If you are thinking about using a financial adviser, one of the first questions is usually simple:

How much is this going to cost me?

It is a sensible question.
And often an uncomfortable one.

Not because fees are unclear, but because behind the question usually sits a deeper worry:

• Am I about to overpay?

• Is advice actually worth it?

• Could I do this myself?

• How do I know if the adviser is good value?

So before looking at numbers, it helps to understand what you are really paying for.

The three common ways advisers charge in the UK

Most UK financial advisers use one, or a combination, of the following structures.

1. A percentage of the money they advise on

This is the most familiar model.

Typical ranges are often around:

• Initial advice: roughly 1 percent to 3 percent

• Ongoing advice: often around 0.5 percent to 1 percent each year

So, for example:

• £500,000 invested

• 1 percent ongoing fee

• equals £5,000 per year

Seeing the fee in pounds, rather than percentages, is often the moment the question becomes real.

Not right or wrong.
Just real.

2. Fixed fees

Some advisers charge a set amount for specific work, such as:

• retirement planning

• pension advice

• inheritance tax planning

• investment reviews

This might be a few thousand pounds for a defined piece of work, regardless of portfolio size.

For many people, fixed fees feel clearer and easier to understand, even if the total cost is similar.

3. Hourly charging

Less common in wealth management, but still used in some situations.

Here you pay for time and expertise, much like a solicitor or accountant.

This can work well for:

• second opinions

• specific technical questions

• one-off planning decisions

What those fees are meant to cover

Good advice is not simply choosing investments.

Fees usually reflect work such as:

• understanding your full financial position

• modelling different futures

• tax planning

• pension strategy

• inheritance planning

• behavioural coaching during difficult markets

• regular reviews as life changes

In other words, the real value is often decision support over many years, not a single recommendation.

The more important question: is advice worth the cost?

This is the question people are often really asking.

And the honest answer is:

Sometimes yes.
Sometimes no.

Advice is usually valuable when:

• decisions are large or irreversible

• tax complexity is meaningful

• family circumstances are complicated

• peace of mind genuinely matters

Advice may matter less when:

• finances are simple

• decisions are small

• you are confident managing everything yourself

So the issue is rarely just price.
It is fit.

A useful reality check

If you are already paying an adviser, it can help to pause and ask:

• How much am I paying each year in pounds?

• What decisions has this helped me make?

• Would I feel less confident without this support?

Clear answers to those questions often bring more clarity than any fee table.

Before you focus on cost alone

There is a quiet risk in concentrating only on fees.

Choosing the lowest cost option can sometimes:

• miss important tax planning

• lead to poor timing decisions

• increase long-term regret

• reduce confidence at critical moments

Equally, paying high fees without clear value is not wise either.

So the real aim is not cheap advice or expensive advice.

It is appropriate advice.

A calm next step, before speaking to any adviser

If this question is on your mind, you may not need an immediate meeting.

Often the most useful first step is simply to:

think the decision through privately, without pressure.

That is exactly why Evoa exists.

It offers a quiet place to explore questions like:

• whether advice is needed at all

• what good value would look like

• what matters most in your situation

Only after that clarity tends to make any conversation with an adviser more useful, whoever you eventually choose.

If you would like to reflect on this question calmly first, you can explore it privately in Evoa.

👉 https://www.thewealth.coach/evoa

Author
Written by Nic Round
Chartered Financial Planner & Chartered Wealth Manager