important question to ask first is, what value do they provide to justify the cost?
The value you attribute is subjective. It could depend on how much you value peace of mind knowing you’ve paid for someone to provide you with it, how much you value the ‘sleep-at-night’ factor, and the confidence to make financial decisions in your best interest.
Russell Investments release the annual ‘Value of an Adviser’ report each year and it was found that in the most current report (2025), Australian Financial Advisers added at least 5.6% in value for clients. So on assets (house, shares, superannuation etc.) of say $1,500,000, this could be up to $84,000 of additional wealth each year.
You may think ‘my situation is simple’, but it’s often not the case...
The cost itself could range anywhere between $100 – $10,000 +. It often all depends on your unique set of circumstances. The fee itself may be paid directly from your back-pocket, or from assets you hold such as Superannuation. You may think ‘my situation is simple’, but it’s often not the case, and sometimes it’s valuable to understand your entire situation through the lens of a financial adviser. You should also enquire as to the fee structure itself, whether it be, fixed-fee, one-off vs. ongoing, hourly-based or percentage-based on assets etc.
Balance Wealth is a hybrid fee structure with a blend between an ongoing fixed retainer that works in with the clients budget, and a percentage asset-based fee. We find our clients value this structure as it allows them to call, email and request meetings anytime throughout the year with no surprise invoices in the mail. More importantly, we are a fee-for-service based firm and pride ourselves on our fee transparency.
"Balance Wealth is built on the idea that financial advice should be clear, personal, and grounded in real life. Not jargon. Not fear tactics. Not sales targets. Just practical, honest guidance that helps you feel in control of your money and confident about your future.