Clear Money Guide
What this guide covers
A quick view of the questions and evidence developed below.
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Updated July 7, 2026. Quick answer (2026): An hourly financial planner near me often charges about $250-$500+/hour, but the useful number is the total project cost, written scope, hour cap, deliverable, and follow-up rules. Ask for all of that before booking a paid engagement.
Hourly planning can work for second opinions, rollover reviews, retirement-income checkups, tax-aware withdrawal maps, equity-comp questions, pension decisions, debt or cash-flow planning, and a limited written plan when you do not need ongoing AUM management.
Hourly planner quote checklist
| Item | Ask for this in writing | Red flag |
|---|---|---|
| Hourly rate | Advisor rate, associate rate, and billing increments. | No estimate for total hours. |
| Project cap | Expected hours and not-to-exceed price. | Open-ended hourly work without a deliverable. |
| Deliverable | Written plan, action list, investment review, or decision memo. | Only verbal guidance for a complex planning question. |
| Follow-up | Included questions, implementation help, and expiration date. | Every clarification starts a new billable project. |
Hourly only saves money if the scope is honest.
Hourly planning commonly runs $250 to $500 an hour, so the number that decides your bill is hours, and hours are the part nobody quotes first. An hourly engagement with an open-ended scope is not cheaper than a percentage. Ask for an estimate of hours in writing before you compare it to anything. It is free to you, and it is not the only way to find an adviser.
Before you start, what actually happens. The form is run by Kapitalwise, our advisor-matching partner. Kapitalwise sends your details to advisers who pay for the introduction, so expect calls and texts. Clear Money Guide is paid when you submit the form, whether or not you ever hire anyone. This is free to you and there is no obligation to hire anyone.
The Kapitalwise form opens here — you stay on this page.
What happens when you press the button
It asks about nine questions — age, investable assets, location — then your name, email and phone number, and verifies the phone by text. Nothing loads and nothing reaches Kapitalwise until you press the button.
Local vs virtual hourly planner
- A local hourly planner can help when in-person meetings, local tax professionals, employer benefits, or real estate context matter.
- A virtual hourly planner can work well when the project is document-heavy and the advisor has the right specialty.
- Use the same rate, cap, fiduciary, deliverable, and compensation questions either way.
Related routes: fee-for-service financial planner near me, financial planning hourly rate, financial advisor fee calculator, and find a financial advisor.
Run your own numbers. Hourly scope estimator — estimate the hours a real engagement takes.
Methodology
- We compare hourly planning by rate, expected hours, project cap, written deliverable, and what becomes extra.
- We do not rank local advisors, sell directory placement, publish fake reviews, or claim that hourly planning is best for every household.
- This page was materially reviewed on July 7, 2026. It is educational, not personalized financial, tax, legal, or investment advice.
Editorial standards: Editorial Policy
What the filings actually say. We measured the fee schedules 176 SEC-registered advisers publish in their Form ADV Part 2A filings: at $250,000 only 28.4% disclose a fee you can price at all, and the weighted median annual cost among those that do is $2,000 to $2,500. The full benchmark, with method.