Fee Billing

Core Concepts

1. Fee Schedule Structures

Advisory firms employ a range of fee structures, often combining several within a single practice.

Flat Fee (Fixed Dollar). A predetermined dollar amount charged per period regardless of account size. Common for financial planning engagements or retainer-based advice. Straightforward to bill but disconnected from asset growth.

AUM-Based (Percentage of Assets). The most prevalent model for registered investment advisers. A single percentage (e.g., 1.00%) is applied to the market value of managed assets. Simple to communicate but can become expensive for large portfolios and cheap for small ones.

Tiered / Breakpoint (Declining Rate). A graduated schedule where successive tiers of assets are billed at progressively lower rates. For example: