Updated July 7, 2026. Quick answer: If you are searching for a fee only financial advisor near me or fee-only financial advisor near me, compare advisors by compensation, fiduciary status, written scope, and total first-year dollars before you compare distance. Near me can mean local office, local tax context, or a virtual fiduciary advisor who gives you a written fee schedule and planning scope before an intro call.
A fee-only advisor is paid by client fees, not product commissions. That still leaves several pricing models to compare: flat annual planning, hourly/project work, monthly retainers, and AUM percentages. Use this page to separate fee-only from fee-based, fiduciary from suitability, and low headline cost from actual all-in cost.
Fast tools
- Find a Financial Advisor – compare matching paths, fee models, and intro-call questions.
- Financial Advisor Fee Calculator – convert AUM, flat annual, retainer, hourly, and project quotes into dollars.
- Financial Advisor Fee Comparison Chart – compare fee-only, fee-based, hourly, retainer, flat-fee, and AUM models.
- Flat Fee Financial Advisor Near Me – compare fixed-dollar planning against percentage-based quotes.
- Fiduciary Financial Advisor Near Me – confirm what fiduciary status means in writing.
- Local advisor-fee guides – compare city, county, and metro fee benchmarks before you book.
Fee-only advisor near me: what to verify first
| Question | Why it matters | What to ask for |
|---|---|---|
| Are you fee-only for the entire relationship? | Fee-only should mean no commissions, referral fees, insurance sales, annuity commissions, or product compensation. | Written compensation disclosure and whether any affiliate receives money. |
| Are you acting as a fiduciary at all times? | Fiduciary status should cover rollover, insurance, annuity, tax-aware investment, and planning advice. | Form ADV, client agreement, and plain-English fiduciary language. |
| What is the first-year cost in dollars? | AUM, flat annual, hourly, project, and retainer fees are not comparable until translated into annual dollars. | Planning fee, investment fee, fund cost, platform fee, hourly work, and renewal terms. |
| What is included? | The cheapest quote can become expensive if tax planning, retirement income, Roth conversions, estate basics, or implementation support are excluded. | Written deliverables, meeting calendar, response rules, and what becomes out-of-scope. |
Fee-only, fee-based, flat-fee, and hourly are different
- Fee-only: compensation source. The advisor is paid by client fees instead of product commissions.
- Fee-based: compensation source can include both client fees and commission or product compensation, so conflicts need extra review.
- Flat-fee: pricing model. The advisor quotes a fixed dollar amount for a defined planning scope.
- Hourly or project: pricing model. The advisor charges by time or a scoped project, usually with a cap or written deliverable.
- AUM: pricing model. The advisor charges a percentage of managed assets, often 0.50%-1.00%+ annually before fund and platform costs.
Cost examples before an intro call
| Quote type | Example annual cost | Best next check |
|---|---|---|
| Flat annual planning | $6,000-$12,000/year | Confirm meetings, written plan, tax coordination, implementation help, and renewal terms. |
| Hourly or project | $300-$500/hour or $2,000-$7,500+ per project | Ask for a not-to-exceed cap and written deliverable. |
| Monthly retainer | $500-$1,000/month or $6,000-$12,000/year | Confirm response time, cancellation terms, and whether investment management is included. |
| AUM | 0.75% on $1,000,000 = $7,500/year; 1.00% = $10,000/year | Compare planning scope, breakpoints, fund costs, platform fees, and tax work. |
Certified financial planner fee only near me
If your search is certified financial planner fee only near me, confirm both parts separately: CFP credentials and fee-only compensation. A CFP professional can still work under different business models, so ask whether the relationship is fee-only, fee-based, commissionable, AUM-only, flat annual, hourly/project, or blended.
5 questions to copy/paste
- Are you fee-only for the entire relationship, including rollover, insurance, annuity, and investment recommendations?
- What is my all-in first-year cost in dollars, including planning, investment management, funds, platform costs, hourly work, and any referral or product compensation?
- Are you acting as a fiduciary at all times, and where is that written?
- What written deliverables will I receive, and what becomes out-of-scope or hourly after the first year?
- How would your recommendation change if I used a flat annual, hourly/project, retainer, or AUM arrangement?
Fee-only and fiduciary near-me route
Pair this fee-only route with fiduciary financial advisor near me, fee-for-service financial planner near me, and hourly financial planner near me when comparing service models.
Fee-only is a compensation structure, not a location.
Proximity matters far less than how someone is paid, and remote engagements are now normal. Filter on the structure first, then on geography if you still care about it. 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. It asks about nine questions — age, investable assets, location — then your name, email and phone number, and verifies the phone by text.
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. Nothing loads and nothing reaches Kapitalwise until you press the button.
Compare fees, scope, conflicts, credentials and fiduciary duty before you hire anyone.
The Kapitalwise form opens here — you stay on this page.
Methodology
- We separate compensation source from pricing model so fee-only, fee-based, flat-fee, hourly, retainer, and AUM quotes can be compared accurately.
- We convert advisor quotes into annual dollars and ask for written scope before judging price.
- This page was materially reviewed on July 7, 2026. It is educational and does not rank, review, endorse, or list advisors.
Editorial standards: Editorial Policy · Corrections · Disclaimer
Compare fee-only advice with commission, robo, and hybrid models
Before choosing a local fee-only advisor, use the advisor model comparison to check compensation, conflicts, planning scope, and implementation.
Credential-first search: Use the certified financial planner near-me guide to verify current CFP® status and regulatory records before comparing fee-only compensation, fiduciary scope, services, and total cost.
Prefer to be matched instead of searching? Only one matching service limits its network to fee-only advisors — the matching services comparison shows which, before you submit any form.